Learning to Read without Sound: Literacy Across Deaf Poopulations
Date
2019
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Producer
Director
Performer
Choreographer
Costume Designer
Music
Videographer
Lighting Designer
Set Designer
Crew Member
Funder
Rehearsal Director
Concert Coordinator
Advisor
Moderator
Panelist
Alternative Title
Department
Swarthmore College. Dept. of Linguistics
Type
Original Format
Running Time
File Format
Place of Publication
Date Span
Copyright Date
Award
Language
en
Note
Table of Contents
Terms of Use
Full copyright to this work is retained by the student author. It may only be used for non-commercial, research, and educational purposes. All other uses are restricted.
Rights Holder
Access Restrictions
No restrictions
Terms of Use
Tripod URL
Identifier
Abstract
Multiple studies have shown that the best deaf readers are those who use sign language as
their primary means of communication rather than an oral language. This thesis first seeks to
answer the question of why this is the case. It is hypothesized that deaf signers are better readers
because sign language is more easily acquired as a full first language by deaf children, and as
such, deaf signers have the general linguistic skills necessary to acquire a written language. It is
found that the orally-educated deaf have overall diminished language skills and, like deaf
signers, are unable to access phonological representations of language when reading; as such,
they are at a disadvantage when acquiring literacy through phonological means. After it is
determined that early language access, which is best facilitated through the use of sign languages
in deaf populations, is paramount in ensuring literacy skills, this thesis then seeks to determine
how deaf readers translate their language skills into reading skills, using evidence primarily from
the dual-route theory of reading (DRT). The DRT consists of two routes: a route based on
auditory phonology and a route based on lexical knowledge. It is found that the second route is
more important in deaf literacy than the first, which is consistent with what we know about how
deaf readers use (or don't use) phonological knowledge when reading.