ERIC Number: EJ1071327
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0002-726X
EISSN: N/A
Early Visual Language Exposure and Emergent Literacy in Preschool Deaf Children: Findings from a National Longitudinal Study
Allen, Thomas E.; Letteri, Amy; Choi, Song Hoa; Dang, Daqian
American Annals of the Deaf, v159 n4 p346-358 2014
A brief review is provided of recent research on the impact of early visual language exposure on a variety of developmental outcomes, including literacy, cognition, and social adjustment. This body of work points to the great importance of giving young deaf children early exposure to a visual language as a critical precursor to the acquisition of literacy. Four analyses of data from the Visual Language and Visual Learning (VL2) Early Education Longitudinal Study are summarized. Each confirms findings from previously published laboratory findings and points to the positive effects of early sign language on, respectively, letter knowledge, social adaptability, sustained visual attention, and cognitive-behavioral milestones necessary for academic success. The article concludes with a consideration of the qualitative similarity hypothesis and a finding that the hypothesis is valid, but only if it can be presented as being modality independent.
Descriptors: Deafness, Hearing Impairments, Preschool Children, Longitudinal Studies, Language Acquisition, Child Development, Visual Stimuli, American Sign Language, Knowledge Level, Attention, Alphabets, Social Adjustment, Cognitive Development, Student Behavior, Success, Hypothesis Testing, Communication Skills, Surveys, Family Environment, Environmental Influences, Orthographic Symbols, Literature Reviews
Gallaudet University Press. 800 Florida Avenue NE, Denison House, Washington, DC 20002-3695. Tel: 202-651-5488; Fax: 202-651-5489; Web site: http://gupress.gallaudet.edu/annals/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative; Information Analyses
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: SBE-0541953; SBE-1041725