Improving reading skills is considered one of education's highest priorities. The present study investigated teachers' knowledge of reading skills instruction in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). A mixed-methods design was used to obtain data that would improve understanding of teachers' knowledge about teaching reading skills to d/Deaf and hard…

In a replication study, the researcher investigated the effects of a 4-week vocabulary intervention in which he and a teacher used direct instruction to teach 16 multiple-meaning words to three hard of hearing students in a fifth-grade classroom who read at low levels. The vocabulary intervention was adopted from a study by Alqraini and Paul…

Deaf and hard of hearing (d/Dhh) children frequently have delayed language; yet limited research exists on interventions to facilitate linguistic development in the classroom (Fung, Chow, & McBride-Chang, 2005). Dialogic reading is an evidence-based practice that has resulted in significantly improved language skills (Towson, Fettig, Fleury,…

Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students tend to experience delayed development of grammatical skills in written language. However, much remains unknown about the mechanism behind this phenomenon. In the present study, the researchers used a self-paced moving-window reading task to investigate DHH students' understanding of causal and adversative…

Fingerspelling and its relationship with literacy skills among deaf and hard of hearing children who use American Sign Language is an increasingly popular research topic. However, there is limited research on whether reading interventions that systematically include fingerspelling are more effective for improving literacy skills than reading…

The purpose of the study was to uncover and describe psycholinguistic and sociocognitive factors facilitating effective reading by signing adults who are profoundly deaf and do not use hearing technology. The sample comprised four groups, each consisting of 15 adults, for a total of 60 participants. The four groups were "deaf…

In a qualitative meta-analysis , the researchers systematically reviewed qualitative and quantitative meta-analyses on reading research with PK-12 students published after the 2000 National Reading Panel (NRP) report. Eleven qualitative and 39 quantitative meta-analyses were reviewed examining reading research with typically developing hearing…

The effectiveness of phonological instruction with 6 deaf students in an oral program was investigated. In a previous investigation (Syverud, Guardino, & Selznick, 2009), promising results had been obtained in a case study in which the Direct Instruction curriculum titled "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" (Engelmann, Haddox, & Bruner,…

In a comparison between the Cornerstones approach--a literature-based, technology-infused literacy project--and an instructional method designated the Typical approach, a mixed method design was used to answer three research questions: (a) Will children who are deaf or hard of hearing demonstrate differences in beginning reading skills as measured…

The study explored the effects of an 8-week intervention in which a teacher/researcher used direct instruction to show the multiple meanings of 7 words to 4 deaf students ages 11-13 years in a school for the deaf. Applying conclusions from emerging research that links knowledge and strategy with metacognitive skills, the teacher/researcher used…

The study considered whether adding sign language graphics to the books being used for reading instruction in a first-grade classroom would promote the literacy development of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. The researchers also sought to discover whether materials existed to put the process of modifying leveled texts within the reach of…

An observational study of reading instruction was conducted in general education, resource, and self-contained classrooms, grades 1-4, in public schools. Participants included students who were deaf or hard of hearing and their reading teachers. Results indicated that time engaged in reading and/or academically responding varied significantly by…

The American Foundation of Teachers (1999) has stated that "the most fundamental responsibility of schools is teaching students to read" (p. 7). The central purpose of reading is comprehension--constructing meaning from text. The purpose of the present study was to identify, review, and summarize the research published in professional…

Learning to read and write is a challenge for most deaf children due to their limited experiences with, and access to, spoken language. In the case of deaf students who have difficulty processing visual print, literacy becomes an even greater challenge. The study piloted an intervention procedure that incorporated the principles of automaticity,…

The ability to read and write for a variety of purposes is essential to success in school and in contemporary society. The purpose of this investigation was to conduct an exhaustive review of the literature and a meta-analysis of literacy research in the field of deaf education. Computer and manual searches of 40 years of peer-reviewed journal…