Spoken/sign language as a criterion for school readiness among deaf pre-schoolers

[摘要] English: In this pilot study the plight of deaf education was highlighted. As theoral/manual controversy continues to play a pivotal role in deaf education,the medium of instruction for the deaf pre-school child was addressed as apossible criteria for determining school readiness skills and ultimatelyacademic success translating into the acquisition of literacy skills.Presently the literacy level of the deaf school leaver is equivalent to a gradethree or four level.Curriculum 2005 was discussed and the school readiness skills needed toensure academic success with this curriculum were investigatedThe Group Test for School Readiness aimed at assisting the class teacher indifferentiating between children with appropriate and inappropriate schoolreadiness skills was deemed an appropriate test for assessing deaf preschoolersreceiving their education in a spoken language and deaf preschoolersreceiving their education in a signed language as the Group Testfor School Readiness can be utilised to obtain a reliable profile of the childscognitive, perceptual, language, numerical and motoric abilities.The Group Test was administered by the class teacher to eliminate possiblediscrepancies resulting from communication problems between the subjectsand the researcher.With the exception of their performance on three subtests, the deaf preschoolersreceiving their pre-school education in a spoken language fairedconsistently better than the Deaf pre-schoolers receiving their pre-schooleducation in a signed language. Apart from the contrasting medium ofeducation implemented, additional reasons for the difference in performancebetween the two groups was investigated.The average chronological age of the pre-schoolers receiving their preschooleducation in a spoken language appears to be 7 months older thanthe pre-schoolers receiving their pre-school education in a signed language.The majority of the subjects in the former group having already turned 7years of age in 2003 would have received exemption from entering grade 1in 2003 and are consequently repeating their pre-school year. In addittion theaverage age at which deafnes was diagnosed in the deaf pre-school subjectsreceiving their pre-school education in a spoken language was 9 monthsearlier than the deaf pre-school subjects receiving their pre-school educationin a signed language. The quality of the language the subjects in group B were exposed to in both the home and school environment was identified as possibly contributing tothis groups weaker performance.

[发布机构] University of the Free State