Examining Caregiver Knowledge of Shared Book Reading Practices for Infants and Toddlers Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: A Pilot Study

Abstract

PurposeParents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) often report difficulty engaging their children in successful reading experiences. Shared book reading (SBR) is associated with many aspects of language growth for children who are deaf and hard of hearing. The primary purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the effectiveness of a 4-week training program in improving caregiver knowledge of emergent literacy features and SBR practices for deaf and hard-of-hearing children.MethodThree caregivers with infants or toddlers who were DHH attended a 4-week SBR training. Each week focused on a specific language or literacy construct taught within the context of a picture storybook. Pre- and posttest questionnaires were used to assess caregivers' knowledge of SBR and early literacy. An additional follow-up questionnaire was completed to rate self-perceived changes in confidence levels and overall satisfaction with the training.ResultsAll caregivers made gains in knowledge of shared-book reading practices. Caregivers reported increased confidence in their ability to implement SBR practices at home with their child who was DHH. Caregivers also shared important insight regarding ways in which this pilot program can be improved for the future.ConclusionsThis study contributes to the field by determining that knowledge gains and increased confidence can result from a brief caregiver training, as well as providing suggestive feedback for future trainings of this nature. Our supplemental materials include the PowerPoint files that were used for this training. Early identification of young children who are DHH and the provision of appropriate amplification or hearing technology, such as hearing aids or cochlear implants, has given children greater access to oral language. Early provision of services may provide families the support they need to become actively involved in promoting their child's linguistic development (Moeller, 2000). Family involvement, in the form of parent–child reading, has led to gains within receptive and expressive vocabulary, narrative skills, and later reading comprehension for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH;Ezell et al., 2000;Hargrave & Sénéchal, 2000;Zevenbergen & Whitehurst, 2003). The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the extent to which a 4-week SBR training influences caregiver knowledge of important early literacy concepts and results in increased confidence levels in caregivers of infants and toddlers who are DHH.Supplemental Materialhttps://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12948830