How Do Teachers of Deaf Pre-Readers Communicating in American Sign Language Select Storybooks for Read-Alouds?

Abstract

Teachers of the d/Deaf (TODs) struggle to select appropriate storybooks for elementary-aged Deaf pre-readers who use American Sign Language (Hayes & Shaw, 1994). Hayes and Shaw (1994) created a book selection system for TODs, but their methodology was difficult to evaluate. The purpose of the present research was to create an empirically derived book selection system using a sorting task methodology that has been successfully adapted for creating book selection systems (Schwarz et al., 2015, 2019). In a pilot study, 16 experienced TODs sorted 14 storybooks from published preschool curricula and explained the thinking behind their selections. Using content analysis and a multivariate technique, the authors created a book selection system with a two-tiered glossary and 4-point difficulty scale. They discuss how this system can be used with evidence-based read-aloud interventions compatible with the Framework of Early Literacy (Kuntze & Golos, 2021).