Reading attainment in hearing-impaired children: A comparison of higher and lower achievers

Abstract

The purpose of the present research is to study hearing-impaired children with higher and lower reading attainment in order to suggest why some of these children achieve greater competency than others. Sixteen children, ages 8 to 17, from two oral schools for the hearing-impaired in Britain, were given two tests of reading comprehension. These revealed (1) marked differences in the reading levels of the children, and (2) a relationship between the test scores and what school the children attended. Differences were also found when the children's oral language use and reading comprehension levels were compared. Oral language use was shown to be an important skill related to attainment in reading. Differences in the nature of early language experiences of children in the two schools were said to be partly responsible for the disparity in the children's oral language ability and the differences in their later ability to read. Some insights are offered to explain how one school has fostered the development of good reading skills where other schools have failed to do so.