Young Deaf Children and the Prediction of Reading and Mathematics

Abstract

Nearly 1000 deaf children were assessed upon entry to school, aged four and five years, using a broad baseline assessment, and then again one year later in reading and maths. Comparative data were also available for hearing children. These data were used to look at the prediction of the academic achievement of children with varying degrees of hearing loss. Despite past failures at establishing good predictors and despite the apparently very complex nature of the task, clear and simple prediction proved to be possible. The findings are discussed in terms of monitoring systems and research potential.