Language and Literacy Coner

The Language and Literacy Connection

Jacqueline  D. Hall-Katter, M.S. CCC/SLP

Whether you are a parent or an educator, it is important to note the significant link between a student’s language ability and their reading ability.

In my work with a students, sometimes a teacher states that a student’s language is fine; they are simply struggling to read. In some cases, that may be true; however, in other instances, a student who has reading struggles also presents with language difficulties.

A student’s reading level cannot surpass the student’s language level.  Students who have partially developed cognitive academic language proficiency often plateau at 2^nd grade reading level and struggle to continue to gain ground in literacy.

For our deaf and hard of hearing students, many times the child’s language skills are impacted by the access to information. Only 10-20% of language is directly taught and the rest is overheard or acquired through incidental learning.   If our students do not have full access to language, then they will not continue to grow and thus their reading levels will not continue to improve. To graduate from Indiana with a diploma, a student currently needs to show 10^th grade reading proficiency.  This means student’s language and literacy skills need to be monitored very closely to ensure they are not falling behind their hearing peers.

Here are some ways parents and schools can help to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing students do not fall behind their peers in literacy development:

· Closely monitor a child’s language growth and ability to use language for thinking.

· Consult with professionals versed in DHH education early and often, before the student shows any signs of struggle.

· Develop an interest in books early and read to your child every day in the child’s accessible language.

· Use books without words sometimes and encourage the student to tell creative stories.

· Engage the student in stories through predicting what may happen.

· Keep books and print in the child’s environment beginning at a young age.

· Experience the world: go to the zoo, taste new foods, talk about new things- help your student to expand their world    knowledge through hands-on experience,

· Purposefully expand your own vocabulary to describe the environment around you; engage the child in experiencing and talking about things.

· If you are at all concerned, obtain a speech language evaluation that includes an investigation into the student’s cognitive academic language proficiency.

· Closely monitor a child’s language growth and ability to use language for thinking.

· Consult with professionals versed in DHH education early and often, before the student shows any signs of struggle.

· Develop an interest in books early and read to your child every day in the child’s accessible language.

· Use books without words sometimes and encourage the student to tell creative stories.

· Engage the student in stories through predicting what may happen.

· Keep books and print in the child’s environment beginning at a young age.

· Experience the world: go to the zoo, taste new foods, talk about new things- help your student to expand their world knowledge through hands-on experience,

· Purposefully expand your own vocabulary to describe the environment around you; engage the child in experiencing and talking about things.

· If you are at all concerned, obtain a speech language evaluation that includes an investigation into the student’s cognitive academic language proficiency.