YOUNG DEAF CHILDRENS RESPONSE TO PICTURE BOOK READING IN A PRESCHOOL SETTING

The purpose of this study was to examine profoundly deaf children's re sponses to picture book reading in a preschool setting and to compare those responses to the responses of hearing children as documented in the research literature. Given their profound deafness, the children's language development was severely delayed, and the researchers explor ed the deaf children's responses to literature in light of their langu age delay. The primary data sources were videotapes of (1) the childre n's responses to the oral and signed reading of picture books by the c lassroom teacher and (2) the children's exploration of picture books d uring free-choice reading sessions in both the classroom and school li braries. Results of the study demonstrated both that, despite severe l anguage delay, the deaf children's responses to picture book reading e vents were very similar to hearing children's responses, and that the deaf children were learning a great deal about what reading is and how it is accomplished through these picture book reading events. The stu dy suggests implications of response to literature as a pedagogical ap proach for literacy learning and teaching in classrooms for children w ho are deaf.