Spoken/sign language as a criterion for school readiness among deaf pre-schoolers
Abstract
English: In this pilot study the plight of deaf education was highlighted. As the
oral/manual controversy continues to play a pivotal role in deaf education,
the medium of instruction for the deaf pre-school child was addressed as a
possible criteria for determining school readiness skills and ultimately
academic success translating into the acquisition of literacy skills.
Presently the literacy level of the deaf school leaver is equivalent to a grade
three or four level.
Curriculum 2005 was discussed and the school readiness skills needed to
ensure academic success with this curriculum were investigated
The Group Test for School Readiness aimed at assisting the class teacher in
differentiating between children with appropriate and inappropriate school
readiness skills was deemed an appropriate test for assessing deaf preschoolers
receiving their education in a spoken language and deaf preschoolers
receiving their education in a signed language as the Group Test
for School Readiness can be utilised to obtain a reliable profile of the childs
cognitive, perceptual, language, numerical and motoric abilities.
The Group Test was administered by the class teacher to eliminate possible
discrepancies resulting from communication problems between the subjects
and the researcher.
With the exception of their performance on three subtests, the deaf preschoolers
receiving their pre-school education in a spoken language faired
consistently better than the Deaf pre-schoolers receiving their pre-school
education in a signed language. Apart from the contrasting medium of
education implemented, additional reasons for the difference in performance
between the two groups was investigated.
The average chronological age of the pre-schoolers receiving their preschool
education in a spoken language appears to be 7 months older than
the pre-schoolers receiving their pre-school education in a signed language. The majority of the subjects in the former group having already turned 7
years of age in 2003 would have received exemption from entering grade 1
in 2003 and are consequently repeating their pre-school year. In addittion the
average age at which deafnes was diagnosed in the deaf pre-school subjects
receiving their pre-school education in a spoken language was 9 months
earlier than the deaf pre-school subjects receiving their pre-school education
in a signed language. The quality of the language the subjects in group B were exposed to in both the home and school environment was identified as possibly contributing to
this groups weaker performance. Afrikaans: In hierdie studie is die stand van dowe onderrig beklemtoon. Omdat die
gesproke/gebaretaal stryd aanhou om ‘n deurslaggwende rol in dowe
onderrig te speel is die medium van onderrig met dowe voorskoolse kinders
as ‘n moontlike kriteria vir die bepaling van skool gereedheid en uiteindelik
akademiese sukses wat aanleiding sou gee to die verwerwing van
geletterheid ondersoek.
Tans is die gelettertheid syfer onder dowe skool verlaters gelykstaande aan
‘n graad 3 of 4 vlak.
Kurrikulum 2005 is bespreek en die skoolgereedheidsvaardighede wat
benodig word om akademiese sukses binne die kurrikulum te verseker is
ondersoek.
Die Groep Toets vir Skoolgereedheid wat die klas onderwyseres ondersteun
om onderskeid te tref tuusen kinders met toepaslike en nie toepaslike
skoolgereedheidsvaardighede is as toepaslike toets beskou om dowe
kinders wat hul voorskoolse onderrrig in gesproke taal ontvang en dowe
kinders wat hul voorskoolse onderrig in gebaretaal ontvang te toets
aangesien die Groep Toets vir Skoolgereedheid gebruik kan word om ‘n
betroubare profiel te verkry van die kind se kognitiewe, perseptuele, taal,
numeriese en mooriese vaardighede.
Om moontlike kommunikasie probleme tussen die navorser en toetslinge te
elimineer is die Groep Toets deur die klas onderwyseres afgeneem.
Met die uitsondering van drie subtoetse het die dowe voorskoolse kinders
wat hul onderrig in gesproketaal ontvang herhaaldelik beter gevaar as die
dowe voorskoolse kinders wat hul onderrig in gebaretaal ontvang. Afgesien
van die medium van onderrig wat geimplimenteer is, is bykomende redes
vir die verskil tussen die twee groepe se prestasie ondersoek.
Die gemiddelde kronologiese ouderdom van die voorskoolse kinders wat hul
onderrrig in gesproketaal ontvang blyk 7 maande ouer te wees as die
voorskoolse kinders wat hul onderrig in gebaretaal ontvang. Omdat die meederheid van die kinders in die eersgenoemde groep alreeds 7
jaar oud geword het in 2003 het hul vrystelling vir die skooljaar 2003 verkry
en herhaal dus hul voorskoolse jaar. Boonop is die gemiddelde ouderdom
van ‘n diagnose van doofheid in die voorskoolse kinders wat hul voorskoolse
onderrig in gesproketaal kry 9 maande vroeer gemaak as die voorskoolse
kinders wat hul voorskoolse onderrig in gebaretaal kry.
Die kwaliteit van die taal waaraan die kinders in groep B in beide die huis en
skool blootgestel word is geidentifiseer as ‘n moontlike faktor wat bygedra
het tot die groep se swakker prestasie. Dit blyk asof verdere navorsing nodig is voordat daar met sekerheid vasgestel kan word watter medium van onderrig die beter een is.