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.