Encouraged by research documenting improved reading comprehension when the components of text structure are realized by students who are deaf or hard of hearing (e.g., Kluwin & Papalia, 1989; Schirmer & Bond, 1990), the researchers analyzed 28 texts retold by the same second-grade deaf child. Methodology provided for analysis of transcripts of the child's weekly text retellings across a Baseline Phase, Intervention Phase 1, and Intervention Phase 2 of data collection. Initially, stimulus for the retellings was provided by narrative and expository text in a second-grade basal reader adopted by the school and used by staff in the child's deaf education program, in keeping with the district's inclusion philosophy. During Intervention Phase 2, instructional-level stories were added and analyzed. Quality of adult mediation was manipulated during intervention. Improvements in the child's ability to include specific elements of text structure were documented over 9 months. A 12-month increase in reading ability and improved narrative ability (evidenced by school district curriculum-based assessment) were also documented.

The researchers studied a method of mediation with a deaf second grader. Language needs were identified through transcription of the child's retellings of weekly basal stories. These were either targeted for adult-mediated conversations during reading activities or left "untargeted but tracked." During two intervention phases, the student's performance on semantic and syntactic features of interest incorporated into retellings improved when an adult facilitated; when an adult was intentionally unavailable to mediate retellings, documentation of positive linguistic changes indicated internalization or acquisition of these features. Analysis of language behaviors that did not improve during unmediated retellings indicated a need for continued mediation. Untargeted but tracked behaviors that went unchanged during data collection further documented that language behavior changes resulted from adult mediation, not maturation. The child achieved 1 year's reading growth during the data collection period (1 academic year) on the Gates-MacGinite Test of Reading (hearing norms; W. MacGinite & R. MacGinite, 1989). Text retelling methodology proved useful, although group design study is warranted.