Teacher-assigned literacy events in a bimodal, bilingual preschool with deaf and hearing children

Abstract

This article reports on a study of literacy practices in a Norwegian preschool where deaf and hearing children are enrolled in the same group and where communication is based on both sign language and spoken language. The aim of the study was to explore pathways to literacy for young deaf children within this setting. Our implicit assumption is that deaf children access literacy in much the same way as hearing children do. In the study we ask what kind of literacy events occur in the preschool and we examine how these events might allow for participation by the young deaf children on equal terms with their hearing peers. The study is conducted within a sociocultural framework. From this perspective, literacy is perceived as a social practice in everyday activities. Within the range of social activities in the preschool, some significant literacy events were analysed with regard to their nature and impact on literacy learning for deaf children. Data are based on video recordings, field notes and interviews with teachers. The results demonstrate that a number of events vital to literacy learning represent great educational challenges in inclusive settings with both hearing and deaf children.

Et løfte om inkludering: Barnehagens rammer for samhandling mellom hørselshemmede og hørende barn i barnehagen

“…Hørselshemmede barn vil vaere sårbare i aktiviteter og hendelser som ikke ivaretar konsekvenser av en hørselshemning, uavhengig av størrelsen på barnets hørselstap (Heiling, 1999;Hjulstad, Kristoffersen & Simonsen 2002;Kermit, Mjøen & Holm, 2010). Hvordan aktiviteten er strukturert, innholdet, valg av språk og antall personer som deltar, har betydning for i hvilken grad hørselshemmede barn kan delta og samhandle med andre barn og voksne (Kristoffersen & Simonsen, 2012). Eksempelvis vil barn som bare støtter seg på hørselsresten vaere sårbare i situasjoner der det er mye støy og mange som snakker samtidig.…”

“…Den etiske dimensjonen dreier seg om barnet som aktør og bidragsyter inn i fellesskapet med mulighet for å gjøre egne valg, oppleve mestring og tilhørighet og muligheter til påvirkning (Rose i Arnesen, 2012; Andenaes, 2012). I tidligere forskning om hørselshemmede småbarn har verken det relasjonelle eller det etiske perspektivet hatt stor plass (Kermit 2010;Kristoffersen & Simonsen, 2012). Det har primaert vaert det hørselshemmede barnets hørsel og språk, primaert talespråkutvikling som har vaert kartlagt og testet (Simonsen, m.fl., 2010).…”

“…Studien som denne artikkelen bygger på, viser at dersom hørselshemmede barn skal delta i litterasitetshendelser kreves spesiell tilrettelegging (Kristoffersen & Simonsen, 2012;Kristoffersen & Simonsen, under publisering). I det følgende redegjør vi for design, datainnhenting, analyser og funn fra studien.…”

Deaf children's bimodal bilingualism and education

“…Other identified advantages include the psychosocial wellbeing resulting, in part, from improved access to the curriculum and to peer interaction in the classroom (Bagga-Gupta 2000;Dammeyer 2010). The establishment of early language and communication (Rinaldi et al 2014) as well as support for the development of reading and vocabulary knowledge ) and early literacy skills (Kristoffersen & Simonsen 2012;Dammeyer 2014). These more general gains can be explained by the advantages that fluent, early communication provides in terms of linguistic, cognitive and social-emotional development, but they have yet to translate into attainment data.…”

Characteristics of Nordic research on special education in preschool: a review with special focus on Swedish conditions

“…Briefly mentions learning theory as part of ABA Björklund (2012) Variation theory of learning, phenomenography Bygdeson-Larsson Activity theory (Engeström, EPR model), hermeneutics, sociocultural theory and object rel theory (Winnicott) Cameron and Tveit (2011) Lipsky and Habermas Drugli, Clifford, and Larsson (2008) Grounded theory Fisker (2010) Metatheor rel developm perspective, Vygotsky, Sommer Gjermestad Theories about dyadic relations, intersubjectivity and learning, phenomenology and hermeneutics Hagström (2010) A range of diff theories on for example teachers learning, attachment theory, affect theory Hillesøy, Johansson, and Ohna (2014) Sociocultural theory Holst (2008) No obvious theory Holst and Pihlaja (2011) No obvious theory Kristoffersen and Simonsen (2013) Ethnography, sociocultural theory Kristoffersen and Simonsen (2014) Ethnography, sociocultural theory…”