Using Scaffolded Self-Editing to Improve the Writing of Signing Adolescent Deaf Students

Abstract

H E AU T H O R S investigated the impact of the Deaf StudentEditing Rubric (DSER) as a self-editing tool on the writing performance of prelingually profoundly deaf adolescent students whose first language is American Sign Language. The DSER was developed by the first author. The study participants included 15 Deaf students in 4 classrooms in grades 7-12. Writing samples were analyzed for all students, and the level of rubric use was assessed. Eight of the students were interviewed about their use of the DSER. Although all students in the sample increased their mean scores in word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions, results indicated that only the interviewed group showed significant improvement in their writing. Students' writing performance indicated that the DSER was most effective when students talked with an adult about their use of the rubric.

Teacher Reports of Secondary Writing Instruction with Deaf Students

“…First, using visual scaffolds with DHH students during shared and guided writing activities has led to improvements in students’ use of adjectives (Easterbrooks & Stoner, 2006). Second, rubrics have empowered DHH students to recognize specific writing traits to incorporate, particularly when metacognitively reflecting with one another in follow-up conversations (Appanah & Hoffman, 2014). Third, Kluwin and Kelly (1992) found that when teachers frequently engaged DHH students in the writing process, their writing and grammar improved.…”