The presentation expose students to see the link between language foundation and literacy with reference to a child with deafness in Indian context. It facilitates reflections on measures to achieve age appropriate literacy skills among students with deafness comparing it to a typically developing hearing child.

1. B ED SPECIAL EDUCATION (UNIVERSITY OF MUMBAI)
COURSE C 12 / Module 2.4
ISSUES IN LITERACY
MEASURES FOR AA LITERACY DEVELOPMENT
ISSUES IN SCHOLASTIC ACHIEVEMENT
MEASURES FOR AGE APPROPRIATE S A
asmita huddar
Principal.hacse@gmail.com
Hashu Advani College of Special Education
https://www.hashuadvanismarak.org/hacse/

2. Gearing up…..
Lets see some samples of picture descriptions
INDEPENDENTLY written by children /
individuals.

3. The probe: Picture to be described

4. Guess the case: sample 1

5. Guess the case: sample 2

6. Guess the case: sample 3

7. Guess the case: sample 4

8. Probable cases of the given samples
• Mild hearing loss
• Profound hearing loss
• Second language learner
• First generation learner
• Other disabilities
• Inappropriate literacy training
• Adult learning literacy

9. L TO L: Compare a typically developing
hearing child at 3 entering a pre school
with a likely case of CWHI at 3 entering
same pre school
• language to literacy link is direct. Language
foundation is a pre condition of literacy
development. With non disabled child it is taken
for granted that when he/she enters the school
he/she has adequate command over age
appropriate language which facilitates the
literacy development. But same is not the case
with CWHI

10. COMPARING LITERACY PROCESSES OF a Normal hearing child and CWHI in
terms of fulfilling prerequisite of language foundations
Non-Impaired typically developing child
1.Adequate
Listening
experience
2.Adequate
Control over
Speech
mechanism
3.Adequate
Language
4. Training on
Basic
Literacy begins with
associating phoneme
with grapheme
Speech
Of
others
Own
speech
B as in Banana
A as in Apple
What about deaf child who does not benefit
from amplification?
Inadequate 1,2 and 3 is LIKELY TO LEAD to inadequate literacy?

11. How do literacy skills function? Which could be challenging areas for a
typical CWHI in India? (If trio not fulfilled)
TOP DOWN PROCESS (Where is the meaning? In reader’s mind)
Knowledge of society/world
Knowledge of context
Knowledge of purpose
Topic knowledge
Grammar Knowledge
Vocabulary knowledge
Script norms
Word recognition
Sight Vocabulary
Later recognition
Grapheme phoneme relation
Phonemic awareness
BOTTOM UP (Where is the meaning? In the text)

12. How are language and literacy connected
Language
(inner abstract process)
listening/ Speaking
Signing
Reading writing

13. Issues in Academic achievement
(over and above general issues)
• Inadequate language base
AND HENCE
• Inadequate Literacy base
• Inadequate knowledge base
• Attention / motivation issues
• Understanding of purpose of education
• Practice issues of learners

14. What can be done? General Measures
1. Ensuring early intervention to get benefit of
biological readiness and increasing the span of rehab.
2. Ensuring access to communication (amplification /
sign language) In either way, the child MUST GET
fluent and age appropriate E3 of a natural language.
This will build foundation for learning and literacy
3. Family involvement and home environment: children
are in schools for 6 hours and teachers is accountable
for the learning of a big number but same is not the
case of parents.

15. What can be done? specific Measures
1. Working on language development (L to L link)
2. Selecting appropriate options: Literacy and academic
achievement depends on selecting appropriate option
for the child AT LEAST in 3 areas. There is NO SINGLE
best option for all. Incorrect selection leads to under
achievement.
a. School type
b. Communication option (oral / sign language / sign
system)
c. medium
6. Guided material (graded material which goes well
with learning needs of that particular stage.

16. Explanation of point 2 on earlier slide: Progression towards
2, 3 and 4 is essential. Whether it is 1a or 1b.
1 (a) sign language 1 (b) listening speaking
2. Language
3. Literacy
4. Education

17. What can be done? Specific Measures
7. Literacy as a separate subject: In Indian school
language text book teaches grammar and
literature. There is no separate period or text
book for literacy development. This is needed.
8. Assessment of literacy: as separate from
assessment of language / text book
9. Exposure to role model writing
10 Teachers’ feedback – an effective tool of
learning: clear, early, interactive, written
11. Looking at literacy as fun / expression and not
as task

18. References for 2.1/ 2.2/2.4
• Bonder-Johnson Barbara and Sass-Lehrer
Marylin. (2003)The young Deaf and Hard of
Hearing Child. Paul Brookes Publishing Co.
• Laynas, Wendy. (1994) Whurr Publication:
England
• Paul Peter and Quigley Stephen. (2005). Language
and Deafness. Singular Publishing Group
• Uden, Van. A world of Language for the Deaf.
(1977) Swets and Zeitlinger, Amsterdam.

19. MUST REFER
• SSA manuals
• YCMOU material for B Ed Distance Ed (spl Ed)
• IGNOU material for B Ed / Med (spl Ed)
• E pathshala
• TNOU material for B Ed / Med (spl Ed)

20. More resources
• https://www.slideshare.net/AsmitaHuddar/hu
ddar-literracy-material-cre-bhavnagar-26321