Reading Achievement of Prelingually Deaf Students and Its Relationship to Parental Method of Communication: A Review of the Literature

Historically, one of the issues in the education of deaf children has been whether reading achievement is related to parental method of communication. Although deaf children of signing deaf parents typically read at higher levels than deaf children of non-signing hearing parents, this does not necessarily support the notion that manual communication leads to higher reading skills. Studies comparing signing versus non-signing parents without regard for parental hearing status have typically found no relationship between parental method and children's reading skills. Those examining specific types of manual communication and parental skill level, however, have found some evidence of a relationship between these variables and reading. The authors conclude that more research is needed before unbiased recommendations can be made to parents regarding which method of communication will have the greatest impact on their children's reading abilities.