Maternal Questions While Reading to Deaf and Hearing Twins: A Case Study

This study examined the frequency and types of questions that a mother used during storybook reading sessions with her 3-year-old twin daughters. One had normal hearing and one was deaf. Results indicated that the mother asked almost twice as many questions of the hearing twin as she did of the deaf twin. The types of questions asked also varied. With the hearing twin, the mother primarily asked conventional test questions. While questions asked the deaf twin appeared to serve the same function as conventional test questions, they were asked in a form not examined in previous research.

Differential changes in questions asked the twins across three reading sessions also were noted. Implications for the quality of language during book reading with young deaf children are discussed.