Abstract
Research has shown that the reading ability of the deaf lags behind about six to seven years, or even more, compared to that of normal-hearing children (Goetzinger & Rousey, 1959; Wrightstone & Moskowitz, 1963; MykIebust, 1964; Conrad, 1979). Furth (1966) found that deaf children who had studied language for five years could achieve only as much as a normal-hearing child could in a year. Their reading ability would reach a "plateau" of development. They only attained a level equivalent to that of a Grade 5 normal-hearing school' child (Goetzinger & Rousey, 1959). The author found the deaf children in his classes showing similar features in reading in Chinese.The author analyzed the reading reports of the deaf students in his M.1 to M.3 classes and discovered the following features: (a) The students understood the texts fragmentarily; (b) They comprehended the surface meaning of the sentences; (c) They produced summaries by copying original sentences from the texts or reconstructing original sentences, and they failed to use their own words; (d) They processed verbal meanings, applying only concrete thinking; and (e) they were inclined to read pictures rather than texts. In this paper, the author introduces a series of reading and writing guides designed to help deaf children understand and analyze reading contents. These guides are devised in such a way that they promote analysis, synthesis, abstract thinking, and develop skills for summarizing, drawing conclusions, making comments, and expressing personal view points and feelings.
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