Language Skills and Text Reading Comprehension in Deaf Readers: A Review

What is it about?

Reading is an essential skill for education and daily life, but many deaf individuals face challenges in understanding written text. This study reviews 36 research papers to explore how different language skills impact reading comprehension in people who are prelingually deaf (deaf from birth or early childhood). The study found that vocabulary knowledge is one of the strongest predictors of reading comprehension for deaf readers. In other words, people who know more words tend to understand written text better. Other language skills, such as grammar and sentence structure, also play an important role. However, the role of phonology (the ability to recognize and manipulate sounds in a language) remains unclear, as some studies show it helps while others suggest it is less important for deaf readers. Interestingly, both spoken and sign language skills contribute to reading comprehension. Some deaf readers benefit from strong skills in sign language, which can help them understand written text better. This suggests that bilingual education, including both sign and spoken/written language, may support better reading outcomes. Overall, the study highlights the need for teaching strategies that focus on vocabulary and grammar while recognizing that different learners may use different approaches to reading. Future research should explore how these language skills interact and how education can be tailored to help deaf readers succeed. This review helps educators, parents, and policymakers better understand how to support reading development in deaf individuals, improving their access to information and education.

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Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This study is important because it identifies which language skills help prelingually deaf individuals understand written text. It challenges the assumption that phonology is essential for text comprehension and highlights the strong role of vocabulary and grammar. This review also shows that for deaf children and adolescents, strong sign language vocabulary and phonological skills help with reading comprehension. However, in deaf adults who use both sign and spoken language, only sign language grammar skills were clearly linked to better reading comprehension. These findings can improve teaching strategies, making reading instruction more effective for deaf learners.