Debates about methods of supporting language development and academic skills of deaf or hard-of-hearing children have waxed and waned for more than 100 years:
Will using sign language interfere with learning to use spoken language or does it offer optimal access to communication for deaf children?
Does placement in classrooms with mostly hearing children enhance or impede academic and social-emotional development?
Will cochlear implants or other assistive listening devices provide deaf children with sufficient input for age-appropriate reading abilities?
Are traditional methods of classroom teaching effective for deaf and hard-of-hearing students?
Although there is a wealth of evidence with regard to each of these issues, too often, decisions on how to best support deaf and hard-of-hearing children in developing language and academic skills are made based on incorrect or incomplete information. No matter how well-intentioned, decisions grounded in opinions, beliefs, or value judgments are insufficient to guide practice. Instead, we need to take advantage of relevant,
emerging research concerning best practices and outcomes in educating deaf and hard-of-hearing learners. In this critical evaluation of what we know and what we do not know about educating deaf and hard-of-hearing students, the authors examine a wide range of educational settings and research methods that have guided deaf education in recent years--or should. The book provides a focus for future educational and research efforts, and aims to promote optimal support for deaf and hard-of-hearing learners of all ages. Co-authored by two of the most respected leaders in the field, this book summarizes and evaluates research findings across multiple disciplines pertaining to the raising and educating of deaf children, providing a comprehensive but concise record of the successes, failures, and unanswered questions in deaf education. A readily accessible and invaluable source for teachers, university students, and other professionals, Evidence-Based Practice in Educating Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students encourages readers to reconsider assumptions and delve more deeply into what we really know about deaf and hard-of-hearing children, their patterns of development, and their lifelong learning.
By:
Patricia Elizabeth Spencer,
Marc Marschark (,
Rochester,
NY)
Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 155mm,
Width: 231mm,
Spine: 18mm
Weight: 386g
ISBN: 9780199735402
ISBN 10: 0199735409
Pages: 264
Publication Date: 30 July 2010
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Chapter 1. Introduction and Key Findings Index Chapter 2. Demographics, Diversity, and Foundational Issues in Deaf Education Chapter 3. Evaluating the Evidence in Deaf Education: Methods for Obtaining Trustworthy and Useful Information Chapter 4. Early Identification of Hearing Loss and Early Intervention Services: Implications for Language and Learning Chapter 5. Language Development, Languages, and Language Systems Chapter 6. Acquisition and Development of Literacy Skills Chapter 7. Cognition, Perception, and Learning Strategies Chapter 8. Achievement in Mathematics and Science Chapter 9. Educational Placement Decisions and Outcomes Chapter 10. Programming for Children with Multiple Disabilities Chapter 11. Issues and Trends in Best Practice References
Patricia Elizabeth Spencer is former Professor of Psychology at Gallaudet University, and and continues working as a researcher, writer, and evaluation consultant. Marc Marschark is Professor and Director, Center for Education Research Partnerships, National Technical Institute for the Deaf - Rochester Institute of Technology.
Reviews for Evidence-Based Practice in Educating Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students
One of the greatest challenges in educating deaf and hard-of-hearing students today is the need for evidence-based practice to replace decades if not centuries of intuitive teaching. Parents, teachers, and other professionals through the years have acquired or developed for themselves strategies and materials that help deaf students to succeed academically and, eventually, in the workplace. All too often, however, this has required trial-and-error methods just as frustrating to the adults involved as the students who struggle to meet course demands and satisfy their own thirst for knowledge. This volume has been long in coming, now that it is here it will help to move the field of deaf education forward. In it, the authors carefully evaluate the existing literature with regard to deaf education, separating wheat from chaff and knowledge from belief. It points the way forward for teachers and learners of all ages. --T. Alan Hurwitz, President, Gallaudet University This is an excellent book for both the experienced practitioner or academic and those new to the field of deaf education. It is very timely given the current emphasis on the need to base practice on evidence in many different and diverse areas. The book is comprehensive and considers not only the evidence we have about education of deaf pupils but, as importantly, those areas in which our knowledge is less secure. In this respect there may well be a number of surprises for the reader. As well as addressing the findings of research it also discusses the research procedures necessary for studies to contribute towards an adequate evidence base. As such it is an important book, likely to influence practice, and is recommended to all with an interest in the education of deaf children and young people. --Sue Gregory, Former Reader in Deaf Education, University of Birmingham, U.K.
