Contributions deaf
culture has made to improving the reading of hearing kids.
The
following article first appeared in 1992 editions of Parents' Monthly and Long
Island Parenting News. It is about two contributions deaf culture has made to
improving the reading of hearing kids. It was written by Steve Kokette.
Recently I read an article editorializing that some of the multicultural
studies movement in schools has an undercurrent of anti-Western bias. It argued
Western culture should always be studied because, imperfect as our culture is,
historically it is usually the most open to new ideas and change.
But in advancing multicultural studies the obvious question becomes which
cultures are worth studying and which aren't. Making such decisions can only
reflect our own cultural biases.
We have much to learn from other cultures; and, if multicultural studies are to
be worthwhile, students should be gaining knowledge that something is to be
learned from every culture. Just because a culture isn't studied shouldn't mean
it isn't worthy of study.
In developing multicultural studies, many societies worth studying will be
overlooked. And one, which may have more to offer us now in our national
educational needs than any culture, often literally speaks with a muted voice
for attention. Also, it may be overlooked simply because many consider it a
part of our Western culture.
Deaf culture has two contributions that may be very important in helping
hearing kids learn to read better, and one of them might prove to be an immense
benefit to our economy.
Sign language can help kids read better. A school system in Prince Georges
County, Maryland, is teaching hearing kids Sign, and reading scores have gone
up. Other research has also shown Sign improves reading.
Many kids fall behind when first learning to read because they simply don't
remember what letters and words mean. The problem is that once they fall behind
they often stay behind, so it might be considered beneficial to try to prevent
kids from falling behind in reading initially.
If children learn words and letters in conjunction with a Sign for the letters
and words they learn they are more likely to remember what those letters and
words mean. Therefore they read better.
Closed captioning is the other contribution to better reading, and soon it will
be available to all. Federal law demands that by mid-1993 all TV sets sold with
screens of 13" or larger, which is essentially all TVs, must have closed
captioning (CC) at the push of a button. One manufacturer has already
introduced these TVs at competitive prices with conventional sets.
One day many parents, perhaps most, will be using these sets at home - often
before kids start school - to help teach reading. The sets might be used with
the sound off and captioning on, which some schools already do, and which
research shows to be effective. If kids don't learn to read from this they
should at least develop a curiosity as to what the letters running across the
screen mean. The sets may also be used at home with both sound and captioning
on to teach reading.
The irony is, that this technology developed to help the deaf may become an
important tool in advancing our economy. It's also been shown CC is great for
teaching English as a second language, which could help many non-English
speakers in the U.S. become more productive. And the deaf, who often can't
afford CC decoders and who have far fewer opportunities to learn from other
individuals than those who hear, will find themselves with more learning
opportunities than they have ever had.
But its real impact may come in increasing U.S. exports. Other nations are
likely to pass laws allowing only push button CC sets to be sold in their
countries too, so it's possible that soon all or most TVs sold will have this
feature. And for now, manufacturers will retool their factories to produce a
surplus of these TVs for the U.S. market. It will be better for them to have
too many on hand, which can be sold in other nations, than too few to sell in
the huge U.S. market.
The U.S. easily leads the world in CC video and TV programs, and these new sets
will make it easier for many throughout the world to learn English via CC
programs. Many more in non-English speaking nations should eventually be
capable of using English instructions for using or assembling U.S. products.
And more should be capable of learning enough English to trade with the U.S. -
whether ordering one inexpensive item or putting together multi-million dollar
deals.
The military and NASA often love to point to "spin-off" products
their research helped develop and that now benefit all. But perhaps two of the
greatest spin-offs of all time are from a group most would least expect - the
hearing impaired.