JOURNAL ARTICLE

The Literacy Beliefs of Deaf and Hearing Parents and Their Interactions with Deaf and Hearing Preschool Children.

  • Published In: Applied Linguistics, 2025, v. 46, n. 2. P. 248 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Albalhareth, Ali Hamad 3 of 3

Abstract

This study investigates the literacy beliefs and home literacy practices of deaf and hearing parents with their preschool children in Saudi Arabia, focusing on how these parents support emergent literacy development. Using observations, interviews, and experience sampling, the research found that all parents valued learning through play and dialogue, with deaf parents emphasizing the whole-language approach and fluency in Saudi Sign Language (SSL) as critical for literacy development. Hearing parents of hearing children prioritized phonics and phonemic awareness, while hearing parents of deaf children combined phonics with whole-language strategies and stressed the importance of learning SSL for effective communication. The study highlights the role of parental language proficiency, socioeconomic status, and technology use (e.g., video games and subtitles) in shaping early literacy experiences, and calls for further research with larger samples and greater focus on mothers' roles within the Saudi sociocultural context.

Additional Information

  • Source:Applied Linguistics. 2025/04, Vol. 46, Issue 2, p248
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Education
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0142-6001
  • DOI:10.1093/applin/amae026
  • Accession Number:185488519
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