Different routes to literacy: an eye-tracking study

On average, deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children show reading comprehension deficits. However, much variation in reading skills exists within this group of readers. Despite numerous studies on DHH children’s reading development, it is still unclear what is causing this high degree of variation. The current project is focused on DHH children’s different routes to literacy by investigating to what extent their reading process (i.e. the activation of information from sign and spoken language while reading) and reading behaviour (measuring eye movements while reading) is related to their reading proficiency, and whether this relationship is susceptible to change over time. This study advances scientific understanding of reading processes by using eye-tracking to objectively and precisely measure reading behaviour in DHH children, providing novel insights into how reading strategies develop over time. Additionally, recent technological advancements (such as the neonatal hearing screening and early implementation of hearing devices) offer new opportunities to study their impact on literacy development, refining existing theoretical models of reading acquisition in this population. By identifying different literacy acquisition routes and examining how reading behaviour develops over time, this study can inform the design of even more effective, evidence-based teaching strategies, ultimately improving reading (and even literacy) outcomes for DHH children. Furthermore, this study accounts for recent technological and medical advances, making its findings particularly relevant for today’s generation of DHH learners.