American Schools for the Deaf and Word Recognition

Date of Award

8-15-2026

Degree Name

Ed.S. in School Psychology

Department

Department of Educational Administration

Advisor/Chair

Elana Bernstein

Abstract

Word recognition and decoding are traditionally taught using auditory methods, an approach that is not accessible for the d/Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) population. The purpose of this study was to understand the methodologies used by American Schools for the Deaf to teach DHH students word recognition and decoding skills and compare these with a Science of Reading (SoR) approach. Participants included educators at American Schools for the Deaf who answered questions about the strategies their schools use to teach reading. Thirty-five educators with varied roles in their schools responded to the online survey, representing 28 schools from 25 American states. The survey contained quantitative and qualitative questions, and was created and piloted with input from educators at one school for the Deaf prior to distribution. Findings point to a need for evidence-based reading curricula that are tailored to the unique needs of DHH students. This can be accomplished through intentional choice of strategies to teach word recognition that align with visual phonology. An additional finding consistent with the scientific literature is the need for intentional integration of ASL into reading instruction. In terms of the strategies utilized by the respondents in this study, all that were reported incorporate ASL and fingerspelling, multisensory learning, and direct instruction. These methods are empirically supported for use with DHH students and align with the SoR approach.

Keywords

Deaf, DHH, Science of Reading, Word Recognition, Deaf Students, Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Rights Statement

Copyright 2026, author

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