Deaf Students’ Metacognitive Awareness of the Reading Process and the Characteristics They Feel are Inherent in Proficient Readers

Abstract

This study was conducted to gain insight into deaf students' awareness of the skills and strategies they utilize during the reading process and those they feel are inherent in proficient readers. The subjects involved in this study included fourteen tenth-grade and thirteen fourth-grade deaf students taking Language Arts/English classes from various residential and nonresidential school districts in Monroe County. The students were given the Index of Reading Awareness (IRA) developed by Jacobs and Paris (1987) in the form of a questionnaire. The questionnaires were completed independently or with the help of an interpreter or teacher of the deaf to translate the questions from English to Sign Language. The data were collected and analyzed for evidence of deaf students' metacognitive awareness during the reading process and the characteristics they felt were inherent in proficient readers. Similarities and differences were noted in both areas as well as any common patterns of behaviors and/or perceptions between the two grades involved in the study. Results of the study indicated that the level of deaf students' metacognitive reading awareness increased with age. The deaf students perceived proficient readers to be those who possess a high level of vocabulary knowledge and who enjoy reading. Proficient readers were perceived to be those who read slowly, often, and are persistent with their efforts.