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Dr. Kathee Mangan Christensen, indefatigable ally and reformer in deaf education, passed away on December 8, 2021, in San Diego, CA. Kathee (called KC in the Deaf community) was not audiologically deaf. Yet throughout her life, as a teacher, teacher educator, and writer/researcher, she participated in social, political, and linguistic facets of the Deaf community promoting diversity, inclusion, and Deaf/hearing collaborative partnerships in the United States, Mexico, and Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors discuss Pinyin, a phonetic system based on the Latin alphabet, as an auxiliary pedagogical tool in literacy instruction in China. They provide a brief history of Pinyin and its educational purposes, then describe how it is used in its spoken/auditory, written, and signed forms by teachers with students who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH). Classroom transcripts demonstrate how Pinyin is taught via visual and tactile/kinesthetic tools such as pictures, sign language, and the Chinese Manual Alphabet for purposes of making the phonological information visible to DHH learners. The authors further discuss the different functions of Pinyin for students who are hearing versus students who are DHH and present new insights that may lead to future empirical studies on Pinyin use in early literacy interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The national policy in deaf education in Mainland China primarily focuses on oral/aural instruction and hearing rehabilitation. The curriculum in primary grades is specifically structured on speech and hearing skills for language development. But there is little evidence that documents what early literacy instruction looks like or how teachers conduct the teaching of reading and writing in classrooms with Chinese deaf children. By analyzing videotapes from the first and second grade classrooms, we describe how reading and writing are taught to deaf children in China. The key findings are that the primary grade literacy instruction (1) shares features of Gradual Release of Responsibility model with a focus on speech and hearing skills; (2) uses multimodal strategies and pedagogical tools such as lip-reading, Pinyin phonetic symbols, Pinyin Finger Spelling, Chinese Sign Language (CSL), and Signed Chinese (SC). Moreover, the curriculum reflects low expectations for deaf students as it lacks the academic content provided to their hearing peers. We conclude with implications for literacy instruction in deaf education, and suggest a future research agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IN THE PENULTIMATE ARTICLE of a two-part special issue of the American Annals of the Deaf examining the qualitative similarity hypothesis (QSH), findings of nine research teams with articles in the special issue are summarized. The teams addressed three questions: (a) For students who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing (d/Dhh), is reading qualitatively similar to the reading process of hearing students (per the QSH)? (b) Is it, rather, qualitatively different (per the qualitative difference hypothesis [QDH])? (c) Or is reading qualitatively similar and qualitatively different? All nine teams recognized that aspects of the reading acquisition process of d/Dhh children resemble those of hearing children and that the QSH is tenable if it is independent of a child's language modality. Two teams concluded that there is research supporting both the QSH and the QDH. Implications for teacher education, future research, and language policymaking are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TAKING A HISTORICAL VIEW, the authors reviewed 40 years of dissertation research by deaf scholars (1973-2013) related to reading. Using qualitative interpretive analysis approach (J. Smith & Osborn, 2003), the authors selected 31 dissertations as primary texts, reviewing them for themes over five time periods. The first finding was a trend of themes on communication methodology in the 1970s (first period), to English reading skills in the 1980s (second period), to American Sign Language/English bilingualism to support acquisition of English literacy during the third, fourth and fifth periods (1990-2013). The second finding was that most of the dissertations used a combination of qualitatively similar and qualitatively different epistemologies in their research. These two findings are related to (a) the role of the deaf reading researcher, (b) historical and current trends in reading research, and (c) the qualitative similarity hypothesis (Paul, Wang, & Williams, 2013). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IN THIS, the first article in the American Annals of the Deaf special issue on English reading development for individuals who are d/Deaf and hard of hearing, the coeditors aim to promote interdisciplinary dialogue among researchers regarding literacy research with d/Deaf and hard of hearing (d/Dhh) students by setting the tone for an open and inclusive forum. Researchers from various disciplines are invited to discuss the similarities and differences between students who are d/Dhh and their typically developing hearing peers in terms of aspects such as reading process, reading development, and reading assessment. Challenges related to the acquisition of language and literacy by d/Dhh students are described. The article highlights the purpose of the special issue, which is to explore what works where, when, why, and for whom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the literacy issues facing young deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) learners in Taiwan who are learning both a logographic and an alphabetic script. We describe the contextual factors that surround their reading and writing processes such as island demographics, reading achievement levels, and background language learning variables including deaf culture. We then describe and provide graphic illustrations and examples of the linguistic features of the written languages that DHH children are learning (Chinese and English) as well as the sign codes (Signed Chinese, Zhuyin finger alphabet, character signs, palm writing, and air writing) and the Zhuyin Fuhao written visual symbols. We suggest that contextual, cultural and linguistic factors need to be considered in the understanding of how DHH children learn to read and write as well as how they use their sign language and sign codes to build Chinese and English literacy skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Using the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills With Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Perspectives of a Panel of Experts" by John L. Luckner in the Spring 2013 issue is presented.

THE AUTHORS present a perspective on emerging bilingual deaf students who are exposed to, learning, and developing two languages--American Sign Language (ASL) and English (spoken English, manually coded English, and English reading and writing). The authors suggest that though deaf children may lack proficiency or fluency in either language during early language-learning development, they still engage in code-switching activities, in which they go back and forth between signing and English to communicate. The authors then provide a second meaning of codeswitching--as a purpose-driven instructional technique in which the teacher strategically changes from ASL to English print for purposes of vocabulary and reading comprehension. The results of four studies are examined that suggest that certain codeswitching strategies support English vocabulary learning and reading comprehension. These instructional strategies are couched in a five-pronged approach to furthering the development of bilingual education for deaf students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

THE DEAF EDUCATION PROFESSION faces a critical juncture. First, the 2006 leadership crisis that swept deaf education's flagship institution—Gallaudet University—will propel professionals to think deeply about promoting diversity, equity, and access in deaf education teacher and leadership preparation programs. Second, personnel shortages require attention: Teacher and leadership voids in university and K-12 programs loom if training efforts are not increased. Teaching and leader- ship needs center on three challenges: (a) understanding the changing demographic composition of the student, teacher, and leadership populations; (b) developing an evolving curriculum founded on research-based practices ; (c) continuing to enlarge the knowledge base through applied research in the social sciences. Two case studies examine teacher training and leadership programs at universities that address these challenges. The importance of workplace deaf-hearing bicultural teams is examined. Implications for the preparation of teacher and leadership personnel in deaf education are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes deaf characters from a deaf culture perspective in a children's literature, as well as provide a bibliography of recommended and not recommended books. As part of the multicultural society, deaf community has its own beliefs, values, heritage, and traditions. It is a fact that in most deaf-hearing relationship, disadvantages always go to the deaf. A classic example is when deaf children have hearing parents, oppression happens when these parents took over the decision-making from their deaf children.

Discusses the effects of the ruling in the `Hopwood v. State of Texas' case and the backlash on affirmative action policies on the recruitment of the minority for deaf education training in the United States. Significance of the case on the admission of minority college students; Need for diversity in deaf education; Eight-step action plan to increase the number of minority educators.

An obituary for Dr. McCay Vernon, a psychologist and pioneer in the education of the deaf is presented.

A letter to the editor is presented in support of deaf education doctoral degrees.

A SURVEY OF 3,227 professionals in 313 deaf education programs found that 22.0% of teachers and 14.5% of administrators were deaf—a less than 10% increase in deaf professionals since 1993. Additionally, 2 1.7% of teachers and 6.1% of administrators were professionals of color. Of these minority teachers, only 2.5% were deaf persons of color. Only 3 deaf administrators of color were identified. The study describes how "apartheid" or "intellectual oppression" may result from unchanged hiring practices in K-12 programs for the deaf and in postsecondary institutions. Using a bottle metaphor, the researchers describe how deaf persons of color are often stuck in "a bottleneck on the highway to opportunity." Relevant data underscore that the field of deaf education must diversify its professional force in order to utilize the intellectual, linguistic, and multicultural proficiencies of hearing teachers of color, deaf teachers, and deaf teachers of color. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]