1995 Volume 1995 Issue Supplement85 Pages 46-50
Speech and language training for hearing-impaired children at our clinic is done by the Kanazawa Method which consists of reception and expression training in sign language as well as auditory/oral language and written language training. The present investigation was undertaken to explore long-term progress in reading abilities in 14 hearing-impaired children who had participated in the Kanazawa Method before entering elementary schools. Progress in reading ability was evaluated using the New Diagnostic Reading Ability Test of the Kyoken Method.
The results obtained were as follows:
1) The average score in reading ability just before entering elementary schools reached the second grade.
2) Ten children (71.4%) maintained a high score longitudinally.
3) There was a significant correlation between reading achievement level at 6 years of age and the later level (rs= 0.62).
4) The reading achievement level of our children was higher than that of those trained by the conventional method.
These results suggest that early instruction in written language is effective in the acquisition of reading ability which is especially difficult for the hearing-impaired.
