Effects of Parents' Mealtime Conversation Techniques for Children With Hearing Loss Who Use Spoken Language

• In Event: Research on the Education of Deaf Persons

Abstract

This mixed-methods study examined the conversation techniques used by parents of preschoolers with hearing loss (HL) in relation to children’s receptive vocabulary and basic-concepts skills. Twenty-minute dinnertime segments were extracted from naturalistic, daylong recordings of 37 children who used listening and spoken language. The segments were hand-coded for parents’ use of conversation techniques. Parents’ use of conversation techniques varied widely, with closed-ended elicitation and directives used most frequently during dinner. Open-ended language elicitation related significantly to children’s receptive vocabulary, while explicit vocabulary instruction was correlated with basic-concepts skills. Thematic analysis revealed common themes, including concrete topics and sibling speakers. Parents who used many techniques often introduced abstract conversation topics; electronic media was present in all conversations with few techniques.

Authors

• Elaine Smolen, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Ye Wang, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Maria C. Hartman, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Young-Sun Lee, Teachers College, Columbia University