Robert Hoffmeister
Biographic Data
| ID | 2340187 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Robert Hoffmeister |
| GIVEN NAMES | Robert |
| FAMILY NAME | Hoffmeister |
| SIGNATURE | HOFFMEISTER R |
| AFFILIATIONS | Boston University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5248-5554 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 13 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 11 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 13 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1983 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Learning disability identification in residential schools for deaf students
Identifying specific learning disabilities in deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students presents unique challenges due to various factors, including language access. This study utilized data from 810 students enrolled in schools for the deaf to examine the influence of gender, educational level, signing status, and vocabulary knowledge on specific learning disability identification or suspicion. The analysis revealed that male students, those in mi…
Learning a second language via print: On the logical necessity of a fluent first language
How Deaf children should be taught to read has long been debated. Severely or profoundly Deaf children, who face challenges in acquiring language from its spoken forms, must learn to read a language they do not speak. We refer to this as learning a language via print. How children can learn language via print is not a topic regularly studied by educators, psychologists, or language acquisition theorists. Nonetheless, Deaf children can do this. We…
Deaf Children’s ASL Vocabulary and ASL Syntax Knowledge Supports English Knowledge
The current study contributes empirical data to our understanding of how knowledge of American Sign Language (ASL) syntax aids reading print English for deaf children who are bilingual and bimodal in ASL and English print. The first analysis, a conceptual replication of Hoffmeister ( 2000), showed that performance on the American Sign Language Assessment Instrument correlated with the Sanford Achievement Test—Reading Comprehension (SAT-RC) and th…
The Development and Evaluation of a New ASL Text Comprehension Task
Work in literacy education over the past two decades has radically shifted the notion of literacy, broadening it to include the ability to engage with compositions in various media (e.g., not only traditional texts like books and articles but also vlogs, blogs, graphic novels etc.). The notion that literacy can apply to non-written compositions has led some to wonder about the development of “reading comprehension” of texts in languages like Amer…
Superordinate Precision: An Examination of Academic Writing Among Bilingual Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
Academic English is an essential literacy skill area for success in post-secondary education and in many work environments. Despite its importance, academic English is understudied with deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students. Nascent research in this area suggests that academic English, alongside American Sign Language (ASL) fluency, may play an important role in the reading proficiency of DHH students in middle and high school. The current stud…
Recent Issues in the Use of Signed Language Assessments for Diagnosis of Language Disorders in Signing Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children
In recent years, normed signed language assessments have become a useful tool for researchers, practitioners, and advocates. Nevertheless, there are limitations in their application, particularly for the diagnosis of language disorders, and learning disabilities. Here, we discuss some of the available normed, signed language assessments and some of their limitations. We have also provided information related to practices that should lead to impro…
American Sign Language and Academic English: Factors Influencing the Reading of Bilingual Secondary School Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
For many years, researchers have sought to understand the reading development of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students. Guided by prior research on DHH and hearing students, in this study we investigate the hypothesis that for secondary school DHH students enrolled in American Sign Language (ASL)/English bilingual schools for the deaf, academic English proficiency would be a significant predictor of reading comprehension alongside ASL proficien…
The Development of Sensitivity to Grammatical Violations in American Sign Language: Native Versus Nonnative Signers
Factors influencing native and nonnative signers' syntactic judgment ability in American Sign Language (ASL) were explored for 421 deaf students aged 7;6-18;5. Predictors for syntactic knowledge were chronological age, age of entering a school for the deaf, gender, and additional learning disabilities. Mixed-effects linear modeling analysis revealed main effects of each predictor and an interaction between signing status and learning disability. …
The Development of Antonym Knowledge in American Sign Language (ASL) and Its Relationship to Reading Comprehension in English
It is unknown if the developmental path of antonym knowledge in deaf children increases continuously with age and correlates with reading comprehension, as it does in hearing children. In the current study we tested 564 students aged 4-18 on a receptive multiple-choice American Sign Language (ASL) antonym test. A subgroup of 138 students aged 7-18 took the Stanford Achievement Test reading comprehension test. The results showed that antonym knowl…
Language and Theory of Mind: A Study of Deaf Children
Theory-of-mind (ToM) abilities were studied in 176 deaf children aged 3 years 11 months to 8 years 3 months who use either American Sign Language (ASL) or oral English, with hearing parents or deaf parents. A battery of tasks tapping understanding of false belief and knowledge state and language skills, ASL or English, was given to each child. There was a significant delay on ToM tasks in deaf children of hearing parents, who typically demonstrat…
Cross-cultural Misinformation: What does special education say about Deaf people
Special education is involved in a large scale attempt to 'educate' regular classroom teachers in addition to teachers traditionally served by special education. This paper examines the information presented in special education text books to determine how issues surrounding deaf persons are presented. Chapters addressing the Deaf in 13 special education text books were reviewed. The content of each chapter was examined to determine if a patholog…
Adaptations in communication made by deaf signers to different audience types
A special invited issue: American sign language: Introducation
The Development of Antonym Knowledge in American Sign Language (ASL) and Its Relationship to Reading Comprehension in English
It is unknown if the developmental path of antonym knowledge in deaf children increases continuously with age and correlates with reading comprehension, as it does in hearing children. In the current study we tested 564 students aged 4-18 on a receptive multiple-choice American Sign Language (ASL) antonym test. A subgroup of 138 students aged 7-18 took the Stanford Achievement Test reading comprehension test. The results showed that antonym knowl…
Cross-cultural Misinformation: What does special education say about Deaf people
Special education is involved in a large scale attempt to 'educate' regular classroom teachers in addition to teachers traditionally served by special education. This paper examines the information presented in special education text books to determine how issues surrounding deaf persons are presented. Chapters addressing the Deaf in 13 special education text books were reviewed. The content of each chapter was examined to determine if a patholog…
The Development of Sensitivity to Grammatical Violations in American Sign Language: Native Versus Nonnative Signers
Factors influencing native and nonnative signers' syntactic judgment ability in American Sign Language (ASL) were explored for 421 deaf students aged 7;6-18;5. Predictors for syntactic knowledge were chronological age, age of entering a school for the deaf, gender, and additional learning disabilities. Mixed-effects linear modeling analysis revealed main effects of each predictor and an interaction between signing status and learning disability. …
Adaptations in communication made by deaf signers to different audience types
A special invited issue: American sign language: Introducation
Cross-cultural Misinformation: What does special education say about Deaf people
Special education is involved in a large scale attempt to 'educate' regular classroom teachers in addition to teachers traditionally served by special education. This paper examines the information presented in special education text books to determine how issues surrounding deaf persons are presented. Chapters addressing the Deaf in 13 special education text books were reviewed. The content of each chapter was examined to determine if a patholog…
Language and Theory of Mind: A Study of Deaf Children
Theory-of-mind (ToM) abilities were studied in 176 deaf children aged 3 years 11 months to 8 years 3 months who use either American Sign Language (ASL) or oral English, with hearing parents or deaf parents. A battery of tasks tapping understanding of false belief and knowledge state and language skills, ASL or English, was given to each child. There was a significant delay on ToM tasks in deaf children of hearing parents, who typically demonstrat…
The Development of Antonym Knowledge in American Sign Language (ASL) and Its Relationship to Reading Comprehension in English
It is unknown if the developmental path of antonym knowledge in deaf children increases continuously with age and correlates with reading comprehension, as it does in hearing children. In the current study we tested 564 students aged 4-18 on a receptive multiple-choice American Sign Language (ASL) antonym test. A subgroup of 138 students aged 7-18 took the Stanford Achievement Test reading comprehension test. The results showed that antonym knowl…
American Sign Language and Academic English: Factors Influencing the Reading of Bilingual Secondary School Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
For many years, researchers have sought to understand the reading development of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students. Guided by prior research on DHH and hearing students, in this study we investigate the hypothesis that for secondary school DHH students enrolled in American Sign Language (ASL)/English bilingual schools for the deaf, academic English proficiency would be a significant predictor of reading comprehension alongside ASL proficien…
The Development of Sensitivity to Grammatical Violations in American Sign Language: Native Versus Nonnative Signers
Factors influencing native and nonnative signers' syntactic judgment ability in American Sign Language (ASL) were explored for 421 deaf students aged 7;6-18;5. Predictors for syntactic knowledge were chronological age, age of entering a school for the deaf, gender, and additional learning disabilities. Mixed-effects linear modeling analysis revealed main effects of each predictor and an interaction between signing status and learning disability. …
Superordinate Precision: An Examination of Academic Writing Among Bilingual Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
Academic English is an essential literacy skill area for success in post-secondary education and in many work environments. Despite its importance, academic English is understudied with deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students. Nascent research in this area suggests that academic English, alongside American Sign Language (ASL) fluency, may play an important role in the reading proficiency of DHH students in middle and high school. The current stud…
Recent Issues in the Use of Signed Language Assessments for Diagnosis of Language Disorders in Signing Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children
In recent years, normed signed language assessments have become a useful tool for researchers, practitioners, and advocates. Nevertheless, there are limitations in their application, particularly for the diagnosis of language disorders, and learning disabilities. Here, we discuss some of the available normed, signed language assessments and some of their limitations. We have also provided information related to practices that should lead to impro…
The Development and Evaluation of a New ASL Text Comprehension Task
Work in literacy education over the past two decades has radically shifted the notion of literacy, broadening it to include the ability to engage with compositions in various media (e.g., not only traditional texts like books and articles but also vlogs, blogs, graphic novels etc.). The notion that literacy can apply to non-written compositions has led some to wonder about the development of “reading comprehension” of texts in languages like Amer…
Deaf Children’s ASL Vocabulary and ASL Syntax Knowledge Supports English Knowledge
The current study contributes empirical data to our understanding of how knowledge of American Sign Language (ASL) syntax aids reading print English for deaf children who are bilingual and bimodal in ASL and English print. The first analysis, a conceptual replication of Hoffmeister ( 2000), showed that performance on the American Sign Language Assessment Instrument correlated with the Sanford Achievement Test—Reading Comprehension (SAT-RC) and th…
Learning a second language via print: On the logical necessity of a fluent first language
How Deaf children should be taught to read has long been debated. Severely or profoundly Deaf children, who face challenges in acquiring language from its spoken forms, must learn to read a language they do not speak. We refer to this as learning a language via print. How children can learn language via print is not a topic regularly studied by educators, psychologists, or language acquisition theorists. Nonetheless, Deaf children can do this. We…
Learning disability identification in residential schools for deaf students
Identifying specific learning disabilities in deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students presents unique challenges due to various factors, including language access. This study utilized data from 810 students enrolled in schools for the deaf to examine the influence of gender, educational level, signing status, and vocabulary knowledge on specific learning disability identification or suspicion. The analysis revealed that male students, those in mi…
Hearing Impairment and Communication (13 works) · Linguistics (13 works) · Psychology (11 works) · Sign language (10 works) · American Sign Language (7 works) · Hand Gesture Recognition Systems (7 works) · Computer Science (6 works) · Developmental psychology (4 works) · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies (4 works) · Mathematics education (4 works)