Sociocultural perspectives of deaf parents on child-directed fingerspelling (birth–5)
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22965313 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sharon Baker (0000-0002-0526-8343, Oklahoma State University at Tulsa), Sharon K Baker (Department of Communication Disorders, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA), Tamby Allman (0000-0001-8576-5501, Texas Woman's University), Jean Andrews (0000-0002-1442-9911, Lamar University), Jean F Andrews (Lamar University), Monica Soukup (Augustana University), Milana Donatich (Texas School for the Deaf, Elementary Department, Austin, Texas, USA) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-25 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1081-4159 • E-ISSN: 1465-7325 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1093/jdsade/enag035 |
| PMID | 42348791 |
| OpenAlex | W7165951003 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 33 |
Child-directed fingerspelling is an approach used by Deaf parents for communication, language, and literacy development. This study reports on findings from a qualitative intrinsic case study aimed at understanding how Deaf parents use fingerspelling with their young children. The research questions were: (1) What are the cultural beliefs of Deaf parents regarding fingerspelling with young children? (2) What are their patterns of use of child-directed fingerspelling in natural settings? Twenty-one Deaf families with 27 deaf children ages 5 years and under were interviewed via recorded Zoom meetings conducted in American Sign Language. Data were analyzed using grounded theory to develop a new theoretical contribution with the core category: Deaf families socialize their children into Deaf visual–linguistic norms through fingerspelling. This new theoretical insight aligns with Holcomb’s Deaf epistemological framework (2010) and Ochs and Schieffelin’s (2008, 2011) language socialization theory. Limitations and recommendations for future research are also included.
American Sign Language · Deaf education · Grounded theory · Qualitative research · Sign (mathematics) · Sign language · Socialization · Sociocultural evolution · Child and Animal Learning Development · Hand Gesture Recognition Systems · Hearing Impairment and Communication
The Oxford Handbook of Deaf Studies in Language
Research in Deaf Education
Sign Language and Linguistic Universals
Deaf Epistemology
The case study approach
Language deprivation syndrome
Chasing the Mythical Ten Percent
Deaf Epistemologies
Sign Language Structure
Reading Books With Young Deaf Children
Fingerspelling as a pathway to deaf children’s reading
Modality and Interrelations Among Language, Reading, Spoken Phonological Awareness, and Fingerspelling
Neural associations between fingerspelling, print, and signs
Grounded theory research
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |