In the context of Deaf education, what is a key goal of supporting literacy?

In the context of Deaf education, what is a key goal of supporting literacy?

• A. To provide a natural language base for learning
• B. To replace English entirely
• C. To hinder literacy
• D. To restrict communication

Answer: (A)

Providing a natural language base for learning is essential because it gives Deaf students a strong foundation to think, understand concepts, and access classroom content. When a fluent natural language like ASL is used as the base, students can build vocabulary, grammar, and cognitive skills in a way that feels natural and accessible. This solid foundation then supports the development of reading and writing in English, as learners can map ideas and knowledge from their first language to written English. This bilingual-bicultural approach respects Deaf culture and makes literacy meaningful and usable in daily life. The other options run counter to effective literacy development: attempting to replace English entirely ignores the goal of reading and writing in English; hindering literacy or restricting communication would undermine learning and access to information.

Providing a natural language base for learning is essential because it gives Deaf students a strong foundation to think, understand concepts, and access classroom content. When a fluent natural language like ASL is used as the base, students can build vocabulary, grammar, and cognitive skills in a way that feels natural and accessible. This solid foundation then supports the development of reading and writing in English, as learners can map ideas and knowledge from their first language to written English. This bilingual-bicultural approach respects Deaf culture and makes literacy meaningful and usable in daily life.

The other options run counter to effective literacy development: attempting to replace English entirely ignores the goal of reading and writing in English; hindering literacy or restricting communication would undermine learning and access to information.