By Kaya Feng, Johns Hopkins University
Vocabulary, a predictor of literacy outcomes, is of great significance for all students. Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) students oftentimes lag behind their typically hearing (TH) peers in terms of acquiring vocabulary words appropriate for their age or grade level, which is a concern for many teachers of DHH students. Thus, many teachers adopt various interventions to facilitate DHH students’ vocabulary development. A recent study examined the effect of an intervention called “explicit +”, which demonstrates promising results.
The study examined three types of vocabulary instruction: in-context, explicit, and explicit plus in-context (explicit +). During in-context instruction, teachers expose students to new words while reading books and in conversation. During explicit instruction, teachers provide more information about the new vocabulary and do activities that require the students to use the new words. Explicit + instruction is a combination of these two instructions. The researchers used a multiple baseline design including nine students to test whether explicit + instruction, compared to mere in-context instruction, increased the numbers of words DHH students could learn or assisted them in mastering words’ meanings and appropriate usage. The results showed that the explicit + instruction led to better outcomes of vocabulary learning regarding breadth (numbers of words) and depth (level of comprehension). This conclusion may be informative for teachers when choosing interventions for their DHH students.
Best Evidence in Brief Index 