Exploring English Language Abilities Through Morpheme Use, Reading, and Self-Reported Listening in School-Age Children Who are Hard of Hearing

Abstract

Three studies are presented in this dissertation that explore the language abilities of elementary-aged children who are HoH relative to typically hearing (TH) peers using a range of methodologies. Study 1 investigated morpheme use in conversational language samples. Study 2 examined relationships between language measures (expressive vocabulary, phonological awareness, morphological awareness) and reading measures (non-word reading, reading comprehension) using hierarchical regression analyses. Study 3 used qualitative analysis of brief conversations in which all children responded to questions about how well they could hear and understand other people in educational settings. Together, findings from the three studies suggest that the language and reading abilities of these elementary-age children who were HoH were more similar than different relative to their TH peers. Factors that might explain why approximately 25% of the HoH group had poorer outcomes were not clearly apparent in the findings.