Abstract:The early years greatly impact deaf children’s long-term achievement and well-being, and early exposure to fluent linguistic and positive cultural role models are critical in early childhood (EC) settings. Yet, different perspectives exist regarding how EC settings should help deaf children learn. This survey study examined the presence and use of cultural and linguistic role models in EC environments, instruction, and interactions to see whether they aligned with a cultural or pathological perspective of deafness. Results indicated that classrooms varied in the type and frequency of cultural and linguistic offerings and that depended, at times, on the primary mode of communication used in the classroom, the teachers’ hearing level, and their ASL skill level. These findings suggest that EC settings have not fully incorporated research-based strategies, activities, and materials; interactions with role models to promote the fluent linguistic development of and social-emotional well-being for deaf children are also lacking.

中文翻译：

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文化和语言榜样：聋人幼儿教育者调查

摘要：早年极大地影响聋童的长期成就和幸福感，早期接触流利的语言和积极的文化榜样在幼儿 (EC) 环境中至关重要。然而，关于 EC 环境应如何帮助聋童学习，存在不同的观点。这项调查研究检查了文化和语言榜样在 EC 环境、教学和互动中的存在和使用，以了解它们是否符合耳聋的文化或病理观点。结果表明，课堂在文化和语言课程的类型和频率上各不相同，这有时取决于课堂中使用的主要交流方式、教师的听力水平和他们的 ASL 技能水平。这些发现表明 EC 环境并未完全纳入基于研究的策略、活动和材料；也缺乏与榜样的互动，以促进聋儿流利的语言发展和社会情感福祉。