Specific Challenges in the Development of English Literacy for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students

Reading is considered to be the most challenging area for deaf and hard-of-hearing students (d/Dhh), which can lead to low reading achievement levels on high school graduation. The qualitative similarity hypothesis (QSH) is discussed as the primary framework for understanding the English reading development of d/Dhh students. This article focuses on the specific reading challenges that d/Dhh students face, including English language proficiency, code-related skills, cognitive and language skills, reader factors, and some textual factors. The results indicated that it is important for educators and researchers to be aware of the reading challenges that d/Dhh students encounter, so various strategies can be studied and used effectively to improve d/Dhh students’ reading abilities.