Sociocultural perspectives of deaf parents on child-directed fingerspelling (birth-5).

Abstract

Child-directed fingerspelling is an approach used by Deaf parents for communication, language, and literacy development. This study reports on findings from a qualitative intrinsic case study aimed at understanding how Deaf parents use fingerspelling with their young children. The research questions were: (1) What are the cultural beliefs of Deaf parents regarding fingerspelling with young children? (2) What are their patterns of use of child-directed fingerspelling in natural settings? Twenty-one Deaf families with 27 deaf children ages 5 years and under were interviewed via recorded Zoom meetings conducted in American Sign Language. Data were analyzed using grounded theory to develop a new theoretical contribution with the core category: Deaf families socialize their children into Deaf visual-linguistic norms through fingerspelling. This new theoretical insight aligns with Holcomb's Deaf epistemological framework (2010) and Ochs and Schieffelin's (2008, 2011) language socialization theory. Limitations and recommendations for future research are also included.