Increasing children's ASL classifier production: a multicomponent intervention.

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Developmental Psychology
• Education

Background:

• Classifier production is crucial for narrative skills in American Sign Language (ASL).
• Deaf and hard of hearing students often require targeted interventions to enhance linguistic abilities.
• Understanding factors influencing classifier use in narrative retells is essential for effective pedagogy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of a 6-week intervention on classifier production in deaf students.
• To analyze the effectiveness of repeated ASL story viewings with teacher mediation.
• To explore the influence of picture support and fading teacher mediation on classifier use.

Main Methods:

• A multiple-baseline-across-participants design was employed.
• Intervention involved repeated viewings of ASL stories with scripted teacher mediation.
• Classifier production was assessed during narrative retells and analyzed using visual analysis and percentage of non-overlapping data.

Main Results:

• Most students demonstrated increased classifier production post-intervention.
• Significant improvements were observed in classifier use from pre- to post-intervention measures.
• Picture support and fading teacher mediation had variable effects on classifier production.

Conclusions:

• Repeated viewings of ASL models paired with teacher mediation can enhance classifier production in deaf students.
• Tailored interventions, potentially including picture support, may be beneficial for improving narrative retells.
• The findings support the development of specific instructional strategies for ASL narrative skills.