DHH Pleasure Reading Study

[Jed Gallimore]

Hi all,

My name is Jed, and I'm a doctoral student in Deaf Education at National University. I'm conducting a study on how teachers of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students think about "pleasure reading" — reading for enjoyment, as distinct from academic or assigned reading — and how those views shape classroom practice. This study has been reviewed and determined exempt by my institution's IRB.

I'd love to hear from teachers currently or recently working with DHH students. Participation is voluntary, and you're welcome to answer some or all of the questions below, either as a reply to this list or directly to me at jedhgallimore@yahoo.com. I'll keep individual responses confidential and will not attribute quotes to anyone by name.

Questions:

1. How long have you taught DHH students, in what settings, and what's your primary mode of communication with them (e.g., ASL, SimCom, spoken language)?
2. What does "pleasure reading" mean to you in your DHH classroom, and how important is it to DHH students' overall literacy development?
3. How would you describe DHH students' ability to engage in and enjoy pleasure reading — and what helps or hinders that?
4. Have your views on DHH students' reading abilities changed over your career?
5. How do your beliefs about pleasure reading show up in your day-to-day teaching?
6. What strategies, resources, or barriers stand out when it comes to encouraging pleasure reading with your students?
7. What support or training would help you promote it more effectively?

If you're willing to go deeper, I'd also welcome the chance to follow up with a short (20–30 minute) interview — just let me know if you're open to that.

Thanks so much for your time and expertise!