Exploring the early literacy experiences of a child with hearing loss in the home environment

This study aims to examine the early literacy experiences of a child with hearing loss in the home environment and it is conducted as a case study. The child participant in the study is 6 years and 8 months old. The other participant is child's mother. Data are collected through observations, interview, and document analysis, and are analyzed with a focus on early literacy-related experiences and interaction processes at home. The findings indicate that literacy-related written and visual materials were mostly concentrated in the child's room, with no such materials observed in other parts of the home. The primary early literacy experiences at home included food preparation, playing, drawing and coloring, completing homework, and reading storybook. These experiences are either initiated by the mother or the child. Among them, the reading storybook activity was the focus of the detailed analysis. According to the findings, the child is interested and willing to participate in the storybook reading activity. It is also observed that the mother had an awareness of reading strategies and made an effort to apply them. However, providing the mother with additional knowledge and guidance may contribute to more effective use of these strategies.