Visual Communication & Reading Development Research Project

Welcome to the Visual Communication and Reading Development Project!

This webpage gives you a summary of the project. If, after watching the video and reading the information, you are interested in signing your child up, or know of a child who may be suitable, you can find further information at the bottom of this page.

There is also further information available in BSL.

What are our goals?

Reading research has traditionally focused on mappings between auditory representations of spoken language and written words. However, this is a limited view of language. Visual spoken language input (visual speech/ lipreading), sign language and fingerspelling are increasingly recognised as important to reading development in deaf children.

This project will examine the contribution visual speech input, sign language and fingerspelling knowledge to reading in young deaf children by following children’s development over 3 years.

Which children will be recruited? 

  • Child will be in Reception in September 2024 (approx. 4yrs old)
  • Child was identified as severely or profoundly deaf before the age of 3yrs
  • Child has lived in the UK for the last 6 months or more
  • Child is able to focus for 10-15mins of a game/ task

What will the children be asked to do? 

We will visit children in their school or, if preferred, at home.They will be tested on a range of language and literacy assessments at 6 time points over 3 years.

Impact? 

The research project will further our understanding of how visual language inputs support early reading development in deaf children.

Next steps:

Parents of deaf children

  1. Please read the "Parent Information Sheet" carefully  

    parent_information_sheet_2024.pdf

     A BSL summary is available. If you would like to meet with one of the researchers to go through the Information Sheet/ Consent Form with you on zoom – please do contact us – visualCR@ucl.ac.uk
  2. After you have read the Information Sheet please complete the “Consent Form.”
  3. After completing the Consent Form, please complete Background Information Form. This link is also available at the end of the Consent Form.

Please Note:  All information, including personal information, that is entered in the online Consent Form and Background Information Form is stored directly and securely within the UCL Data Safe Haven.

  4. After we have received your forms, we will be in touch with your child’s school to arrange a date to visit.

Thank you so much for signing your child up to be part of this exciting project! We will be in touch with your child’s school to arrange a date to visit and we will also be in touch with you to let you know when this will be.

Professionals working with deaf children

  1. A draft letter is available for you to send to parents that explains the project. 

    draft_letter_for_teachers_to_send_to_parents_viscr_2024.docx

  2. Some parents may require help completing the consent form. We would be grateful if you could support them in this (see links above).   
  3. Some parents may also prefer you to complete the Background Information form instead of them. We would be very grateful if you could do this if asked by the parent (see link above).  

Thank you so much for helping us with this exciting project.

This study has been approved by the UCL Research Ethics Committee, Project ID: 3612/012

If you have any queries please contact: visualCR@ucl.ac.uk