Presented is the third year interim report of a 4-year longitudinal study comparing effectiveness of seven preschool programs which serve approximately 69 deaf children. Schools are seen to emphasize either an oral-aural, Rochester (oral-aural plus fingerspelling), or total communication approach to language development. Reported are the following…

One of three projects included examined the effects of combined speech and fingerspelling on the development of language and communication using a survey of over 200 subjects from six residential schools. The results showed that fingerspelling in combination with speech leads to improved achievement, shows no detrimental effects on the acquisition…

The study, based on L. Cronbach's Characteristics by Treatment Interaction model, investigated seven preschool programs for aurally handicapped children which variously employed the oral-aural method, the Rochester method, or the total communication method. Equipment, materials, grouping procedures, and activities were indicated for each program.…