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| Helping the Deaf or Hard of Hearing Child Learn to Read |
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Learning to read is more difficult for children with a hearing loss than it is for children with normal hearing. There are many reasons why this is so. The child with a hearing loss is not only learning to read, but also learning a new language at the same time. Children with normal hearing learn language as a natural maturational process. From the time they are born until the first day they step into a classroom they are constantly bombarded by sounds, words, music, and language. They hear speech and language every day. They understand words long before they begin to talk.
The child with a hearing loss is at a great disadvantage in this respect. The greater the hearing loss the more language he or she is missing and the less speech he or she understands. Therefore, when the hearing impaired child enters school, he usually has a much lower vocabulary than his hearing peers. This makes learning to read difficult.
So what can we do to help the child with a hearing loss? We need to improve both their receptive and expressive vocabularies. We need to directly teach them the many different meanings of words they come in contact with each day. The hearing impaired child may know that the word run means to walk at a very fast speed. However, he may not understand that the washing machine runs, or that his nose can run. Does he realize the president is running for office?
Listed below are some links that will help you to explore literacy for deaf children. |
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Technology in Sign
Visit this web page to find additional links to a variety of games your child can play. Many of them have sign languages with them. |
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Phonics Games
Visit this web page for phonics games that focus on beginning letter sounds and beginning reading readiness skills. |
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Reading Activities
This is a great site for parents to visit and read up on ways to help your child. |
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Create-a-Reader
More games for learning to read!! |
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Letter Sounds in Sign Language
Check this out!!
Letter sounds paired with the signed alphabet. See the letter, see the sign and hear the sound the letter makes! |
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