Department of Education and Training

W.A. Institute for Deaf Education

TEACHING STRATEGIES FOR CHILDREN WITH HEARING LOSS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

1. ORGANISATION
Outline the lesson / days program on the board so that it can be seen and referred to at all times. Make sure the students know when an activity is changing. Get their attention. Tell the students when something new is going to start. Make sure the student knows when you are giving directions or instructions. Make sure the student understands directions. (Do not be fooled by nodding head or knowing looks) Always make eye contact. Keep instructions short and simple. To encourage independence refer the student to the board when he is not doing the set work. When you tell the class it is packing up time you may need to walk over to the child. Jake we are packing up now. Time to help pack up. Before giving instructions or directions say, Watch me please or Listen everyone. Check the student understands by asking for the instructions to be repeated or, by attending to him / her at the beginning of the activity. If the student does not understand the directions move closer and repeat them. If that fails then repeat the instructions in a different way. 1. Take out your writing book. 2. Get ruler and pencil. 3. Draw a margin and write the date. To be added to the board next to the days program

P.A. announcements to be written on the board by either teacher or E.A.

2. EXPECTATIONS
Always ensure that the students are participating in class activities. Require the same standard of behaviour for the hearing impaired students as from the rest of the class. This involves consistently enforcing the consequences of misbehaviour. That the student will inform the teacher when the amplification equipment is not working. Never assume that the child will identify members of the school or community. If you have low expectations the students performance will also be low. They should follow class and school rules. They should be required to show the same manners and respect for the rights of others. They will be subject to the same consequences of misbehaviour. Go through checklist with the student to identify the problem. Take the student around to all areas and introduce them to each other.

3. SEATING
Place the student away form noise sources. Position the student near the speaker. Stand near the student. Open doors, air conditioning units, fish tanks, fans etc At the front of the class, beside the teacher in a reading group or at story time. When giving instructions or directions.

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4. CHECKING UNDERSTANDING
Hearing impaired students often nod, smile or say Yes to indicate their understanding of something may have not understood. Give students time to process the information they receive. Question the student regularly to determine level of understanding. Request a paraphrase or a review of key points. Count to 20 before rephrasing or checking understanding.

5. GETTING THE MESSAGE ACROSS

Use audiological equipment. Use the written message / visual cues / hands on experience. Always use the FM for main teaching points, mat work, assembly, news telling Check hearing aids in the morning and after lunch. Use a blackboard / OHP / handout for summaries, key words, lesson outlines, and pictures but only use one source at a time. Use pictures and other visual aids, especially when talking about new ideas. You can gradually reduce the cues as the child improves. Do not stand and talk with your back to a window. Avoid talking while your back is turned especially when writing on the board. It is better to in a quieter voice over a short distance than to raise your voice over a longer distance. The latter can cause distortion in the students hearing aid. We are going to do a matching activity, We are going to find pictures that are the same, Pack away, it is lunch time, It is lunch time, pack away. Do not exaggerate mouth movements or use a very loud voice as this will distort the sound patterns. Teacher daily sayings Classroom rules Unwritten laws of the playground Use role play to reinforce the correct behaviour. Put your shoes on highlighted words are more likely to be held in memory. Model commonly used phrases / sentences. Say Do you remember when.. now we are to . Language development is often below chronological age and may result in poorer vocabulary development.

Give the student a clear view of the speakers face. Speak close to the students better side.

Rephrase what has been said. Use lots of repetition. Keep the spoken message short and simple. Use normal speech Teach rules / social behaviour that are learnt incidentally by hearing students.

Use stress to highlight the key words.

Link the familiar with the unfamiliar Never assume general knowledge always check.

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