Advanced Language and the Deaf

Advanced Language and the DeafDE 576, Session 13April 25, 2012Boston University

Food for ThoughtUnderstanding calculus should be hard.

Understanding what your teacher is saying shouldn’t be hard. I. King Jordan

AgendaDiscussion: DanaWhat is necessary for reading?Reading and Deaf StudentsBreak!Cochlear Implant CornerGuest Speaker: Erika GuarinoHousekeeping

Goals for the SessionTo understand the underlying skills needed for

readingTo consider the research on Deaf children’s and

readingTo learn about teaching in a self-contained

environment

Discussion

Discussion Board Interlude "When storysigning during guided reading, the

students express ASL conceptually appropriate signs in English word order" (57). That feels wrong to me.”

“It makes sense to fingerspell/initialized sign, then point a printed word, and then fingerspell/initialized it again (plus several other possible combinations p. 90). The only thing I will amend to this concept of initialized sign is that if the word can be sign without having to use initialized letter, and then by all means sign it.”

Discussion Board Interlude I too was a little bit frustrated by the use of words

like "handicapped" and "hearing impaired". I didn't even realize that the author is a big part of the Deaf community, and knowing that now it is even more confusing as to why those words were used.

I feel these articles implied Deaf teachers have more abilities to teach Deaf students. I know some Deaf teachers do not have good skills in teaching and some hearing teachers have more skills than Deaf. I do not believe Deaf teachers are always the best teachers, but they are needed as role models for Deaf children. Deaf and hearing teachers should keep to collaborate each other.

National Reading Panel

Phonemic AwarenessThe ability to hear and identify individual

sounds in words That the word catch has 3 sounds - /k/ /a/ /ch/

PhonicsUnderstanding the sounds that are related to

particular letters of the alphabet i.e., that the letter B makes the sound /b/, or

that –ay, -ei-, -ai-, -a_e all say /A/ Like Stay, weight, bait, rake

VocabularyKnowing the meaning of a large number of

vocabulary wordsAnd being able to recognize those words when

you see them written down

FluencyTo read at a pace that is comparable to

speakingTo sound happy if the character is happy,

excited if they are excited, etc (to use vocal expression)

To pay attention to punctuation

ComprehensionTo understand the story once it is all put

togetherTo understand the surface level events of the

story as well as make inferences about characters and events in the story

To learn something new from reading

Schirmer & McGough“Teaching reading to children who are deaf: Do

the conclusions of the National Reading Panel apply?” 2005, American Educational Research Association

For me, the most questionable of the five pillars are phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency Vocabulary and comprehension both seem easily

applicable to Deaf students

In groups of threeYou will receive a few pages from their article

about either phonemic awareness, phonics, or fluency

In your groups of three: What are the major findings in terms of teaching

this skill to Deaf students? How do they recommend the skill be taught? Does your group agree with the authors’ findings?

JigsawEach of your handouts has a number on it

All ones meet together All twos meet together All threes meet together

Take turn sharing a little bit about your topic and what your group discussed

Some activities in your readingsChaining

Fingerspell a word, point to the print, fingerspell again

Sandwiching Sign a word, fingerspell the word, and sign it again

Deaf teachers use them more oftenResidential school teachers use them more

oftenTo call attention to new vocabulary, to connect

directly to print

Guided readingWhich we have discussed in the pastThree kinds of activities

Before reading (getting students ready to reading, teaching vocabulary, discussing content)

During reading (supporting students as they read) After reading (discussing the story, projects)

Schirmer’s Guided ReadingThere were lots of excellent critiques of this

article, including but not limited to: “Storysigning” – ASL concepts in English word order Teaching vocabulary out of context Summer reading loss (which actually happens with

all kids, generally) Choral reading issues

Although others appreciated the real-world context

Any other thoughts on this one?

Break!

Cochlear Implant CornerExploring correlates and predictors of stress in

parents of children who are deaf: Implications of perceived social support and mode of communication By Asberg, Vogel and Bowers, 2008 Journal of Child and Family Studies

What did they look at?The stress of parents with children with and

without cochlear implants Why?

Because parental stress has been linked to children performing less well academically, having behavioral problems, and depression

What did they do?Looked at 35 parents of deaf children

Half of the children had been implanted and half had not

Communication mode in the home: 51% were oral only 29% were sign language only 20% were total communication

What did they find?Average levels of stress among parents of deaf

children were not different from those of hearing children in other research

Parents who used at least some sign language with their children reported feeling less stressed than those that did not Although total communication won the prize for

least stressful for parents

Social support also leads to less stress – parents getting involved in a community that supports them and their child

What does this mean?Parents need support networks from Deaf

adults, other parents and teachers of the Deaf to feel less stressed As this may lead to better outcomes for children

Using sign language may lessen barriers in communication Although parents still feel good when they use

their native language

What do you all think?

HousekeepingNext week your final essay is due

The topic has officially been posted to the course website

It is due by midnight, Wednesday May 2 – you can bring it to class, or send it in via e-mail

HousekeepingThis weekend I will be traveling to the

International Reading Association ConferenceSo response time may be lagged – apologies!

HousekeepingNext week is our FINAL CLASS!Brittany will be our discussion leaderThe topic will be research on writing and Deaf

children

See you next week!

Advanced Language and the Deaf

Documents

Transcript of Advanced Language and the Deaf