Programs and Projects
Reading to Students
 Read
books to the students everyday and at all grade levels. Reading
daily improves students’ visual skills, builds vocabulary,
and increases reading comprehension.
THE ROLE OF THE EDUCATOR IS:
- to establish a literacy-rich environment,
- to share good books with others,
- to demonstrate appropriate reading behavior,
- to engage students by reading fiction books, non-fiction books,
magazines, comics, and newspapers, and
- to read materials related to themes.
VISITORS WILL SEE:
- the educator engaging students in learning how to read,
- students making predictions and discussing what is read,
- students demonstrating comprehension, and
- the educator noticing and commenting on what students are doing
well.
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PRINCIPLES FOR READING TO DEAF CHILDREN (Schleper,
1997)
David R. Schleper outlines 15 principles for adults to use when
reading to deaf and hard of hearing children. The research is based
on what deaf parents do when reading to their deaf and hard of hearing
children. The deaf parents:
- Translate stories using American Sign Language.
Focus on concepts and use lots of fingerspelling.
- Keep both languages (ASL and English) visible.
Make sure children see both the signing and the words and pictures.
- Elaborate on the text. Add explanations about
the text to make it more understandable.
- Reread stories on a “story telling” to
a “story reading” continuum. The first few
times, make sure the student understands the story. Then, slowly,
focus more and more on the text.
- Follow the child’s lead. What does the
child wants to read? What if the child wants to read just one
part of a book, then move to another? Follow the child.
- Make what is implied explicit. Make the hidden
meaning clear.
- Adjust sign placement to fit the story. Sometimes
sign on the page. Sometimes sign on the child. And sometimes sign
in the usual place.
- Adjust the signing style to fit the story.
Be dramatic. Play with the signs and exaggerate facial expressions
to show different characters.
- Connect concepts in the story to the real world.
Relate the characters to real events.
- Use attention maintenance strategies. Tap
lightly on your child’s shoulder, or give a gentle nudge
to keep his or her attention.
- Use eye gaze to elicit participation. Look
at the child while reading.
- Engage in role playing to extend concepts.
Act out the story after you have read it.
- Use ASL variations to sign repetitive English phrases.
If you are using the same phrase over and over, vary the signs.
- Provide a positive and reinforcing environment.
Encourage the child to share ideas about the story and support
the child’s ideas.
- Expect the child to become literate. Believe
in the child’s success and read, read, read!
Used with permission from:
Schleper, D. R. (1997). Reading to Deaf Children: Learning from
Deaf Adults. Washington, DC: Laurent
Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University.
(ISBN 0-88095-212-1)
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CLASSROOM APPLICATIONS:
Aside from incorporating the fifteen principles in reading to deaf
and hard of hearing children, the following steps may be helpful:
- Introduce the cover of the book. Show and fingerspell and sign
the title, author, and illustrator. Talk a bit about what the
book might be about.
- Show the children the pictures and print.
- Follow the child’s lead. If the child wants to touch
the book, point to a picture, or turn the pages back or ahead,
let your child do it. In fact, children should be encouraged to
talk about the book while reading is going on.
- The child may want the same book over and over. This is a normal
process in child development. Do it!
- When finished reading, connect the concepts to the world.
GOOD PLACES TO GET STARTED:
Many great books are out there for reading to children. For Martin
Luther King, Jr., we suggest the following:
- Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport
- I Have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.: Man of Peace by Patricia and
Fredrick McKissack
- Martin Luther King Jr.: Minister and Civil Rights Activist
by Brendan January
- My Brother Martin by Christine King Farris
The following sites list good databases of children's literature:
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VIDEO AND MANUAL:
The Clerc Centers Publications and Information
Dissemination (PID) office offers a comprehensive listing of educational
products and services available from the Clerc Center, including
the manual and videotape of Reading
to Deaf Children: Learning from Deaf Adults. For more information
about ordering or other products, visit the Clerc Center Products
Catalog: http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/products/index.html.
The manual has been translated into six other languages; the accompanying
videotape is dubbed in the same language.
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Click on a book to see an enlarged image:
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Download
the manual in PDF (895KB)
WORKSHOPS:
The Clerc Center's Training and Professional Development (TPD)
office offers Reading
to Deaf Children: Learning from Deaf Adults workshops. For more
information about TPD, other workshops, how to host or participate
in a Clerc Center training program, and the TPD training schedule,
visit the TPD site: http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/TPD/index.html.
OFF-SITE LINKS RELATED TO THE WORKSHOPS:
“Reading to Deaf Children : Workshop Held for Parents and
Teachers at Lawrence, Mass.” [RUMBO
newsletters, January 2003]
About "Reading to Deaf Children: Learning from Deaf Adults"
from Gallaudet
University Regional Center, Johnson County Community College
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SUPPORTIVE RESEARCH AND DESCRIPTIVE
LITERATURE:
Adams, M. (1990). Beginning to Read: Thinking and Reading About
Print. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Campbell, R. (2001). Read-Alouds With Young Children.
Newark, DE: International Reading Association. (ISBN 0-87207-289-4)
Fox, M. (2001). Reading Magic. New York: Harcourt, Inc.
(ISBN 1-15-601076-3)
Pappas, C.S., Brown, E. (1987). Learning to read by reading: Learning
how to extend the functional potential of language. Research
in the Teaching of English, 21, pp. 160-184.
Schleper, D. R. (1997). Reading to Deaf Children: Learning
from Deaf Adults. Washington, DC: Laurent Clerc National Deaf
Education Center at Gallaudet University. (ISBN 0-88095-212-1)
Trelease, J. (2001). The Read-Aloud Handbook. New York:
Penguin Books. (ISBN 0-14100294-8)
See also: Reading to Deaf Children:
A Look at the Research
WEB SITES RELATED TO READING TO CHILDREN:
Ainsworth, J. Reading To Deaf Children: Bonding, Communication,
and
Literacy Development. Perspectives,
May/June 1999.
Another
Path by Barbara Handley
Aussie
Deaf Kids – Resource Directory
Berrigan, D. and Berrigan, S. Bridget & Books: Fingerspelling,
Reading – and Sleeping – with Print. Odyssey,
Summer 2000.
Deafness/Hard of
Hearing – Education – Literacy (Reading & Writing)
Jim Trelease Home
Page
Kansas
Kids Ready for Learning – Reading to Young Children
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bialostok, S. (1992). Raising Readers: Helping
Your Child to Literacy. Winnipeg, MB: Peguis Publishers.
Campbell, R. (2001). Read-Alouds with Young Children.
Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Cullinan, B. E. (2000). Read to Me: Raising Kids Who Love to
Read. (Rev. ed.). New York: Scholastic.
Fisher, B. (2003). For Reading Out Loud: Planning and Practice.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Fox, M. (2001). Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children
Will Change Their Lives Forever. New York: Harcourt.
Hahn, M. L. (2002). Reconsidering Read-Aloud. Portland,
ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
Richardson, J. S. (2000). Read It Aloud!: Using Literature
in the Secondary Content Classroom. Newark, DE: International
Reading Association.
Schleper, D. R. (1997). Reading to Deaf Children: Learning
from Deaf Adults. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University.
Trelease, J. (2001). The Read-Aloud Handbook. (5th ed.).
New York: Penguin Books.
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