Workshops and Training Programs
 TPD
coordinates the training and technical assistance that the Clerc Center
provides to schools and programs throughout the nation.
The training programs are conducted by professional educators with a
broad array of backgrounds and experiences. As skilled communicators,
the trainers make the program content and activities accessible, meaningful,
and fun for all the participants.
The following programs are currently being offered around the country:
Reading to Deaf Children: Learning
from Deaf Adults
A Workshop for Parents, Educators and Caregivers on How to Read to
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children.
 The
Reading to Deaf Children Learning from
Deaf Adults workshop is based on the 15 principles for reading to
deaf and hard of hearing children. These principles were developed from
research studying effective communication strategies deaf adults use when
reading to deaf and hard of hearing children. The workshop is offered
in a three and six-hour format and consists of an introduction to the
15 principles, video clips of deaf adults reading to deaf and hard of
hearing children, and related activities. The six-hour workshop also includes
more opportunities for participants apply the principles and get more
coaching.
The workshop focuses on key concerns:
- Why is reading important?
- How do I use sign language to tell stories?
- What if I don't know all the signs related to the story?
- How do I keep American Sign Language and English visible while reading?
- How do I arrange the placement of the child and book?
- How do I select age-appropriate books?
- Can I apply the 15 principles with hearing siblings?
After this workshop participants will:
- Be familiar with the 15 principles of reading to deaf and hard of
hearing children
- Apply the 15 principles when reading books with deaf and hard of hearing
children
- Learn about important communication and cultural issues specific to
deaf and hard of hearing children
Each participant will receive a copy of the
Reading to Deaf Children: Learning from Deaf Adults video and manual.
Read It Again and Again
 A
workshop for classroom teachers, librarians, and educators.
Read It Again and Again
is a powerful one-day workshop that corresponds to the shared reading
and writing component of the Clerc Center's
literacy program. Through the workshop, participants learn to use
repeated readings of a story to deepen students' understanding of the
text and provide opportunities for them to improve their reading and writing
skills.
The workshop focuses on key questions:
- What are multiple readings of the same book important?
- How do I sustain interest over multiple readings?
- How can I tie repeated readings to writing activities?
 After
this workshop, participants will know:
- How the shared reading process is linked to research conducted on
reading strategies for deaf and hard of hearing students
- Six easy steps to conduct shared reading sessions
- Ways to promote English literacy through American Sign Language
- How to develop lesson plans that incorporate a variety of approaches
for reading books
- How the shared reading process can work with older students.
Participants will receive the Read It Again and Again videotape
and manual.
The Shared Reading Project: Keys
to Success
Training for Site Coordinators
 The
Shared Reading Project (SRP) is
designed to teach parents and other caregivers how to read to their deaf
and hard of hearing children using American Sign Language (ASL) and how
to use strategies to make book sharing most effective. Deaf tutors visit
the home weekly to demonstrate how to sign fun, predictable children's
books. Each week, the tutors bring a new Shared Reading book bag containing
a videotape of the story in ASL for the parents to use as a reference,
the book itself, an activity guide, and a bookmark explaining the principles
for reading to deaf and hard of hearing children.
 In
response to widespread demand for the Shared Reading Project, the Clerc
Center created a training program for people who want to implement it
at their own sites. The five-day course includes training in the 15 principles
for reading to deaf and hard of hearing children and covers topics such
as working with families, recruiting and training tutors, publicizing
the program, managing site logistics, and more. Course participants receive
an extensive set of materials-including several instructional videotapes-that
will be useful as they set up their own programs.
The SRP: Keys to Success training program shows you how to:
- Apply the 15 basic principles of reading to deaf and hard of hearing
children
- Recruit, hire, and train deaf adults to be SRP tutors
- Market the SRP to families
- Work effectively with parents, caregivers, educators, and tutors
- Plan for and manage the SRP budget, personnel needs, and program evaluation
SRP: Keys to Success is being offered through the Clerc Center and Gallaudet
University Regional Centers around the United States.
Literacy—It All Connects
A Workshop for Educators
This workshop is an overview of the nine areas of literacy. The Clerc
Center has developed a literacy program based on nine strategies for encouraging
the development of reading and writing skills of deaf and hard of hearing
students from preschool through high school. This new workshop introduces
the concept of each of the nine areas:
- Reading to Students
- Dialogue Journals
- Shared Reading and Writing
- Writer’s Workshop
- Independent Reading
- Journals and Logs
- Guided Reading and Writing
- Language Experience
- Research Reading and Writing
Presentation lectures use examples from real classrooms and teachers.
Participants come away with a general understanding of the nine areas
and their importance in supporting students’ literacy development.
An attractive poster identifying the nine areas of
literacy is also available.
Leading from Behind:
Language Experience in Action
A workshop for classroom teachers, parents, dorm staff, and other professionals
Language Experience is a highly motivating approach that utilizes student-initiated
experiences and reflective inquiry. It provides teachers with opportunities
to facilitate authentic language and literacy learning. Briefly, students
initiate and then work on a project for several days, documenting the
experience. They dictate their experiences to an adult, who translates
their ASL into written English. This then becomes material for reading
and writing instruction as the teacher helps the students see the connection
between what they signed and what was written.
This workshop provides an introduction to using Language Experience
in a student-centered classroom. It is designed primarily for classroom
teachers and other educators, but parents and dorm staff will find it
of interest as well. It is conducted in a highly interactive style so
that participants are well prepared to use Language Experience when they
return to their respective schools and programs.
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