perspectives in Education and Deafness

Literacy

Pieces of a Successful Program

These literacy practices apply to all students, including those who hear normally. Deaf and hard of hearing students employ many types of communication modes, and these practices can be used regardless of student communication preferences. Here the components are explained as they apply to the Pre-College National Mission Programs at Gallaudet University.

1. Reading to Students

This is seen by the National Academy of Education Commission on Reading as the single most influential factor in developing reading success. An adult reads an appropriate book to the child, using American Sign Language (ASL). When teachers, parents, or other adults read to deaf and hard of hearing children and young people, they refer back to the text, pointing out pictures, words, letters of the alphabet, sounds of letters and words, speechreading cues, phrasing, capital letters, punctuation, names, and famous quotations. Doing so provides the children or young people an opportunity to improve their visual skills, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. It also has a positive impact on students' attitude toward reading.

2. Language Experience

Students experience an event or a story together, then dictate their experience to an adult who translates the story into appropriate written English on chart paper. The adult then uses the text on that chart paper for reading instruction, helping the children see the connections between what they signed and what was written. The teacher, knowing the particular skills the students need to work on, uses this language experience to help them learn new vocabulary, letters of the alphabet, capitalization, punctuation, speechreading, or the basics of English grammar. The fact that the students have experienced the story and told it themselves encourages them to read the same, already understood, information in English. Starting with the students' experience and using it as the guiding force, this reading and writing instruction serves to motivate them highly.

3. Independent Reading

Students read independently from a wide selection of fiction and nonfiction books through school, classroom, and home libraries. Students read books that they are able to understand independently. They demonstrate their understanding of what they have read through a variety of reporting strategies including dioramas, artwork, puppet shows, and traditional book reports. Teachers know the independent reading levels of their students and assure that books they select for independent reading are appropriate. Nothing is worse than having a student spend precious school time leafing through a book that is four grade levels too difficult. Independent reading is liberating when done appropriately because students can enjoy it without any adult intervention.

4. Dialogue Journal

This is a written dialogue or conversation between a student and an educator. In dialogue journals, the adult does not correct grammar, punctuation, or spelling, but demonstrates these skills by modeling correct English in replying to the student. The teacher who knows the child and knows the general pattern of child development targets the skills the child is ready to learn, demonstrating these through writing back on a topic of the child's interest. Dialogue journals give children the chance to write independently. A form of free writing, it should be done daily.

5. Other Journals and Logs

Other types of journals and logs are used to record, explore, and reflect issues or experiences in classes such as science, math, social studies, or deaf culture. The teacher or other classroom adult reads and responds to the journals regularly. Both student and adult monitor individual development and progress. These journals are excellent for promoting scientific literacy by developing the ability to read and write graphs, charts, maps, pictures, and other visual representations of events.

6. Guided Reading and Writing

During guided reading and writing, a teacher leads students through a book that is more advanced than they could read independently. The teacher guides the students through the text by asking questions and helping students develop fluency and confidence with reading strategies. Teachers show students strategies for using ASL to break down English words and to decipher meaning from the text. They teach students to read for meaning and not simply to match a sign for each word in the text. Through guided reading and writing, students are exposed to a variety of forms of literature and writing that they might not select on their own; they become more confident and interested in various themes, writing styles, and opinions.

7. Shared Reading and Writing

This process occurs when a teacher or educational professional and a student read a book repeatedly. Using a 'big book' enables the students to see the English text, along with illustrations. The teacher then demonstrates to the students how to express in ASL the words printed on the page. Through the interaction of ASL and the printed English, many learning opportunities arise to compare and contrast the characteristics of the two languages. The process helps develop the students' confidence in reading. Students re-read the story, act it out, and culminate the process by making a new version of the book. Although this process is generally used with younger children, it can be adapted for use with older students who have low reading levels.

8. Writing Workshop

The writing workshop is the heart of the classroom's writing instruction. Students at all levels of writing skill draft, share, edit, and publish their writing. Teachers and other adults in the classroom give daily mini-lessons on writing style, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure and syntax. Students and adults work on ideas, organization, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions.

9. Research Reading and Writing

Students engage in project-related writing to demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction books in science, math, social studies, and other areas. Students often use a Know-Want-to-Know-Learn strategy to identify concepts that need to be investigated and subsequently write a report using the writing workshop process. Depending on the age and the skill level of a particular student, research reading and writing may be more or less prominent, but it should be a part of every program from elementary through high school.

Jane K. Fernandes

[ A Literacy Program Nine Important Pieces ]