The JSD Teachers for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Team has created a monthly newsletter. The full newsletter for this month can be found at the link below. Stories include:
Building Community - Making friends is hard! Add a communication barrier, and it compounds the difficulty. Things you can do: Choose agreeable and patient partners. Give an extra measure of time for group work. Provide communication tools like a fingerspelling chart. Allow the interpreter to explain their role for interpreting among peers. Hold the DHH student accountable for their portion of the work. Encourage play vs isolation. Keep groups small, the interpreter isn’t part of the group. Explicitly teach the skills for clear communication.
Tips for Clear Communication - Always face the student you are addressing; Make sure you have the student’s attention before you start speaking; Do not speak too loudly or exaggerate lip movements for the student who is lip-reading; Repeat or rephrase the message if the student seems confused; Write down the message you are trying to communicate; Act out the message or use visual cues or symbols; Do not become frustrated, aggravated, or say “never mind” when communication is difficult; Look for activities where less talk is required, such as sports, puzzles, computers, or board games.
Closed Captioning - Just a friendly reminder to make sure all videos are accessible by turning on closed captioning or subtitles.
- Check out all the newsletters at the JSD Deaf & Hard of Hearing Monthly "Tips" Newsletters Page
- Jan. 2025 Incidental Learning Newsletter