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.