Teaching, Reading and Writing for Students Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) - Case Study Example

?Running head: Teaching Reading and writing for who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing Insert Insert Grade Insert 8 November 2011 Outline Abstract Introduction Forms of communication used by instructors and DHH students Social interaction among DHH students in schools Conclusion Abstract Numerous researches have been done on the topic of deaf and hard of hearing. In this paper, the term hard of hearing and deafness will be used consistently. Deafness is associated with loosing all degree of hearing, whilst hard of hearing refers to the inability to hear well. This paper will discuss various teaching, writing, and reading styles used by instructors and students with the challenge of hard of hearing and deafness. In addition, challenges associated with this disability are discussed at length, especially in the social context. Today, many DHH students attend the same schools as the hearing students. This research will prove how these students fair in their academics, compared to their peers in deaf institutions. Teaching, Reading and Writing for Students Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Introduction The challenge of hard of hearing or deafness among students makes them to face numerous unique challenges especially if this condition has been in existence since time of birth. According to White (2011, p.20), the United States department of health and human services in 2009 indicated that more than twelve thousand babies in the United States are born with hearing loss. Students who are faced with the challenge of deafness or hard of hearing vary in relation to the causes and degree of the hearing loss. Such students associate their condition with disability while others feel that they belong to a minority group. Therefore, the way in which such students identify themselves affects their educational and communication experiences (PARA, 2011, Para 6). However, students with hearing loss experience difficulties in social skills especially in general education classrooms (Antia, et al, 2011p489). Nevertheless, these social skills are necessary to succeed in the society. Students who lack social skills are usually rejected by their peers, thus putting them at the risk of developing mental health problems. Students suffering form deafness or hard hearing (DHH) have problems in communicating, therefore hindering them from developing social skills. According to Cornish (2011, p.20), high numbers of children in remote areas develop hearing loss, with some having no eardrums. It is however certain that children with hearing loss perform poorly academically. The basics of learning in kindergarten involve repeating what the teacher has said, however, for DHH students, this mission is close to impossible. The author adds that these children have a high chance of dropping out in school as they feel stupid, therefore developing behavioral problems, and hence at risk of being arrested or imprisoned. Nevertheless, there exist several forms of languages and communication used by deaf or hard hearing students. Forms of Communication Used by Instructors and DHH Students Teaching, Reading and Writing fluency American Sign Language (ASL) is a widely used language among the deaf in United States of America and in Canada; this sign language relies mostly on English. ASL is regarded as the first language for the deaf or hard of hearing students; whereby, these students are expected to acquire this sign language first. It is a visual English language that has no written components, and involves symbolic terms; therefore, students must be capable of translating texts into an understandable format (White, 2011, p.21). It is considered an easier first language since it is mostly used at an early age for those born with DHH. Manually Encoded English is another communication system used by those with DHH; this system represents words in English sentences by signs from the American Sign Language. Cued speech use mouth movement to differentiate the sounds of the spoken language from one another, with an aim of producing a sound code for speaking. Speech reading is another form of DHH communication; however, it is a challenging means of communication since only a 40% of the sounds are visible on the lips of an individual, requiring one to guess on the remaining 60% of the lips’ movement. According to PARA (2011), bilingual–bicultural educational approach requires DHH individuals to develop two communicative languages especially in America, whereby, the American Sign Language skills are developed at an early stage. Therefore, the guardians of the DHH individuals are taught the American Sign Language skills that enable them to assist the affected in developing literacy. The use of hearing and cochlear implants is common globally, where students with DHH use these hearing devices to communicate with an aim of achieving access to sound, hence developing sound related skills via speech reading, speech therapy, and cued speech. Cochlear implants are placed in the inner ear where sounds are transformed to neural signals through surgery. Nevertheless, children born with hearing loss have a chance of developing skills that enable them to take advantage of the little sound they can access through the implants. Moreover, individuals with good signing skills prove to be better in reading compared to those who have poor language skills. Therefore, American Sign Language is effective in improving reading and communication skills. According to Summer (2011), students with DHH face enormous problems, since they are not alike. Some are capable of communicating orally while others use sign language, writing skills or gestures to communicate. In a class scenario, students with hearing difficulties are assisted by sign language interpreters or by real – time captioners. In addition, some students using hearing devices can amplify sounds to enable clear hearing, especially when they are in class. When students are required to use assistive listening devices, instructors are required to have cordless lapel micro transmitters (Summer, 2011). The author further adds that there are varieties of ways that aid in improving the academics of students with DHH. First, the instructor should make sure he communicates directly to the student and not to the student’s sign language interpreter. Secondly, the instructor should make sure that one person speaks at a time and incase a student asks a question, the interpreter should repeat the question before giving the answer. While dealing with DHH students, visual contact is a requirement, since lack of it may mean loss of information. Therefore, the lecturer should ensure that students have visual contact throughout the lesson. Students with hearing impairment should seat at the front in class so that they are able to grasp as much information as possible. While showing uncaptioned videos or slides, it is important for the students to be able to see the interpreter clearly, especially if the room has to be darkened. Nevertheless, when using a chalkboard, it is important for the instructor to let the students have a broad look at the board before turning to the interpreter for clarification. According to Emerson (2010, p.3), fluency is a required reading skill in successful readers. It involves the ability to read accurately and be capable of constructing accurate sentences. Therefore, a fluent reader must incorporate prosody, automaticity, and accuracy in his traits. In addition, there are three sub-processes that enhance fluency in learners: phonemic awareness enables students to identify the sounds present in a speech, hence blending these sounds to create fluency. The letter knowledge enables students to relate letters and sounds, therefore relating the sounds they hear with written symbols. Finally, students should be capable of learning the common patterns in words, hence becoming effective in decoding messages. Emerson (2010, p.7) insists that deaf students are poor in reading; this is because they miss a lot in terms of language and sounds because of their hearing loss. They need an ever-present instructor to enable them relate to letters and sounds unlike normal students. Nevertheless, the presence of cochlear implants has been a savior to the deaf in their endeavor of achieving reading success. A research study conducted on 17 deaf children using cochlear implants proved that, 70% of the children achieved success in their reading skills (Emerson, 2010, p.7). Emerson suggests that peer tutoring could have an impact on the DHH students, since they are all engaged in reading. Nevertheless, the author relates peer tutoring to the disadvantage of the incapability of DHH students to identify reading mistakes done by their hearing peers (2010, p.13). According to Ostojic et al. (2011, p.349), over 200 cochlear implantation were performed in Serbia between 2002 and 2009. These implants improve auditory perceptions in deaf individuals; therefore, progress in the affected individual is noted after the surgery. Guided reading and writing approach is a method used to study word and language for DHH students. Students are assisted to develop fluency, styles, and different forms of literature. The instructor guides the students in exploring the reading process. Students are then able to develop literacy skills, which they later apply independently in writing and reading. The instructor forms small groups of students, therefore capable of observing keenly and evaluating the students’ reading processes, (Gallaudet University, 2011). According to White (2011, p.19), graphic novels play a vital role in the successful learning of DHH students; they comprise of texts and pictures that interest students. He further adds that such students have a problem of learning grammar and vocabularies. Normally, children develop their language skills by engaging in conversations or hearing adults speak; hence deaf children lack this ability, which creates a barrier in their reading and writing skills. Graphic novels on the other hand assist DHH students in achieving academic success through their texts and pictures, as a way of conveying information (White, 2011, p.20). A study conducted on the effectiveness of graphic novels proved that DHH students provided a high level of comprehension with the presented pictures. The graphic novels provide pictures that support the text information. Students are then capable of decoding the facial meanings of the images. These images do not contain any information text; however, a student is required to observe the facial and body expressions of the image, thereafter understanding the meaning of the images. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing depend on multiple learning strategies that have implications for their development Social Interaction among DHH Students in Schools According to Richardson, et al. (2010), there is an increase in the number of DHH students who are attending the same learning institutions as their hearing peers. This is unlike the past when the DHH students attended separate institutions specifically for DHH students. However, these students use assistive hearing devices that assist them in participating in class discussions and various activities. The author argues that most DHH students gain less knowledge in such a setup compared to their hearing peers. Nevertheless, skilled instructors dealing with DHH students are capable of utilizing effective methods that assist DHH students to learn in the same manner as the hearing students. The DHH students, who attend same learning institutions as hearing students, have a high capacity of hearing compared to the DHH students in separate institutions. The authors further explain that DHH students’ academics are influenced by study habits, program satisfaction, and self efficacy among other less tangible factors. Antia, et al. (2011, p.490) explain that the DHH students who share classes with hearing students rarely interact with them; the main contributing factor is the mode of communication used by DHH students. DHH students experience social difficulties especially around their hearing peers, however, when these two groups of students participated in similar activities, the level of interaction increased. Family involvement in DHH student’s social lives can influence the social outcomes, since parents act like coaches for their children. Therefore, they are able to discuss challenging issues that are facing their children, thus encouraging them to developing social interactions with their peers. Antia, et al. (2009, p.296) emphasizes that communication factors determine the academic achievements of DHH students such that, when these students participate in class with expressive communication skills, they are able to achieve academic success. However, factors like the age of identification of hearing loss, family involvement in the DHH education, and adaptation to deafness affect communication and the student’s academic achievement. Nevertheless, DHH students embrace the belief that writing and reading is hard, contributing to their weak performance academically. Therefore, instructors should be capable of motivating these students in believing that nothing is impossible. Conclusion There is limited research on oral reading fluency of DHH students; nevertheless, measures to improve reading skills for these particular students should be implemented. This research proves that DHH students continue to drag behind compared to their hearing peers academically. However, with the involvement of parents, DHH students are able to achieve confidence. Therefore, parents of such students should take the first step towards learning sign language in order to be effective in communication, hence capable of motivating their children. DHH students are affected by the challenge of achievements academically; however, graphic novels among other learning approaches have proved to be efficient in communicating to DHH students. Students who are deaf or hard of hearing may encounter challenging issues that they cannot address because of the nature of their disability. References Antia, S. (2011). Social Outcomes of Students Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing in General Education Classrooms. Exceptional Children, Vol. 77, No. 4, pp. 489-504. Antia, S. et al. (2009). Academic Status and Progress of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students in General Education Classrooms. Oxford University Press. Retrieved from: http://jdsde.oxfordjournals.org/content/14/3/293.full.pdf Cornish, D. (2011). Deaf to indigenous children's needs, better hearing would make a big difference to the lives of Indigenous Australians. Policy journal, Vol. 27, No. 2. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&hid=112&sid=59095f2e-2253-4120-9559-f303b8265121%40sessionmgr14 Gallaudet University. (2011). Laurent clerc national deaf educational center. Guiding reading and writing with DHH children. Retrieved from http://www.gallaudet.edu/clerc_center/information_and_resources/info_to_go/language_and_literacy/literacy_at_the_clerc_center/literacy-it_all_connects/guided_reading_and_writing.html Emerson, L. (2010). Reading fluency in children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.wustl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1594&context=pacs_capstones&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.co.uk%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3DTeaching%25252C%252BReading%252Band%252Bwriting%252Bstyles%252Bfor%252Bstudents%252Bwho%252Bare%252BDeaf%252Band%252BHard%252Bof%252BHearing%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D6%26ved%3D0CD0QFjAF%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fdigitalcommons.wustl.edu%252Fcgi%252Fviewcontent.cgi%253Farticle%253D1594%2526context%253Dpacs_capstones%26ei%3DDiC5TufXAaWL4gSon_j3Bw%26usg%3DAFQjCNErcXsp17ASGYuf6Tez-8Wgc_Xe9A#search=%22Teaching%252C%2BReading%2Band%2Bwriting%2Bstyles%2Bfor%2Bstudents%2Bwho%2Bare%2BDeaf%2Band%2BHard%2Bof%2BHearing%22 Ostojic, S. et al. (2011). Cochlear implant – speech and language development in deaf and hard of hearing children following implantation. Pharmaceutical Journal of Serbia & Montenegro, Vol. 68, No. 4. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&hid=112&sid=59095f2e-2253-4120-9559-f303b8265121%40sessionmgr14 PARA. (2011). Reading and students who are deaf or hard of hearing. University of Minnesota. Retrieved from http://www.readingassessment.info/resources/publications/deafOrhardofhearning.html Richardson, J. et al, (2010). Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students’ Experiences in Mainstream and Separate Postsecondary Education. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, Vol. 15, Issue 4, Pp. 358-382.Retrieved from http://jdsde.oxfordjournals.org/content/15/4/358.full Summer, C. (2011). Disabled students’ program; university of California, Berkeley. Retrieved from http://dsp.berkeley.edu/TeachStudentsWithDisab.html#7 White, B. (2011). The world in words & pictures. How graphic novels can help to increase reaping comprehension for students with hearing loss. Knowledge Quest journal, Vol. 39, No. 3. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&hid=112&sid=59095f2e-2253-4120-9559-f303b8265121%40sessionmgr14 Appendices APPENDICE 1: Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students’ Experiences in Mainstream and Separate Postsecondary Education Table 1 Pattern factor matrices for students’ responses to the Classroom Participation Questionnaire National Technical Institute for the Deaf students Rochester Institute of Technology students 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 1. My teacher understands me. (UT) .40 ?.22 ?.15 .08 .36 ?.10 ?.36 .61 ?.30 2. The other students in class understand me. (US) .72 .02 .05 ?.07 .15 ?.15 ?.31 .57 ?.05 3. I understand my teacher. (UT) .43 ?.02 ?.20 .12 .45 .12 ?.47 .37 .12 4. I understand the other students in class. (US) .64 .02 .27 ?.11 ?.01 .29 ?.38 .19 .32 5. I join in class discussions. (US) .38 ?.01 .28 .26 .15 .76 .08 ?.03 ?.09 6. I have enough time to answer my teacher’s questions. (UT) .31 .04 .01 .20 .33 .50 ?.02 .15 ?.07 7. I understand the homework assignments my teacher gives me. (UT) .14 ?.06 ?.08 .06 .60 ?.06 .06 .71 .05 8. I understand when my teacher tells me what to study for a test. (UT) .07 ?.05 ?.08 ?.01 .71 .20 .14 .68 .11 9. I feel good about how I communicate in class. (PA) .53 ?.09 .26 .02 .11 .41 ?.11 .36 ?.27 10. I feel lonely because I cannot understand other students. (NA) ?.15 .56 ?.14 .00 .01 ?.13 .57 ?.05 ?.10 11. I feel frustrated because it is difficult for me to communicate with other students. (NA) ?.08 .76 .01 .04 ?.10 ?.30 .51 .19 .11 12. I get upset because other students cannot understand me. (NA) .05 .91 .00 .10 ?.05 .18 .90 ?.02 .03 13. I get upset because my teacher cannot understand me. (NA) .17 .91 .16 .00 ?.20 .17 .97 ?.03 ?.04 14. I feel relaxed when I talk to other students. (PA) ?.16 .04 .36 .62 .12 .40 ?.14 .23 ?.48 15. I feel relaxed when I talk to my teacher. (PA) ?.14 .10 .14 .71 .26 .41 ?.03 .31 ?.57 16. I feel nervous when I talk to other students. (NA) ?.27 .32 .11 ?.44 .23 ?.39 .35 .17 .24 17. I feel nervous when I talk to my teacher. (NA) ?.20 .29 .11 ?.43 .15 ?.35 .39 .03 .30 18. I understand my teacher when she gives me homework assignments. (UT) ?.05 .00 .09 .10 .82 ?.04 ?.08 .81 ?.13 19. I understand my teacher when she answers other students’ questions. (UT) .20 ?.10 .24 ?.02 .51 .40 .03 .52 .19 20. I understand my teacher when she tells me what to study for a test. (UT) ?.11 ?.08 .22 ?.02 .75 .17 .13 .80 .06 21. I understand other students during group discussions. (US) .32 ?.12 .59 ?.15 .21 .58 ?.21 .08 .59 22. I understand other students when they answer my teacher’s questions. (US) .29 ?.03 .52 ?.16 .31 .52 ?.06 .18 .53 23. I feel relaxed in group discussions. (PA) .06 ?.15 .67 .19 .11 .78 ?.12 .06 ?.01 24. I feel happy in group discussions in class. (PA) .10 ?.05 .69 .23 .06 .78 .04 .18 .04 25. I feel nervous in group discussions in class. (NA) ?.34 .31 .05 ?.40 .25 ?.46 .28 .10 .32 26. I feel good in group discussions in class. (PA) .06 ?.07 .71 .18 ?.09 .79 .08 .18 .03 27. I feel frustrated in group discussions in class. (NA) .04 .51 ?.10 ?.08 .03 ?.73 ?.01 .08 ?.09 28. I feel unhappy in group discussions in class. (NA) .02 .51 ?.36 .04 .13 ?.70 .03 .06 ?.03 Factor intercorrelations 1???? 1.00 ?.36 .22 .23 .34 1.00 ?.34 .33 ?.03 2???? ?.36 1.00 ?.20 ?.29 ?.08 ?.34 1.00 ?.23 .22 3???? .22 ?.20 1.00 .17 .25 .33 ?.23 1.00 .04 4???? .23 ?.29 .17 1.00 .12 ?.03 .22 .04 1.00 5???? .34 ?.08 .25 .12 1.00 Note. NA = Negative Affect; PA = Positive Affect; US = Understanding Students; UT = Understanding Teachers. Loadings greater than .40 in absolute magnitude are shown in bold font. APPENDICE 2. Age at Which Hearing Loss Begins APPENDICE 3. New Cochlear Implants in 2001 Data are age-adjusted to the 2000 standard population. Read More