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The researchers investigated the effects of adult language input on the quantity of language, vocabulary development, and understanding of basic concepts of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children who used listening and spoken language. Using audio recording and Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) software, the study involved 30 preschool DHH children who used spoken language as their communication modality and 11 typically hearing same-age peers. The children's language and the language spoken to them during all waking hours over a 2-day period (16 hours per day) were recorded and analyzed quantitatively and were compared to the children's performance on the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. The results highlight the relationship between the quantity of adult language and the language, vocabulary, and basic concept knowledge of DHH preschool children who use listening and spoken language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates what competencies are needed by teachers of children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH), in the changing circumstances of their profession in Jordan. One hundred and five teachers of children who are DHH from kindergarten up to primary grade took part in this study. A scale was developed in order to achieve the goals of the study. The results revealed that the teachers’ competencies on the development of Instructional Planning Strategies subscale ranked first as the most important teaching competency that teachers need to develop. Competencies in definitions and communication skills, assessment, managing the classroom environment, and team working ranked lower, with developing positive attitude ranked the last. Moreover, the results showed that there were significant differences at (α = 0.05) according to school type in favour of private schools, according to educational settings in favour of local public schools (inclusion settings), and according to teachers’ background in favour of ordinary teachers with general teaching qualifications. Based on the findings, appropriate recommendations for the educational system of the DHH in Jordan were outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article profiles the speech-language pathology program at the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. The program was developed in order to provide specialty training for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who work with hearing impaired and deaf infants, toddlers and children. The author describes the interdisciplinary educational approach used by the program which includes specialists in practice areas including early intervention, social work, audiology, special education and listening and spoken language.

The article profiles the master's degree speech-language pathology program at Nazareth College in Rochester, New York. The program was designed to provide specialty training for speech-language pathologists working with deaf and hard of hearing children. The author briefly describes the history, curriculum and the philosophy of the program. Speech-language pathologists who attend the program are better able to work with culturally diverse children who are deaf or hard of hearing and in particular, those who use cochlear implants and have differing experiences with spoken language.

Pediatric audiologists play a vital role in detection, diagnosis, and intervention for young children with hearing loss and their families. Preparing the next generation of pediatric audiologists necessitates a creative approach that balances the requirements of a broad curriculum with the special skills needed to serve a unique and varied population of children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families. Fortunately, many university programs across the United States have developed specialty tracks, and a growing number are working in partnership with government and other agencies to improve and expand personnel preparation in pediatric audiology. They are joined in this effort by a cadre of talented students who are genuinely committed to working with this population. Still, many challenges remain, among them the sustained financial resources needed to support graduate training programs and students. There is also a need to substantially increase the diversity of our work force in pediatric audiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent developments in deaf education are influencing teacher preparation programs, which are facing challenges in meeting the critical need for highly qualified teachers. Of approximately 65 teacher preparation programs in the United States, II programs focus primarily on preparing teachers to work with children who are deaf or hard of hearing and who use listening and spoken language, and 54 programs focus primarily on visual communication strategies. Advances in technology, changes in the population of children served, and shifts in educational placements and certification requirements are trends that impact teacher preparation programs. Challenges to these programs include issues related to faculty, university support, curriculum development, student recruitment, and recognition of the profession's value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on how deaf children develop literacy skills, and the role played by sign language in the reconstruction of written language of deaf children. It is stated that deaf children are linguistically and communicatively competent in their own natural sign language, and written language is a second language for them. It is mentioned that in Argentina, deaf children understand sign language when they join a deaf public school. At a school in Mendoza, Argentina, the constructivist approach was used to teach deaf children who had little reading and writing experience. The students started with simple sentences, and they learned how to write long texts within a year. They were given instruction in Argentine Sign Language (LSA).

Action theory and the qualitative action-project method are used in this study to address and illustrate the complexity of parenting children who have received cochlear implants (CIs) as well as the intentionality of parents engaged in that process. "Action" refers to individual and joint goal-directed and intentional behaviors. Action theory has the advantage of using the perspectives provided by manifest behavior, internal processes, and social meaning in the analysis of action. Two cases are used to describe the individual and joint actions and projects, as related to parents' involvement in the habilitation process of children's postcochlear implantation. These joint projects are described at the levels of meanings/goals, functional processes, behaviors, structural support, and resources. From the rich descriptions and analysis of the cases, we draw potentially illuminative implications for the "current thinking" in relation to parenting children with CIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the role of mode of acquisition (MoA) of word meanings in reading comprehension: children acquire word meanings using perceptual information (e.g., hearing, seeing, or smelling the referent) and/or linguistic information (e.g., verbal explanations). A total of 72 deaf and 99 hearing children between 7 and 15 years of age performed a self-paced reading task. Comprehension scores increased with age in both groups, but reading speed increased over age only for the hearing participants. For both groups, reading times on linguistically acquired words were longer than on perceptually acquired words. Although deaf children scored lower than hearing children in both conditions, comprehension scores for both groups were lower on linguistic items than on perceptual items. Thus, MoA influences reading comprehension, but the deaf show difficulty on both the perceptual and the linguistic items. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large study in the United Kingdom of support options for deaf and hearing-impaired children was conducted between 1998 and 2001. Findings have been reported on prevalence, demography, auditory performance, communication skills, educational achievements, and quality of life, costs including costs of compulsory education and costs incurred by families, and on the overall cost-effectiveness of cochlear implantation. These detailed reports may not be readily accessible to all those interested and this paper therefore aims to draw out and summarise the key findings from these reports. In doing so it highlights those findings which will be of particular interest to teachers of the deaf. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) creates a high-stakes environment by holding schools accountable for how all students perform on state assessments, including students with disabilities and students who are English Language Learners. The focus of this article is on the impact of NCLB on students who are deaf or hard of hearing (SDHH). The SDHH have diverse linguistic characteristics and are served in a range of educational settings. The purpose of this article is to explore the hidden benefits and consequences of NCLB policy on SDHH in two areas: assessment and accountability. Drawing on findings from the author's program of research, the article illustrates areas where policy may differentially affect students depending on their state of residence and educational setting. The discussion ends with a summary of benefits and hidden consequences of NCLB for SDHH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined school functioning of Israeli Arab children with hearing impairment (HI) who were included in regular education classrooms, in comparison to their classmates with normal hearing (NH). Ninety-three children (60 NH and 33 HI), grades 1-6, participated. Teachers evaluated the children using the Arabic version of the Screening Instrument for Targeting Educational Risks (SIFTER; Anderson, 1989); they also reported children's achievement levels in Arabic and mathematics. Results demonstrated that the HI children's functioning was lower than that of the NH children. Children with unilateral and minimal hearing losses had lower functioning than those with more severe hearing loss. As grade level increased, functioning decreased among HI children. Use of the SIFTER was beneficial in detecting children with difficulties. Regular, ongoing SIFTER use and appropriate follow-up on the results may better enable each child to perform optimally in class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Looks at the importance of providing language and literacy development in children who are deaf or hearing impaired. Significance of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act on deaf children in the U.S.; Potential impact of parents' use of the American Sign Language or Signed English on their children; Situations wherein deaf children uses signed or spoken language; Difference between the use of literacy skills in children who are hearing and children who are deaf.

Investigates the development of the concept of fractions in a group of 11- and 12-year-old students who were deaf or hard of hearing using structured games. Emphasis on the development of appropriate language to facilitate and understand the notion of fractions through the investigation of concrete materials, pictorial representations and interactions between students and teachers.

Explores the use of scripts to encourage language and literacy learning with a group of primary-school aged of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Means for contextualizing language learning in classrooms; Encouraging active participation; Framework for developing scripts in any learning environment.

Describes a program used by the author in teaching children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Practices recommended by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC); Learning about choices; Learning through theme cycles; Learning through centers; Learning through dramatic play; Learning through science investigations.

Relates the author's experiences teaching children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Adaptation to the students' needs; Slow progress of the children in reading and writing skills; Philosophy of whole language and the children; New role of teachers handling special students; Controlling the classroom environment in learning.

Presents an abstract of the study `Preschool deaf and hard of hearing students' interactions during ASL and English storytelling,' by B. Schick and E. Gale, published in `American Annals of the Deaf' in 1995. in 1995.

The American Federation of Teachers (1999) has stated that "the most fundamental responsibility of schools is teaching students to read" (p. 7). The central purpose of reading is comprehension-constructing meaning from text. The purpose of the present study was to identify, review, and summarize the research published in professional peer-reviewed journals related to reading comprehension and school-age students who are deaf or hard of hearing between 1963 and 2005. Fifty-two studies were identified and reviewed. The results were summarized in a table and reported descriptively. The most frequently researched reading comprehension teaching strategies were identified and discussed. The need for more research in this critical area was noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article highlights the experimental diagnostic teaching clinic for hearing impaired children. A diagnostic teaching program was designed to correlate educational judgments of medical and paramedical personnel with those of teachers. The diagnostic teaching program was characterized by several unique features. Such features include a 1-1 teacher pupil ratio for 11 children, immediate attention to amplification needs, seminar sessions for teacher personnel conducted by an audiologist and psychologist, and provisions for medical or diagnostic reports as needed by the teachers. Each session, from which individual diagnostic teaching took place daily, was followed by group activities conducted by teacher aides. The evaluations by the teachers also included the administration on various tests, which were incorporated into the daily program.

The author comments on Bilingual-Bicultural (Bi-Bi) instruction for deaf children. Bi-Bi instruction is explained as an approach in which American Sign Language (ASL) is taught first and used to learn English for reading and writing. As of 2007, only 11% of deaf children were taught using sign language alone. The author contends that if Bi-Bi spreads to general education, that a base of supporting research for the approach is needed.

Editorial. Discusses the results of a survey conducted among the teachers of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Academic preparation; Satisfaction over student placement; Reaction to the mandate to provide access to the general education curriculum.

The article reports on an investigation of the impact of governance, admission policy, admission procedures, denied admission procedures, the individualized instruction system, and the assignment of deaf students to state-run schools for the deaf in the United States. Results showed that there is a need to determine the kind of disabilities, in addition to deafness, that can be served by these schools. The autonomy of residential schools for the deaf in rejecting students is questionable in view of the purpose of Public Law 94-142.

Focuses on a pre-school class for deaf children in the Pacific Northwest. Decision of the Zonta Club to co-sponsor the course; Career background of Alice Maxon, instructor at the pre-school class; Strategies for training a deaf child.

The article focuses on the education of the deaf child. In order to teach the deaf child the meanings and use of natural, fluent, correct language, the teacher must be thoroughly familiar with the psychology of subject. The teacher must begin with the stages of learning to make the subject easy to learn.

The article reports that the Executive Committee of the Council on Education of the Deaf in the United States have approved a scheme for the proper individualized educational programs for deaf and hearing impaired children. The council is composed of representatives from the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf, the Conference of Executives of American Schools for the Deaf, and the American Instructors for the Deaf.