Learning Environment

Accept the student and help the student to adjust.

Investigate accommodations and/or modifications each student requires. Students with hearing loss vary in what they can or cannot hear, their individual learning styles, and their educational preferences and abilities! Some students may benefit from having a “buddy” or help with notes.

Preferential seating is important for students with hearing loss so that they make maximum use of residual hearing. Students also need to be in a location to better view the speaker’s lip movements, gestures, and body language.

Lighting can significantly affect student achievement. The teacher should be careful to stand hear a window in bright sunlight. This position puts the speaker’s face in shadow. Make sure lighting is appropriate during all classroom activities, ex: the student needs access to see an interpreter during movies (in the event they are not captioned).

Speak clearly at a normal (moderate) rate. Speak in a natural tone of voice. Face the student with a hearing loss directly. Use facial and body expressions and make frequent eye contact with the student. Use natural gestures.

Control the pace of classroom discussions and indicate who is speaking. If there in an interpreter, be considerate of natural wait time between speakers or at the end of a spoken message in case the interpreter is not finished interpreting the message.

Write on the board without speaking and then face the class when speaking. Write assignments, new vocabulary, key words and phrases on the board.

Visual aids should be used whenever possible. Use the board, maps, charts, illustrations, and captioned movies. The connection between illustrations and text is very important. A student with hearing loss does not have the same ability to learn vocabulary and key concepts vicariously as a hearing student, but the student may have a mental picture of a concept without knowing the vocabulary.

If the student has an interpreter, make sure the student is watching the interpreter while someone is speaking. That student doesn’t have access to the information if he/she is not watching the interpreter.

Make sure the student understands. Do not accept a nod or a smile as an indication of understanding. Ask the student content questions rather than yes/no questions. Be aware of vocabulary limitations or difficulties with English idioms. Check to make sure major points and assignments are understood. Announcements over the PA system may be hard to understand; check to make sure the student knows all school-wide and classroom announcements (written would be great!).

Expect appropriate behavior from the student with a hearing loss. Be consistent in disciplining. If a student with a hearing loss is signing to another person, he/she is “talking”! Be careful not to overprotect the student.

Include the student with hearing loss in all class experiences. Include the student in conversations and encourage the student to participate in group activities.

Allow the student to complete unit related support exercises rather than “busy work,” especially for homework or while there is a substitute teacher. The student with hearing loss may require more time and practice for reading and writing tasks. The student will benefit from concept/unit related practice, especially if they have not mastered the prerequisite information or vocabulary.

Assist the student in understanding words with multiple meaning, figurative language, or English idioms. Hard-of-hearing students typically show about a 2-year lag in vocabulary development and deaf students demonstrate a 4- to 5-year lag.

Keep in close communication with qualified specialists on the student’s team, ex: the teacher of the deaf/hh, interpreter, speech therapist, or resource teacher. Keep in close communications with the student and family. The student may not have developed skills to advocate for himself/herself in a general education setting. Assist the student in developing advocacy skills in which the student will ask the teacher for more information, to sit in a better spot, or to use the FM system if applicable.

Please contact me if you ever have any questions.

Lauren Ledbetter, Teacher of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing

lledbetter@lexrich5.org