ACE-DHH
Literacy
Syllabus
Team Members:
Richard Nowell, Indiana University of
Pennsylvania (Team Leader)
Bill Brelje, Lewis and Clark University
Dave Dolman, Barton College
Pam Luft, Kent State University
Edward Marlatt, Adelphi University
Sara Schley, Hunter College
Introduction
The
issue of literacy is one that transcends most of the other issues in the
education of students who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. Whatever the specific
goals of an educational program, the philosophy of communication, and specific
placement, professionals agree, in general, that the ability to be able to read
and write English is a major goal of educational programs for these students.
That does not mean that there is unanimity in how to reach that goal. Some teacher
education programs may emphasize one or another approach to teaching reading
and writing English, while others may take a more eclectic approach.
Literacy
may also include the ability to understand and to express oneself fluently in
American Sign Language. Because the area of sign language is included in
another of these sample syllabi, the teaching of sign systems is not included
in this syllabus. On the other hand, approaches to literacy in English may
include the use of ASL as a first language or as a parallel language. The use
of visual forms of English, such as fingerspelling or signing, may also be an
integral part of a teacher’s method of teaching English.
Despite
our best efforts, we still have a long way to go before we can be satisfied
with our success in teaching English. Technology offers us one more channel for
addressing the teaching of reading and writing English. Technology can improve
our education of future teachers and their efforts in teaching English to their
students. A primary emphasis in this syllabus is the inclusion of technology in
preparing future teachers to teach reading and writing and assisting those
future teachers to incorporate technology in their own teaching.
Purpose:
This
syllabus has been prepared to provide a general model for teacher educators
preparing courses in colleges and universities in the area of literacy for deaf
and hard-of-hearing students, here defined as the ability to read and write
English. The assumption is that the students in courses using such a syllabus
are primarily those preparing to teach deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The
syllabus includes methods of integrating technology in most aspects of the
teaching of such a course, as well as in the techniques that students are
learning to use in their own classrooms.
CED/CEC Knowledge and skills areas:
This
syllabus addresses the following knowledge and skill areas described by the CED
and CEC as critical for the certification of individuals and the accreditation
of teacher education programs:
6. The impact of
various educational placement options (from the perspective of the needs of any
given child who is Deaf/Hard of Hearing and consistent with program philosophy)
with regard to cultural identity, linguistic, academic, and social-emotional development.
9. Identify the
major contributors to the growth and improvement of past-to-present knowledge
and practice in the field of education of children who are Deaf/Hard of
Hearing.
10.Communication
features (visual, spatial, tactile, and/or auditory) salient to the learner who
is Deaf/Hard of Hearing which are necessary to enhance cognitive, emotional and
social development.
11.Research in
cognition related to children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing.
14. Effects of
families and/or primary caregivers on the overall development of the child who
is Deaf/Hard of
Hearing.
15. Effect that
onset of hearing loss, age of identification, and provision of services have on
the development of the child who is Deaf/Hard of Hearing.
16. Impact of early
comprehensible communication has on the development of the child who is
Deaf/Hard of Hearing.
17. Recognition
that being deaf or hard of hearing alone does not necessarily preclude normal
academic development, cognitive development, or communication ability.
18. The differences
in quality and quantity of incidental language/learning experiences which
Deaf/Hard of Hearing children may experience.
19.Effects of
sensory input on development of language and cognition of children who are
Deaf/Hard of Hearing.
22.Legal
provisions, regulations and guidelines regarding unbiased diagnostic
assessment, and use of instructional assessment measures with students who are
Deaf/Hard of Hearing.
26. Use
exceptionality-specific assessment instruments (e.g., SAT-HI, TERA-DHH, FSST)
appropriate for students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing.
27.Sources of
specialized materials for students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing.
28. Components of
the non-linguistic and linguistic communication which students who are
Deaf/Hard of Hearing use.
29. The procedures
and technologies required to educate students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing
under one or more of the existing modes or philosophies (consistent with
program philosophy).
31. Current
theories of how languages (e.g., ASL and English) develop in children who are
hearing and who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing.
32.Subject matter
and practices used in general education across content areas.
33. Ways to
facilitate cognitive and communicative development in students who are
Deaf/Hard of Hearing (e.g., visual saliency) consistent with program
philosophy.
35. Research
supported instructional strategies and practice for teaching students who are
Deaf/Hard of Hearing.
36.Demonstrate
proficiency in the language(s) the beginning teacher will use to instruct
students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing.
38.Select, design,
produce, and utilize media, materials, and resources required to educate
students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing under one or more of the existing modes
or philosophies (e.g., bilingual-bicultural, total communication, aural/oral).
40. Modify
instructional process and classroom environment to meet the physical,
cognitive, cultural, and communication needs of the child who is Deaf/Hard of
Hearing (e.g., teachers's style, acoustic environment, availability of support
services, availability of appropriate technologies).
41. Facilitate
independent communication behavior in children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing.
42. Apply first and
second language teaching strategies (e.g., English through ASL or ESL)
appropriate to the needs of the individual student who is Deaf/Hard of Hearing
and consistent with program philosophy.
43. Demonstrate
ability to modify incidental language experiences to fit the visual and other
sensory needs of children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing.
44.Provide
appropriate activities for students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing to promote
literacy in English and/or ASL.
Literacy:
Teaching Reading and Writing to Students Who are Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing
Model
Syllabus
Pre-requisites:
Introductory survey
course in deafness
Language
development
Teaching language
to students who are deaf and hard-of-hearing
(Ideally students would first have a basic
course in literacy, including theories of reading and general approaches to
teaching reading and writing, so that this course could concentrate on methods
of teaching reading and writing.)
Texts :
(Rather than attempt to specify a text to be used with
this course, the following are texts that are available and have been used in
teacher education programs in the area of literacy instruction for deaf and
hard-of-hearing students.)
The following seem to be the texts related
most specifically to teaching students with hearing loss:
French,
M.M. (1999). Starting with assessment. A developmental approach to deaf
children's literacy. Washington, DC: Pre-College National Mission Programs,
Gallaudet University (with the Toolkit Appendices).
Luetke-Stahlman,
B. (1998). Language issues in deaf education. Hillsboro, OR: Butte
Publications.
Mashdie, S. M. (1995). Educating deaf children bilingually. Washington, DC: Gallaudet.
McAnally, P. L., Quigley, S. P., & Rose,
S. (1999). Reading practices with deaf learners. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
Paul,
P.V. (1998). Literacy and deafness: The development of reading, writing, and
literate thought. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Schirmer, Barbara R.
(2000). Language & literacy
development in Children who are deaf (2nd Ed.). Boston:
Allyn and Bacon.
Special
Literacy Issue, Perspectives in Education and Deafness, May/June, 1999.
The following texts are used as supplemental
texts and relate primarily to other language issues in students who are deaf
and hard-of-hearing and to general reading issues:
Butler,
K.G. (Ed.) (1994). Hearing impairments and language disorders.
Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen.
Hoffman, J.V.
(1988). Understanding reading instruction. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
KDES Preschool
Faculty and Staff. KDES curriculum guide: preschool curriculum guide.
Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Pre-College Programs.
Livingston, S.
(1997). Rethinking the education of deaf children. Heineman Publishers.
Luetke-Stahlman, B.
(1998). Langauge across the curriculum. Hillsboro, OR: Butte.
May, F. B. (1990). Reading
communication: An intereactive approach (3rd ed.). Columbus, OH: Merrill.
McAnally, P. L.,
Quigley, S. P., & Rose, S. (1994). Langauge learning practices with deaf
children. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
MSSD
English Faculty. Sharing ideas: The reading and writing series.
Washington, DC: Gallaudet.
Rhodes, Lynn, Dudley-Marling,
Curt, Readers and writers with a difference. Heinneman Press.
Rieben, L., &
Perfetti, C.A. (Eds.) (1991). Learning to read: Basic research and its
implications. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Schumm, J.S. (1999).
Adapting reading and math materials for the inclusive classroom. Reston,
VA: CEC.
Walker, B.J. (1996).
Diagnostic Teaching of Reading. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.
Walker, B. (2000).
Diagnostic teaching of reading: Techniques for instruction and assessment,
Prentice Hall, Inc.
Instructional Objectives:
(The following are a sample of instructional
objectives that could be used for a course in literacy. The numbers following
each objective refer to the CED knowledge and skills delineated above.)
Students will be able to:
1. Compare and
contrast the theoretical, philosophical, and implementation differences between
top-down, bottom-up, and combined/balanced approaches to reading instruction;
and process- versus product-based theories of writing instruction. (9; 10;14;
29; 31; 32; 35)
2. Describe the
developmental patterns and characteristics of successful deaf readers and
writers, taking into account level/pattern of hearing loss and learning profile
(or presence of other disabilities) and how teachers can assess the acquisition
of these skills and patterns using both formal and informal measures. (10; 11;
14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 22; 26; 27; 29; 31; 33; 35)
3. Describe the
relationships between language, reading, and writing skill development and
instruction across all age/grade levels: emergent literacy through secondary
skill-refinement, importance of schema theory, and use of individualized
tutoring programs with D/HH students. (10; 11; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 27; 28;
29; 31; 32; 33; 35)
4. Describe the
difficulties and barriers, applications, and modifications of the top-down and
bottom-up, process vs. product approaches to literacy instruction with D/HH
students including direct instruction strategies, cooperative learning,
technology-enhanced strategies, reading/writing workshops, and individual/peer
conferencing to address skill development: word-attack/phonics, comprehension,
retelling/summarizing, and reflecting/sharing strategies for reading; spelling,
grammar, punctuation, editing, revising, and publishing strategies for writing.
(9; 10; 11; 16; 17; 22; 27; 28; 29; 31; 32; 33; 35; 40; 44)
5. Describe
literacy strategies across age/grade levels including (but not limited to):
LEA, read-aloud, sustained silent reading programs, basal and literature-based
approaches, and content-area strategies; pre-reading strategies (previews,
anticipation guides, semantic maps, graphic organizers, concept attainment),
guided reading strategies (DRTA, ReQuest, Concept-Text-Application, GIST,
cognitive frames), post-reading comprehension strategies (retelling, story
boards/maps/frames, drama, literacy groups, literature journals, conferencing).
(9; 10; 11; 27; 28; 29; 32; 33; 35; 40; 43; 44)
6. Develop a
conceptually-based, thematic integrated literacy unit for one age level demonstrating
appropriate instructional planning, materials design, and adaptation to the
needs of D/HH students that incorporates use of technology (e.g., internet
research strategies, appropriate use of online resources, online courseware,
presentation software, word processing, desktop publishing, data collection and
storage, digital cameras and scanners, image editing software, basic
trouble-shooting, electronic pen pals/journals/ listservs). (27; 29; 32; 33;
35; 36; 38; 40; 41; 42; 43; 44)
7. Demonstrate
professionalism at classroom and practicum sites resulting in positive
evaluations from practicum and teaching faculty regarding their conduct,
interaction, maturity, responsibility, and performance; students also will need
to demonstrate collaborative skills with others and abilities to express
themselves orally, in writing, and in sign language all of which will be used
in evaluating their readiness and appropriateness as future educators. (6; 22;
33; 36; 40; 41; 42; 43; 44)
Course Topics
The following course topics are one example
of the content of a course on methods of developing literacy in children who
are deaf and hard-of-hearing:
I.
Connecting language and
literacy (children learning from adults, language abilities and preliteracy,
home practices, etc.)
II.
General reading
processes: Bottom Up
III.
General reading
processes: Top Down
IV.
General reading
processes: Interactive
V.
Deaf students and
reading processes
VI.
Pre-reading/writing/spelling
-- Theory and practice
VII.
Whole language and the
deaf student
VIII.
Essential reading
practices (e.g., individual and group reading, comprehension strategies, word
attack, DRTA, LEA, cloze, coop. learning, shared reading, etc.)
IX.
Essential writing
practices (e.g., writing process, selective correction, mechanics/conventions,
ENFI, Dialogue journals, coop. learning, etc.)
X.
Bilingual/bimodal
instruction, influence of ASL skill/knowledge
XI.
Assessment I: goals of
assessments, standardized materials (e.g., SAT-HI), cloze, miscue anal., scored
retelling
XII.
Assessment II: ongoing
strategies, portfolios, collaborative assessment, informal tools, etc.
XIII.
Bringing it all together
Some of the activities that would be included
in these topics that are not specifically related to technology include:
ENFI
Dialogue Journals
(students can do with children, *or* can be
required part of
course -- perhaps email dialogue with
instructor)
Developing lessons,
units
Shared Reading --
learning from deaf adults, students developing
skills/strategies
for shared reading
Technology
for a Course on Developing Literacy in Children Who are Deaf and
Hard-of-Hearing
A variety of technological techniques can be
used in the development of literacy skills in students who are deaf and
hard-of-hearing. Many of these can be taught to the college student preparing
to become a teacher by using them in the college classroom.
General organization:
The
curriculum for a teacher education course in literacy can be organized using
software designed specifically for such a purpose, such as WebCT.
Instructors may choose instead to develop a
web page for their course. This web page may include the latest information for
the class, publication of students’ best work or rough drafts of work which
could be edited by other students, reviews of favorite books by students in the
class, links to web sites dealing with favorite books read (for example, a link
to pioneer web sites after reading Little House on the Prairie).
General
presentation software, such as PowerPoint, may be incorporated in these
organizations or simply used as one technique to present information in the
classroom. PowerPoint shows can be saved to a web page or WebCT content page.
Other technology for the course:
There
is a variety of technology that can greatly enhance the college classroom and
that of the instructor of reading and writing for deaf and hard-of-hearing
students. The following are some examples.
RESOURCE
READINGS
Delpit, L. (1995). Other peoples’ children.
New York, NY: New Press.
Fisher, S. The writer’s workshop.
Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Pre-College Programs.
French, M., Hallau, M., & Ewoldt, C. KDES
curriculum guide: Language arts. Washington, DC: Gallaudet
University Pre-College Programs.
Hodges,
J., Horner, W., Webb, S., Miller, R. (1994). Harbrace College handbook.
New York: Harbrook Brace College Publishers.
Hoff- Ginsberg, E. (1997). Language
Development. Pacific Grove, CA, Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.
Kameenui, E., & Simmons, C.C. (1999).
Toward successful inclusion of students with disabilities: The architecture of
instruction, Reston, VA, CEC.
King, C.M., & Quigley, S. P. (1985). Reading
and deafness. San Diego, CA: College-Hill Press.
Kretschmer,
R. E. (Ed.) (1982). Reading and the hearing-impaired individual.
Washington, DC: AG Bell.
Lenz, K. and Schumaker, J. (1999).
Adapting language arts, social studies, and science: Materials for the
inclusive classroom. Reston, VA: CEC.
MacNeil, R. (1989). Wordstruck: A memoir.
NY: Viking Press.
McCormick, L., Loeb, D.F., &
Schiefelbusch, R.L. (1997). Supporting children with communicative
difficulties in inclusive settings. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn &
Bacon.
McLaughlin, S. (1998). Introduction to
Language Development. San Diego: Singular Publishing Group, Inc.
MSSD
English Faculty. A closer look: The English program at the Model Secondary
School for the Deaf. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Pre-College Programs.
Nippold, N.A. (1998). Later language
development: The school-age and adolescent years, Austin, Texas, PRO-ED,
Inc.
Opdycke, J., (1965). Harper's English
Grammar. New York: Harper & Row.
Perspectives: Whole Language Folio II, Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Pre-College
Programs.
Peyton, J. K., & French, M. (1997). Making
English accessible: Using electronic networking for interaction in the
classroom. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Pre-College Programs.
Quigley, S. P., & Paul, P. V. (1984). Language
and deafness. San Diego, CA: College Hill.
Ramsey, C. L. (1997). Deaf Children in
Public Schools. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.
Smith, M.D. (1997). The art of itinerant
teaching for teachers of the deaf & hard of hearing. Hillsboro, OR:
Butte Publications.
Schwebel, M. & Raph, J. (eds.) (1973). Piaget
in the classroom. New York, NY: Basic Books Inc.
Smith, F. (1971). Understanding reading.
New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
Valli, C., & Lucas, C. (1992) Linquistics
of ASL, Washington, DC: Gallaudet.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1962). Thought and
language. Cambridge, MA: M.I.T. Press.
Welsh-Charrier, C.C (nd). The Literature
Journal. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Pre-College Programs.
Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding
by Design. ASCD.
Woods, M. L., & Moe, A. J. (1995).
Analytical Reading Inventor. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall
Publishing.
RESOURCE
PROFESSIONAL JOURNALS
{Journal
articles accessed through ERIC}
American annals of the deaf. Gallaudet University Press, 800 Florida Avenue NE,
Washington, DC 20002. (www.infotrieve.com)
Journal of deaf studies and deafness. Oxford University Press, 2001 Evans Road, Cary, NC
27513. (www.oup.co.uk/deafed)
Perspectives in education and deafness. Pre-College National Mission Programs (Gallaudet
University), 800 Florida Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002. (www.gallaudet.edu)
Volta review. A. G. Bell Association for the Deaf, 3417 Volta Place
NW, Washington, DC 20007. (www.agbell.org)
RESOURCE
WEBSITES
Association of College Educators/DHH
Alexander Graham Bell Association for the
Deaf
American Sign Language Teachers Association
Boystown
Education of D/HH Students Web
www.pair.com/options/index.htm
ERIC Clearing House
http://ericec.org/digests/e551.htm
ERIC Database/Articles
http://165.224.220.67/database/ERIC_Digests/ed41669.html
Gallaudet University
National Association of the Deaf
National Technical Institute of the Deaf