How to Teach Deaf Students to Read
Teaching a deaf student to read requires knowledge of sign language and use of visual manipulatives. In order to be successful, a reading teacher must engage the student using the learning modalities most common to deaf learners. From learning the written alphabet to composing full sentences, deaf students learn to read best when using sign language and pictures. Every country has its own sign language. American Sign Language (ASL) is used in the United States. For the sake of brevity, this article focuses on teaching reading to a deaf learner who uses ASL.
Instructions
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Learn American Sign Language (ASL). To teach a deaf learner how to read, you must be able to speak with him. At first, you may find yourself relying on general gestures, pointing and comparison of objects (for example, a lemon, an apple and a pear). Your student needs to know that you care and are serious about communicating with him.
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Identify the differences in hearing and deaf learners. Hearing students usually learn to read through a combination of auditory and visual cues. Deaf students, on the other hand, learn to read through primarily visual means: words with pictures, physical movement and facial expressions. Use each of these to convey meaning and help a deaf student understand patterns in written English.
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Identify the differences in language structure between written English and ASL. Written English is the second language of the deaf. The verb and adverb structure is complex and difficult to learn--radically different from the more concise structure of ASL. Signed sentences are typically made up of nouns strung together and heightened by vivid facial expressions. For example, "You are so kind!" in written English may become "You kind!" with an appropriate smile in ASL.
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Teach the basics. Write single letters, using finger-spelling and ABC charts or books with pictures to help the student recognize written letters. This will be rote memorization, but it is an important step.
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Focus on nouns and even adjectives using pictures and objects. Help your student identify a picture or object using ASL, then finger-spelling, then writing. Encourage her to compose simple, short words stringing letters together (cat, sad, mom).
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Arrange a series of pictures to show a complete but simple sentence. As the deaf student advances, mix up the pictures and have him arrange them into a coherent form. For example, "Dog to ran the park the" could become, "The dog ran to the park."
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Compose. Ask your student to create her own sentences. These can be creative or teacher-led. Determining that a student has internal acquisition of written English is an important step in teaching a deaf learner how to read.
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Tips & Warnings
Choose words of particular interest to your student. If you know he loves superheroes, horses, trains or cattle-herding, use the related terms. Remember that writing verbs and adverbs appropriately is particularly difficult for people who speak ASL as their primary language. Introduce these elements of language slowly to avoid frustration. Teach your student how to write her name immediately after learning the written alphabet. Even if the name is long or difficult, writing it will give your student a feeling of attachment to the process of learning to read.
Don't focus on a skill that may not be needed, such as lip reading. Deaf students do not have to read lips in order to learn how to read. Students must have a primary language before they can learn how to read. Do not attempt to teach the language through writing first.
