Teachers

Literacy Resources

How can I help my DHH students develop literacy skills? 

Children who are deaf or hard of hearing can face significant challenges developing the language and literacy skills needed to succeed in school and to become self-sufficient adults. For many years, PaTTAN has been working in tandem with national experts to conduct research through pilot projects and to offer trainings on literacy development of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. As a result of these efforts, tools for assessing students and informing instruction based on data driven decisions have been developed. 

Learning to read for a child who is deaf or hard of hearing is a complex process, impacted by many factors, and with no one best approach to meet the variety of needs of these learners. Decisions about instruction, materials, differentiation or accommodations need to be based on data collected through assessment and should be individualized to the student’s needs. 

PaTTAN has collaborated with Dr. Lana Santoro to create a series of Toolkits focused on building the skills of reading for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Each kit includes a webinar, powerpoint and resource packet for implementing intervention strategies. 

•  Building a Professional Learning Community - Getting Started
• Expanding the Literacy Toolkit - Word Analysis Toolkit:  Optimizing Word Reading-Decoding, Word Analysis, and Word Study Interventions
• Expanding the Literacy Toolkit - Fluency Toolkit: Bridging Decoding and Comprehension with Fluency Interventions
• Expanding the Literacy Toolkit - Retelling Toolkit:   Building Comprehension with Text Structure and Retelling Interventions
• Expanding the Literacy Toolkit - Vocabulary Toolkit:  Teaching Words to Build Comprehension
• Expanding the Literacy Toolkit - Comprehension Strategy Toolkit:  Building Comprehension with Main Idea Identification and Summarizing
• Expanding the Literacy Toolkit - Content Engagement Toolkit:  Building Comprehension with Quality Questioning
• Expanding the Literacy Toolkit - The Writing Process Toolkit Link
  •  The Writing Process Toolkit PLC Guide
  •  The Writing Process Webinar Viewing Guide
•  Expanding the Literacy Toolkit - Micro-Level Writing
  •  Micro-Level Writing Toolkit PLC Guide
  •  Micro-Level Writing Webinar Viewing Guide
• Expanding the Literacy Toolkit  Genre and Discipline-Specific Writing Toolkit
  •  Genre and Discipline-Specific Writing Toolkit PLC Guide
  •  Genre and Discipline-Specific Writing Webinar Viewing Guide

• PA Communication Plan for Students Who Are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or DeafBlind - Annotated
• Individualized Education Program (IEP) - Annotated version of the IEP document includes notes that describe the purpose of each section and includes guidance for the team when completing the document for your students. 
• Communication Considerations for Children Who Are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or DeafBlind discusses communication options and supports that are key to the success of a child who is deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind. It also emphasizes the role of the parent on the student's team and suggests resources for guidance and parental support. 
• Hearing Accessibility: Event Planning Checklist  This checklist will help you ensure hearing accessibility when planning live and virtual events for your students. 
• Students Who Are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or DeafBlind: Safety Checklist for IEP Teams  This list is intended to guide discussions to determine needs and supports for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind during emergency situations. 

What is a Student-Led IEP?  

• A Student-Led IEP is your student’s annual Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting in which your student plays an integral role in planning, providing input, and/or leading. 

How does the Student-Led IEP Process help my student? 

• Be a leader 
• Be a good communicator for themself 
• Work with a team to solve problems 
• Focus on how to reach their goals 
• Take responsibility for their learning 
• Plan for their future 

Having an active part in their IEP process helps your student: 

How can our school team benefit from the Student-Led IEP Process? 

• Have a greater sense of collaboration, partnership, and effective engagement with all IEP team members 
• Be more culturally aware and responsive with the student and family 
• Support the student to be more successful in their classroom learning, take ownership of their education, and gain needed skills for their future. 
• Feel less tension in IEP meetings and get to know and understand the student 
• Enjoy the student’s ability to showcase their growth, self-advocacy, and personal vision 
• Use the IEP process as a teaching tool in skill development and the transition process for the student. 
• Supporting a student’s involvement in their IEP process helps you: 
• Where can I get more information about the Student-Led IEP process? 

Read More About IEP's

What is the DHH Professionals Repository?  

• The DHH Professionals Repository is a monthly newsletter to the field that provides regular updates, resources, upcoming learning opportunities and more from the PaTTAN DHH Initiative. 

How can I sign-up for the DHH Professionals Repository? 

• Complete the short sign-up form here and the monthly newsletter will come to your inbox each month. 

• Pennsylvania Educators of Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (PESDHH) is a grass roots organization of teachers and other educational professionals serving students across PA, who are deaf or hard of hearing. Through continuing education of service providers and decision makers along with advocacy and collaboration, our mission is to ensure that all students with hearing loss have appropriate, quality services delivered by highly qualified personnel, regardless of their geographic location. 
• Council for Exceptional Children - Division for Communication, Language and Deaf/Hard of Hearing  DCD focuses on improving the education of children with communicative disabilities or who are deaf or hard of hearing. Members receive Communication Disorders Quarterly. 
• Hands and Voices is a parent-led, professionally-collaborative organization infused with the life experiences of adults who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, that is dedicated to serving families with children who are D/HH without a bias around communication modes or methodology 
• Council on Education of the Deaf  The Council on Education of the Deaf (CED) is an organization sponsored by eight major national organizations dedicated to quality education for all deaf and hard of hearing students 
• Pennsylvania Office for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing is an information, resource, and advocacy center for deaf and hard of hearing Pennsylvanians. 

www.paeccdhh.org

 

What is the Pennsylvania Expanded Core Competencies for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (PA ECC-DHH)? 

• The Pennsylvania Expanded Core Competencies for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (PA ECC-DHH) is a comprehensive description of the unique needs of children/students who are deaf or hard of hearing, including the supplemental learning and functional skills that may be needed to support their educational success and the delivery of a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). 

Readiness, Communication: American Sign Language, Communication:

• Spoken Language, Self-Determination & Advocacy, Social-Emotional Competencies, and Technology are designed to help educators, students, and families identify the skills which deaf and hard of hearing students must develop to fully access their education and succeed in school and beyond. Many of these skills are those that are incidentally developed by their typically hearing peers, but which must be acquired through explicit instruction by deaf and hard of hearing students.  

How can the PA ECC-DHH be used to support my students’ educational needs? 

• You can utilize the assessments section to help attain a baseline of your students’ present levels of performance; this data can then be utilized to identify areas of need in the various content rubrics and subskill areas. These needs can then be paired with core standards to help inform the creation of your students’ IEP goals.