[Title slide appears with the following text: “For Professionals Working with Families with DHH Children: Language and Literacy Strategies Fostering a Positive Sense of Self (State of Minnesota logo) Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind & Hard of Hearing”]
[Leala Holcomb appears and begins to sign.]
>> Leala: It is important to share with the families that you connect with, that deaf children need exposure to deaf adult role models. How can deaf adults get involved with their lives? They can seek out deaf adults, by becoming friends with them, and invite them over to your houses. Deaf children can seek other deaf children to be friends with, and get together often. Watch movies that feature deaf characters. You can sit down with the families and share different online resources such as connecting with deaf adults, where to find movies that feature deaf characters, how to connect with deaf organizations, and so on.
[Slide with text appears:
“Websites and Additional Resources to Foster a Positive Sense of Self:
● Hands Land - handsland.com
○ ASL rhyme and rhythm videos for children
● Peter’s Picture - app.peterspicture.com
○ Designed to foster ASL and written English acquisition
● ASL Nook - aslnook.com
○ Family-friendly ASL learning resources.”]
[Leala reappears and continues to sign.]
>> Leala (continued): It is also vital to share with the families the importance of reading books that feature deaf characters. You can show the families where they can find books that do. It’s perfectly all right if the family doesn’t know sign language, or is still learning - it is important that they still read together, by showing the pictures, using gestures, and so on, to encourage communication with their child.
[Slide with text appears:
“Books with Deaf Characters that Foster a Positive Sense of Self:
● Moses Goes to the Circus (2003) by Isaac Millman
● Moses Sees a Play (2004) by Isaac Millman
● Dad and Me in the Morning (1994) by Patricia Lakin
● Shay & Ivy Beyond the Kingdom (2015) by Sheena McFeely
● Hands & Hearts (2014) by Donna Jo Napoli.”]
[Leala reappears and continues to sign.]
>> Leala (continued): You can share with the families that they don’t have to be alone in their journey raising a deaf child. There are community resources out there that they can connect with. They can provide the answers and information to the questions that the family may have. Go ahead and explore those resources with the family.
[Slide with text appears:
“Local Resources and Additional Information:
● Beginnings Website (ncbegin.org)
● Black Deaf Advocates (facebook.com/stpaulmplsbda/)
● Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center (gallaudet.edu)
● Lifetrack: Deaf Mentor Family Program
● Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community (mndeafmuslim.org)
● Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)
● Minnesota Hands and Voices (mnhandsandvoices.org)
● Minnesota Association for Deaf Citizens (MADC).”]
[Leala reappears and continues to sign.]
>> Leala (continued): It is important to inform the family who may be in the process of searching for schools for their child, that the deaf child has the opportunity to interact with other deaf children and adults, that the school has activities that revolve around language and literacy all day. These are important considerations when searching for a school. Tell the family that their deaf child can and will thrive and succeed in this type of environment.
[Slide with text appears:
“What to Look for in a Preschool Program:
● Deaf adult role models
● 5 more books per child:
○ Varied texts (informational, stories, diverse characters, etc)
● Daily shared reading time & comfortable reading areas
● Educational videos, apps, & games in ASL
● Daily ASL storytime & ASL rhyme and rhythm
● Print, labels, & books throughout the classroom
● Language & literacy in all activities.”]
[End credits:
“Created by
Debbie Golos, PhD
Associate Professor & Coordinator of the Deaf Education Teacher Preparation Program
University of Minnesota
Leala Holcomb, PhD
Early Childhood Education Specialist
Brynn Roemen, MEd
Instructor in the Department of Educational Psychology
University of Minnesota
Damon Timm
Video Production
Featuring
Leala Holcomb
Narrator
Haruna Matsumoto
Parent
Oceana Matsumoto
Child
Special thanks to Peters Pictures and Hands Land for permission to incorporate their material in this series and to Stanley Matsumoto and Aaron Waheed for additional filming.”]
[End credits:
(State of Minnesota logo)
“This webinar series was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $360,725 with zero percentage financed with non-governmental sources. The content are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.
“Produced by the Minnesota Department of Health, and the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind & Hard of Hearing.”]
