Emailable Tips for Teachers Itinerant teachers and parents are so busy, any GREAT already created resource that will help to quickly remind teachers of the special needs of children with hearing loss is a wonderful resource. Monica Cegelka M.Ed. from CREC Soundbridge has worked with students with hearing loss for over 25 years, most of them spent as an itinerant teacher helping to support students with hearing loss (and family and staff) who attend school in their home district. The tips were developed as a way of reinforcing and adding more detail to information presented at the school s staff fall workshop. The tips are sequenced so that those most important to start the school year are the first ones in the list. Not all tips apply to all students and some may need to be modified for individual needs. Recipients have reported that getting one tip at a time has been an effective strategy for implementation. Focusing on one strategy each week reduces anxiety and results in an improvement in best practice techniques for their students with hearing loss. 41 school-age or generic tips are listed on the following 10 pages. On pages 10 15 there are 24 tips for individuals working with children of early childhood age (ages 3-5). Use a group e-mail to send out one tip a week to the staff (including paraprofessionals), administrator, and parents. The subject line reads Your student with hearing loss. Let teachers know to hit reply to ask any questions or report any concerns they may be having. TIP 1 You are a very big link in the chain of people supporting your student with hearing loss in his quest to become the best listener, language user, advocate and learner he can be. The weekly tips you will be receiving are suggestions on how to better address his needs relevant to his hearing loss. It is not meant to stifle your individual style or creativity; rather, it is meant to support you in creating an educational setting in which a child with hearing loss has the best possible opportunity to succeed using audition and spoken language. TIP 2 Correct placement of the microphone is the number one strategy you can use to assure that your student with hearing loss has access to the information in your class. Be sure to clip the top of the lapel mic 6-8 inches directly below your mouth. Correct placement of the microphone is the number one strategy you can use to assure that your student with hearing loss has access to the information in your class. Be sure to clip the top of the lapel mic 6-8 inches directly below your mouth with the microphone screens facing outward. Correct placement of the microphone is the number one strategy you can use to assure that your student with hearing loss has access to the information in your class. For the lapel mic (secondary-joined the network), be sure to clip the top of the lapel mic 6-8 inches directly below your mouth with the microphone screens facing outward. For the loop mic (initiator), snugly fit around your ear with the boom
situated so that it is close to your mouth. You can pull the loop to make it tighter around your ear, and you can adjust the boom forward or backward. Compose your own directions for other types of microphones TIP 3 When the student with hearing loss is working independently, the transmitter should stay with her on her desk. That way the various people who need to communicate with her (for example, teacher, para or peers) will always be able to pick up the mic and have clear communication with the student. The classroom teacher must remember to put on the transmitter and correctly position the mic when she begins teaching the whole class again. When the student with hearing loss is working independently, the secondary transmitter should stay with her on her desk. That way the various people who need to communicate with her (for example, teacher, para or peers) will always be able to pick up the mic and have clear communication with the student. The classroom teacher must remember to mute and activate as needed. (if a para will be communicating with your student at the same time that the teacher is talking, reverse the microphones so that the para is using the initiator that is kept on the desk. That way, for the time that the initiator is being spoken into, the para support can be heard instead of the teacher s voice.) TIP 4 Here s an easy but very effective way to maintain a quieter acoustic environment in your classroom---shut the door! It s amazing how much noise is produced by students walking by. You can eliminate those unnecessary snatches of shuffling sneakers, tidbits of conversation, giggles, etc. by simply keeping the door to your classroom closed. TIP 5 Remember to mute when helping another student working independently or when you are making comments that your student with hearing loss doesn t need to or should not hear. Of course, you must then remember to activate the microphone to include your student with hearing loss in the lesson once more. Your student is expected to remind you to mute and activate as appropriate. TIP 6 Preferential seating may be more than just a front of the classroom placement. Depending on whether one or both ears are affected, your student s seat could be almost anywhere in the room! Factors to consider are: closeness to the main speaker, usually the teacher; the availability of speechreading the other students; and the proximity to other noise makers such as pencil sharpeners or fans. Please notify me if you need some help determining the best seat in the house for your student with hearing loss. Also allow him to move to see or listen better. TIP 7
Your student will find it easier to speechread if you avoid chewing gum, avoid putting papers or your hands in front of your face, and if you have one, keeping your beard and moustache well-trimmed. TIP 8 In order to enhance speechreadability, please give your directions from an area where your student with hearing loss can view your entire face, not just your profile. TIP 9 As per your student's IEP/504, when possible, an A/V hook-up is to be used for auditory media. Additionally, closed captions are to be pulled up when possible for visual media. A simple one strand A/V cord is available for most headphone jacks. If using the cord prevents the other students from hearing the presentation, then the use of a Y-cord jack is needed. If you have any questions about pulling up captioning or use of the A/V cables, please contact your media specialist. TIP 10 By now you should have received an e-mail or memo giving you directions on how to use captioned media. As per your student s IEP, you are required to use captions (if available) on visual media. If no captioning is available, you can: 1. make available a copy of the film for the student to preview and/or 2. provide the study guide or script of the video to your student and/or 3. place the secondary transmitter s mic about 12 inches away from the audio-speaker during the film 4. use the patch cord to connect the secondary transmitter to the audio-speaker (during the showing of a film, the teacher wears the initiator transmitter to have the opportunity to add commentary) Remember that if the lights are dimmed during a media presentation your student with hearing loss will not be able to speechread you. Turning on the lights or summarizing often will allow her access to the information. TIP 11 Clothing or jewelry covering or scratching the microphone can cause an unpleasant noise for your student with hearing loss. Be sure the microphone is unobstructed at all times. Jewelry can be flipped to the back when you use the transmitter. TIP 12 When your students give either practiced or extemporaneous oral reports, have them use the transmitter. If each student is contributing a remark, the transmitter can be passed among the students. You may need to remind the students how to properly hold the transmitter or attach the mic. When your students give either practiced or extemporaneous oral reports, have them use the secondary transmitter. If each student is contributing a remark, the transmitter can be passed among the students. You may need to remind the students how to properly hold the transmitter or attach the mic.
TIP 13 Some students complain that passing the FM transmitter to the teacher draws unwanted attention to themselves. To avoid the embarrassment, the student can place the transmitter on your desk at the beginning of class, and you place it there at the end of class where the student retrieves it. TIP 14 When using the transmitter, talk naturally without raising your voice or exaggerating mouth movements. TIP 15 Small group learning sessions can cause a large amount of noise! Consider placing the group with the student with hearing loss in the hallway, at a greater distance from the other groups, or in an alternate setting. The transmitter should be placed in the middle of the table. Small group learning sessions can cause a large amount of noise! Consider placing the group with the student with hearing loss in the hallway, at a greater distance from the other groups, or in an alternate setting. The secondary transmitter should be placed in the middle of the table with the teacher s initiator mic on mute until she needs to address the group or the whole class at which time, she will activate the initiator mic. TIP 16 If practical, keep your face in the line of sight (not in profile) and avoid moving about the room so that your student with hearing loss has an opportunity to speechread you. Put yourself in the best light by having the natural lighting from windows illuminate your face head-on. TIP 17 When reading to the class, keep your papers or texts at chest level so that they do not cover your face. Avoid obstructing the microphone and rustling papers. TIP 18 When using the white board or a smart board, best practice for teaching students with hearing loss is to write, then turn and talk. Using an overhead projector is a great option since you are facing the class as you write. TIP 19
Because localization may be difficult for your student with hearing loss, identify by name and point to the student you have called on to report or answer a question. Your student with hearing loss is then expected to turn and speechread that student. For short answers, don t forget to rephrase the student s comments into the microphone! Of course, passing the mic to each student is still the best option but may be impractical at times. TIP 20 Reducing student movement such as bathroom breaks or pencil sharpening during class time will make for a calmer quieter classroom. Good for the student with hearing loss and good for you too! TIP 21 Overtalking, more than one person talking at a time, makes it impossible for your student with hearing loss to access the acoustic environment. Make it a rule that only one person at a time is to speak. TIP 22 Consider the acoustics of your classroom. A quiet learning environment benefits all your students, but it is essential for your student with hearing loss. Some questions to ask yourself are: 1. Is extraneous noise being caused by desks and chairs scraping against the floor? If so, carpets or chair slippers, tennisball-like buffers attached to each chair and desk leg, could be used. 2. Is my classroom close to the bandroom or other noisy environment? 3. Are hard surfaces causing reverberation? Soft bulletin boards, bookcases full of books, portable soft room dividers, corkboards or curtains may be helpful to squelch the echoes. 4. Are motors, HVAC or lighting fixtures causing unnecessary and/or constant background noise? When practical, turn off all motors in class during instruction time. Have HVAC and lighting checked to lessen or eliminate noise. TIP 23 Students with hearing loss may require more time to process your instructions. You may want to, for instance, wait a second or two before you call on the student with hearing loss after you have asked a question. TIP 24 To increase confidence and promote participation, set-up a student hand signal like raising 2 fingers to let your student with hearing loss wordlessly communicate that he is sure he knows the answer to your question. That s your cue that it is OK to call on him. TIP 25
Check your students comprehension by asking for a repeat or summary of a snippet of your lesson. If you make it a practice to make random checks for all students, your student with hearing loss is never singled out. Never ask, Did you understand? The student with hearing loss may not be fibbing if she answers, Yes. She may think she did understand but because of mishearing may have gotten the wrong idea. TIP 26 When changing topics during class, use a recognizable transition. For example, your routine signal could be, OK, now we re going to switch the topic to. This strategy allows your student with hearing loss to auditorally focus on key terms that match the subject of your lesson. A summary of the information near the end of the class is also helpful. TIP 27 Listening to loudspeaker announcements is a very high level listening skill. Allow your student to have access to a paper copy of the morning announcements, or encourage him to check the school s website or other venue for the written text. If unscheduled announcements are made during the school day, repeat them into the microphone. TIP 28 Be aware of the fatigue factor. Listening through a hearing loss is quite tiring. As the day wears on, your student with hearing loss may need a break from hearing. Accurate listening may wane in the latter part of the school day. TIP 29 Quick off-the-cuff remarks made by other students are usually not able to be perceived by a student with hearing loss. Be sure to repeat these blurbs and all un-microphoned student responses and remarks into your microphone. TIP 30 Keeping your classroom well-lit at all times is essential for your student with hearing loss. Although dimming or turning off the lights is used as a stress reliever, a focusing strategy, or to keep the room cooler, a dark classroom is toxic for your student with hearing loss. Her ability to speechread is compromised in dim lighting. The best practice is to teach your class with natural light from a window illuminating your face. Be aware that speechreading will be impossible if the lights are off during a media presentation. TIP 31 Oral tests may present a challenge for your student with hearing loss. Having your student with hearing loss take the assessment in another format should be an option.
TIP 32 Be aware! When your student with hearing loss has a cold or ear infection, it is likely that he has an additional middle ear hearing loss that will make it even more difficult for him to hear accurately. TIP 33 Write the homework assignment on the board. Who s not going to believe a student with hearing loss when he says he didn t hear the homework assignment? Homework is often given out during a transition period near the end of the class when lots of ambient noise is present. If the homework with any last minute changes is written on the board, there will never be an excuse for a missing assignment. TIP 34 By now you are probably an expert at remembering to repeat other students comments into the FM microphone so that your student with hearing loss won t miss out on any important information. Add to your expertise by not repeating, but rather, rephrasing the remarks. Your student with hearing loss is expected to turn and speechread other speakers, but the turn-taking may be too quick or the speaker out of range for this strategy to be effective at all times. When you rephrase, your student with hearing loss uses the information she can garner independently but also supplements her learning with your new paraphrase. TIP 35 Guest speakers who are unfamiliar with the FM system will need some instruction in using the equipment. Ideally the directions for FM use should come from the student with hearing loss himself: however, time restrictions and other events may make it impossible for the student to follow through. A simple clip the top of the mic about 6 inches from the front of your mouth and speak normally from you beforehand should do nicely. TIP 36 When reading aloud from a selection, give your student with hearing loss the option of a hard copy of the text so that she can follow along more easily. TIP 37 Highlight key words and new vocabulary on the board as they are presented. You can also use acoustic highlighting, emphasizing salient information with your voice by pausing before the word or phrase or saying it a little louder than the surrounding information. Both of these strategies help your student with hearing loss tune in to the important information presented in your class.
TIP 38 Consider listening/learning conditions when you incorporate computers into your lessons. Typically students are facing the computer screen while listening to your verbal instructions. This puts the student with hearing loss at a disadvantage because speechreading is not available to her. You can solve this problem by asking all students to look at you during the giving of general directions. Be aware that the student with hearing loss may need an example of your objective to be presented on his computer after the class instruction. TIP 39 Be aware that your student with hearing loss may be mishearing. While amplification technology available today often allows for vastly improved auditory discrimination ability, it still does not correct hearing to normal. Word endings and unstressed words in running speech can cause one idea to turn into another. A compliment about getting done with a task quickly can turn into a disparaging remark. (i.e. Wow! You re fast! can be misheard as Wow! You re fat! ) You can improve the chances of accurate hearing by being a consistent and accurate FM user. TIP 40 Be a Team Player-Use the Team Talkers Using the Team Talker transmitters into the school day has the potential to make a very positive impact on your student s learning. Anytime there are 2 talkers, you can incorporate the secondary transmitter. Here are some examples: When the student with hearing loss is working independently, the secondary transmitter should stay with her on her desk. That way the various people who need to communicate with her (for example, teacher, para or peers) will always be able to pick up the mic and have clear communication with the student. The classroom teacher must remember to mute and activate as needed. (if a para will be communicating with your student at the same time that the teacher is talking, reverse the microphones so that the para is using the initiator that is kept on the desk. That way, for the time that the initiator is being spoken into, the para support can be heard instead of the teacher s voice.) By now you should have received an e-mail or memo giving you directions on how to use captioned media. As per your student s IEP, you are required to use captions (if available) on visual media. Your school also has an account with the Described and Captioned Media Program where you can order, free of charge, open captioned educational videos and DVD s to use in your student s classes. If no captioning is available, you can: 1. make available a copy of the film for the student to preview and/or 2. provide the study guide or script of the video to your student and/or 3. place the secondary transmitter s mic about 12 inches away from the audio-speaker during the film 1. use the patch cord to connect the secondary transmitter to the audio-speaker (during the showing of a film, the teacher wears the initiator transmitter to have the opportunity to add commentary) When your students give either practiced or extemporaneous oral reports, have them use the secondary transmitter. If each student is contributing a remark, the transmitter can be passed among the students. You may need to remind the students how to properly hold the transmitter or attach the mic. Small group learning sessions can cause a large amount of noise! Consider placing the group with the student with hearing loss in the hallway, at a greater distance from the other groups, or in an alternate setting. The secondary transmitter should be placed in the middle of the table with the teacher s initiator
mic on mute until she needs to address the group or the whole class, at which time she will activate the initiator mic. When the student with hearing loss is partnered with a peer in PE class or in a reading or co-operative learning activity, the other student should wear the secondary mic with the teacher s initiator mic on mute until she needs to address the pair or the whole class, at which time she will activate the initiator mic. FINAL TIP F THE SCHOOL YEAR Knowing what worked and what didn t this year will help me improve the weekly tips for next year. Would you mind giving me your thoughts? 1 PLUS: 1 WISH:
Specific Early Childhood Tips (to be used in addition to generic list) Tip 1 You are a very big link in the chain of people supporting your student with hearing loss in her quest to become the best listener, language user, advocate and learner she can be. The weekly tips you will be receiving are suggestions on how to better address her needs relevant to her hearing loss. It is not meant to stifle your individual style or creativity; rather, it is meant to support you in creating an educational setting in which a child with hearing loss has the best possible opportunity to succeed using audition and spoken language. Tip 2 When you are using the FM, a U seating arrangement (when practical) with the student with hearing loss sitting at the top of the curve of the U is best practice for preferential seating. A circle works too. When working with the child individually, try sitting next to her to challenge her by reducing visual cues from speechreading and having her focus on listening. If you are using FM, be sure that you have correct mic placement. If no FM is being used, speak at the child s ear level and as close to the hearing aid or cochlear implant as possible (about 6 8 inches away is ideal). compose your own instructions based on your student s needs Tip 3 Because little ones are still learning to listen, they may not report or even recognize problems with their amplification. Batteries, for example, can go dead. Your school needs a trained troubleshooter to perform a daily listening check to catch and fix problems with amplification or to troubleshoot with an expert via the phone. Tip 4 Do not assume your student with hearing loss has your auditory attention. Call her name (several times may be needed depending on noise level and listening experience) and wait for eye contact before you begin your interaction.
Tip 5 Your student with hearing loss is at risk for missing incidental information and details embedded in the message. Check often for comprehension by asking lots of Wh questions. (e.g. What color crayon are you supposed to use?) When you think your student can handle it, change one facet of your routine instruction to determine if your student with hearing loss noticed the novel information (e.g. Usually your directions state, Line-up at the door. Change the directions to, Line-up at the water fountain. ) Tip 6 Children with hearing loss often need extra input to understand the thoughts and feelings of others. Use language like, He s thinking that and She feels because to help your student with inferential thinking and point of view. Tip 7 One of the important bits of incidental knowledge that your student with hearing loss may miss is the names of her classmates. She may need an individual lesson to learn these and staff members names. Tip 8 The child with hearing loss may require more time to absorb and process language than his typically hearing peers. Give him time by counting to 5 and then requiring the correct response. If it is clear that the child did not understand, rephrase rather than repeat the information. Tip 9 Let the child with hearing loss rely on his hearing when you give directions. When initially giving directions, make sure you do not use visual cues such as pointing or gesturing. As stated previously, give
plenty of processing time. Add visual cues only if it is apparent that a rephrase did not result in a correct response. Tip 10 Talk naturally to the child with hearing loss. Do not talk too loudly or over-articulate words. Use complete phrases and sentences (NOT, Come-tie shoe. but rather, Come here and let me tie your shoe. ). Using acoustic highlighting (emphasizing key vocabulary by making the word a little louder or pausing in front of the word) is a great way to naturally draw attention to the salient information. Tip 11 Require the child to use language. Make sure the child has the opportunity to attempt to verbally request an object or an action. Don t try to predict what he wants and simply comply beforehand. Model the appropriate language, being aware that you may need to supply a label for his idea. Expect the child with hearing loss to repeat your model. Similarly, the language of negation (i.e. I don t want chocolate milk. I want white milk instead. ) may need to be modeled and then repeated by the child. Tip 12 Seize and expand language! When your student with hearing loss generates a short bit of language like, Susie swing, model and expand a more appropriate version like, Susie s swinging up high! Have the child repeat your more developmentally appropriate model. Tip 13 Don t pretend to understand your student with hearing loss if you really don t. Work toward understanding by speaking educated guesses, but require the student to repeat the correct language after your model. Although getting needs met is a great motivator, it is important to not expect perfection at first. Require more accurate speech and language as the child progresses. Tip 14
When you can t understand your student because of misarticulation, give him a choice between the misarticulated version and the correct version of the single word. (e.g. Did you mean horfe or horse? ) Initially, the second choice should be the correct choice. When your student gets closer to the correct pronunciation, remind him that you can now understand exactly what he said. Tip 15 Songs, nursery rhymes and finger plays reinforce the natural prosody of speech. When new songs are introduced, demonstrate the song first without the music. Then while the recorded song is playing, sing into the FM microphone. The child can also use the audio patch cord to listen to the words and music from your media. Sending a copy of the words home for the family to practice is great reinforcement. If you are singing several songs in a row, announce which song will be sung next so your student with hearing loss can be involved right from the beginning. Be aware that fast paced songs may be a challenge. Tip 16 Even pre-schoolers can take some responsibility for their hearing loss. Talk with parents and your educational consultant for students with hearing loss to determine whether your student should plug in the FM system at the end of the day, independently boot receiver to hearing aid, or find other ways to become the boss of his hearing loss. Tip 17 Your student with hearing loss may lack the background information and/or vocabulary needed to understand the main idea or details of your book look. Having parents or school staff preview the concepts and vocabulary can help the student become connected to the story during your lesson. When reading, hold the book so that both it and your face can be seen straight on, not in profile, by your student with hearing loss. Be aware of your pace (slightly slower may be better at first) and the need for acoustic highlighting. Tip 18
To encourage conversation with peers, place the FM transmitter in the middle of the table during snack and other social times. Unless adequately supervised, students should not pick-up or touch the transmitter. Although the mic will not be 6 inches from the students mouths, it will be close enough to boost their voices above the background noise. If a student is showing and telling, either hold the top of the mic six inches from his mouth or appropriately clip the mic to his shirt. Tip 19 Be Ms. Obvious Woman and use everyday routines to introduce vocabulary and concepts. (e.g. I see you hung your coat on the hook. ) Novel situations will always present the opportunity to develop language. (e.g. That guy is called a juggler. He juggles the balls up in the air. What do you think he s going to do with those apples? That s right, he s going to juggle them. ) Students with hearing loss often know the word for the whole item but may need more explicit teaching for the parts of the item (e.g. Your student knows shirt but needs to learn cuff, collar, etc. ) Using lots of vivid verbs and precise nouns exposes your student to words he might not have been able to hear in overheard conversations but will be required to read in a later grade. NOTE: Italicized words indicate acoustic highlighting. Work toward eliminating acoustic highlighting in subsequent conversations about the same topic. Tip 20 Require your student with hearing loss to answer stereotypical questions (e.g. How are you today?) and to answer in choral response questions posed to the group ( Tell me class, what did the gingerbread man say? ). Tip 21 If your student with hearing loss is looking at other students to determine what action he needs to take, he may be hearing but not listening. Likewise, although providing lots of visual clues may be necessary at first, if your student is to learn to listen, he must become less reliant on what he sees and more reliant on what he hears. Fade visual clues as soon as possible. It is easier for your student to tune-in to auditory information after he hears a carrier phrase like OK Kindergartners, let s all. Tip 22
Did you know it is easier for your student with hearing loss to listen to salient information at the end of a phrase? (e.g. Give me the blue ball, is easier than, Give the blue ball to me. When he s ready, you can challenge your student with hearing loss by having him listen for salient information imbedded in the phrase. Tip 23 Feel free to resort to pictures or drawing if your student is having difficulty understanding consequences for behavior. Of course as you point to the visuals, you ll want to attach the appropriate language. Tip 24 You may need to provide direct instruction in language and behavior for scenarios that typically hearing students can easily overhear. For example, the social language and behavior at noisy snack time can be a challenge for your student with hearing loss.