Teaching/learning experience in reading at a preschool level of deaf Puerto Rican children. Dra. Yolanda Rodríguez Fraticelli DICAPTA, Florida March 19-21, 2014

Purpose As a teacher for deaf Puerto Rican students I would like to present my experience in the teaching/learning process for reading in deaf children at a preschool level. The problems deaf people encounter when learning to read and recommendations on how to develop reading skills and future plans. Rodríguez - Fraticelli, Y. (2014)2

Description BS in Special Education – Emphasis in Education for the Blind (UPR-RP) Masters degree in Education for the Deaf (UPR – RP) PH D in Education for the Deaf (University Lamar Beaumont, Texas) 28 years experience as a teacher 3 years Vocational Therapy for the Deaf. School Rafael Hernández - Salón Contenido (children ages ) 11 years Preschool Center for Deaf Children in Elementary School of UPR. 4 years Teacher in UPR RP; MA courses specifically in the area for Deaf people – 2012 President of the Puerto Rican Deaf Foundation, Inc. (Fundación Sordos de Puerto Rico, Inc.) Consultant on Education for the deaf. Rodríguez - Fraticelli, Y. (2014)3

Teaching/learning reading to deaf children at a preschool level Introduce the vocabulary that I am interested in pointing out to my students. First the signs are presented and then the word. Begin reading the chosen book While reading questions are asked. When the book is read a summary of the story is made. Related assignments are done. On the assignments, we work on: main character, literacy development, sign recognition, coloring, cut out and glue, etc. Rodríguez - Fraticelli, Y. (2014)4

Problems encountered by deaf people in the reading learning process The highest level in reading reached by most Puerto Rican deaf people is 4th grade. In a Puerto Rican Study Castro (2012) found that “Deaf people lack the sense of hearing, their language development is not at the same level of hearing people of the same cronological age, due to which they reach school without language skills”. Most of the deaf people that can get along in reading skills is due to the opportunity they had of intensive speech therapies and the support of their families to develop language proficiency. These people are the ones that show that they have overcome communication challenges and are able to obtain education at a BS, Masters and doctorate levels. Rodríguez - Fraticelli, Y. (2014)5

Recommendation to develop reading.. The use of technology in order to encourage and improve language proficiency in deaf people makes them increase vocabulary, improve their syntax techniques, syntactic and morphology, without forgetting that this draws and motivates students and personalizes the different learning methods.. Technology has direct benefits in deaf children’s reading development and it improves language proficiency as well as sign language, manual spelling, gestures, lip reading, total communication, among other things. Rodríguez - Fraticelli, Y. (2014)6

Assisting Technology that supports deaf people in learning to read. Computer (Power Point software) Digital projector (enlarge images for the benefit of the deaf) Scanner Ipad or tablet, celulares Internet USB – pendrive Closed CaptionAudio DiscriptionsYouTube Rodríguez - Fraticelli, Y. (2014)7

Assisting Tecnology in Writing Rodríguez - Fraticelli, Y. (2014)8

Assisting Tecnology in Writing Rodríguez - Fraticelli, Y. (2014)9

Grade separation of the deaf in the reading area. The early detection of deafness and timely work with the deaf population is important in order to develop reading skills that will help in the educational process. In the 3rd Conference on Education for the Deaf (2012), Hernández stated several reasons that question the low reading level of the deaf students: the insufficient variation of activities where the terms or concepts may be summarized and the use of conceptual maps which are of great use to the deaf. Hernández (2012), furthermore said that the use of assisting technology must occur not only in the activities, and in helpful learning and constant evaluation, but always. He also urges for communication experiences between hearing and deaf peers. Rodríguez - Fraticelli, Y. (2014)10

Examples of reading with deaf children in the classroom. Rodríguez - Fraticelli, Y. (2014)11

Reading with deaf children in the classroom Rodríguez - Fraticelli, Y. (2014)12

Reading with deaf children in the classroom Rodríguez - Fraticelli, Y. (2014)13

Reading with deaf children in the classroom Rodríguez - Fraticelli, Y. (2014)14

Reading with deaf children in the classroom Rodríguez - Fraticelli, Y. (2014)15

Future Plans QR Code – an interactive tool for the deaf and their family (works on the communication with parents, education and assignments in the classroom) QR Code (1994, Japan) – works in the bond between paper (the teacher uses it in the classroom) and technology (directly supplies the documents the teacher has scanned to give parents) Referring to STUDY Referring to STUDY – the teacher records the signs that have been worked in the classroom and in the QR code the person (parents) can scan it and have the signs at home. It is a way of working the same signs from the classroom at home (reinforce learning process). Rodríguez - Fraticelli, Y. (2014)16

Thank you! Rodríguez - Fraticelli, Y. (2014)17