Tips from teachers
All children can enjoy stories if they’re encouraged in the right way. And whether you’re a teacher of deaf children, a teacher at a mainstream school where there are deaf pupils, or are deaf yourself, there are some general tips for making storytelling accessible and worthwhile for all.
We are grateful to the experienced teachers of deaf children who share their expertise here to provide a range of guidance and techniques.
Talk about emotions
For children, the pre-school years are full of a new sense of order. If they’re attending nursery or a childminder, their lives are suddenly structured and they’re expected to behave in set ways.
As deaf children start to make connections with many more people, stories are a helpful aid in understanding the complex emotions that result.
Emotions are difficult concepts to translate and explain in sign language. But experienced teachers of deaf children stress how important it is to ensure that – in advance of reading a story – children grasp the emotional concepts which are being explored in them – fear, pride, shyness and so on.
Accessing books in different ways
In the early years, it’s important to instil a love of reading both for education and for pleasure. Allow children to experience a wide range of books in many different formats – hardback, paperback, online, DVD.
All our stories are available for free online, and there are links to the publisher’s websites where you can buy the book.
Choosing the right books
Substantial picture books with more sophisticated stories work well. Detailed images will give you lots to talk about, and encourage discussion and questioning.
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Try to use stories with vocabulary/subject matter which your pupils are using in other studies – like animals and numbers.
