Discusses a whole-language approach to teaching guided reading to deaf students. Each morning, a written letter, using vocabulary and syntax in accordance with students' reading ability, previews the day's events. With teacher guidance, students explore their reading skills in groups to encourage application of reading strategies in a natural…

In this article, two teachers of students with hearing impairments present their understanding of semantics and how they use this understanding to informally assess students' signed, oral, and written-language samples. Describes different classroom strategies for encouraging students with hearing impairments to use rich language. (Author/CR)

Describes how simple curriculum-based assessments can be used to evaluate the writing process, the product factors (fluency, content, conventions, syntax and vocabulary), and the writing purpose of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. A process checklist is included that can be used to assess strategies students do or do not use when writing.…

The author contends that, since language teaching with the deaf commonly emphasizes sentence level skills, low levels of reading achievement may partially reflect inadequate attention to the characteristics of continuous discourse. Various features of connected discourse are described and illustrated. Exercises for improved reading, writing, and…

The article suggests a Network of Educational Support Services Team (NEST) to provide adequate educational services for acoustically impaired children. (SBH)

The author provides suggestions for audiologic assessment and aural rehabilitation of mentally retarded hearing impaired children. A practical screening procedure is described, and specific aspects of auditory training are considered. (SBH)

The article presents a strategy for developing instructional programs for multiply handicapped deaf students, which has been successfully field-tested in New Mexico public schools. (DLS)

The development of the oral interpreter for speechreading assistance to deaf and hard of hearing individuals is reviewed; desired characteristics and skills are outlined (including attitudes, knowledge, and curriculum offerings); and a seven-item code of ethics developed by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf is presented. (CL)

Involving children with meaningful occasions such as journal writing may be one way to communicae the importance of writing, not only as a fundamental communication skill but also as a means for personal learning and development. Journal writing focuses on the process rather than the product. (CL)

The article describes the purposes of free-choice writing in a class of hearing impaired kindergarteners. Implications for writing instruction include the need for stressing writing as communication, planning activities based on student interest, and providing opportunities for students to explore and experiment. (CL)

The article describes the use of dialogue journals with hearing impaired students. The approach allows teachers to engage students in the natural, purposeful use of written language in an immediately meaningful format. Examples of dialogue journal communication with children and college students are provided. (CL)

The article describes writing process approaches with primary and secondary level hearing impaired students. Such an approach features interaction with fellow writers. (CL)

Examples of deaf students' writings are cited to illustrate the importance of allowing students to examine possible writing topics and make choices. (CL)

More applied research is needed on the education and treatment of hearing-impaired persons. Such research should be purpose-oriented, provide applicable knowledge to the profession, and be highly pragmatic. Quality applied research uses direct observation, measures socially important behaviors in natural settings, and focuses on generality of…