One of the greatest challenges teachers of deaf students face is how to teach students to write effectively. Teachers want them to plan, organize, and relay meaning in a coherent way, but teachers also expect them to develop a sense of control over English writing conventions and mechanics. It is probably no surprise that teachers are constantly…

This article describes a pilot project that examined the use of a two-way text messenger for deaf and hard of hearing teens and their parents. The study took place at two large inner-city public high schools and in grade 8 of their feeder school. The vast majority of the students in the study had severe to profound congenital hearing loss and were…

Guiding deaf and hard of hearing students in making important decisions about their adult careers can be a difficult task. Twenty years after its inception, the TCB, as adapted for deaf and hard of hearing students, may help. The TCB is a unique assessment tool designed to measure the transition skills of deaf high school adolescents and young…

As part of the effort to reduce cigarette smoking--the single most preventable cause of death in the society--researchers have tried for over half a century to identify effective school-based anti-tobacco education that can discourage tobacco use among children and adolescents. Unfortunately, deaf and hard of hearing young people have been largely…

In this first-person account, the author reflects on her struggles during the adolescent years as she searched for a sense of belonging and identity as a hard of hearing youth. She stresses that deaf and hard of hearing children, like all other children and solitaires, need a critical mass of peers, friends, and companions to whom they can reach…

In this article, the authors describe a leadership experience that allows hard of hearing students to learn from the diverse identities of their peers. They describe a Youth Leadership Retreat for mainstream students that includes motivational speeches, adventure learning, ropes courses, team building activities, reflective and small group…

In this article, the author describes the Space Camp at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, where deaf and hard of hearing students can pilot spaceships, conduct experiments, and dodge meteorites. Each year in the spring, students from schools all over the United States attend a one-week, hands-on learning experience in…

Teaching feelings to deaf children is only one need that teachers must keep in mind as they prepare for a new school year. However, teachers should put as much forethought into classroom management as they do into their curriculum. According to Wong and Wong (1998), the most important factor in student learning is classroom management. In other…

Bullying is an ongoing method of mistreating, dominating, hurting, frightening, and/or browbeating another person by an individual or group. Bullies use physical, verbal, and psychological methods to humiliate, embarrass, and overpower others. Bullying by boys and girls can happen at any age, but it peaks in the middle school/junior high school…

People cannot protect their children--hard of hearing, deaf, or hearing--from exposure to evil. The prevalence of evil, perhaps especially ordinary evil, is particularly high for those with disabilities, including hard of hearing and deaf people. Everybody bears witness to ordinary evil, or will do so in the not-too-distant future, despite good…

Sandtray therapy, in which students use figures and the sand itself to build and design miniature worlds in a tray, can be a powerful and effective tool in meeting the mental health needs of children and adolescents, including and maybe especially children who are deaf and hard of hearing. It is a highly visual approach that crosses language and…

In high school, the author was bullied constantly. The bullying centered on the fact that he could not easily articulate new multi-syllable words or participate in casual conversations with other boys. The bullying had several effects: (1) he became more isolated in society and far less confident in his abilities; (2) he became afraid to ask…

Bullying has gone on in schools for decades. Defined as "browbeating" or being "habitually cruel to others who are weaker," bullying can cause physiological and psychological injuries that last a lifetime. Unchecked, this behavior can lead the bully to drug and gang cultures and eventually prison. It can drive the victim to depression and suicidal…

As more and more reading programs make the move from the basal reading series to authentic text, teachers are asking the same question: How do I choose appropriate books for my class? Teachers of students who are deaf or hard of hearing are no exception. In this article, the author describes her use of Dr. Seuss books in early reading instruction.

The National Academy of Education, Commission on Reading, emphasized that the best way to make children successful readers is to read aloud to them. This can be difficult for teachers and parents of deaf children. This article describes a program called Family Fun Night created by the Capital Area Intermediate Unit (CAIU) in Summerdale,…