Use an overhead projector or other visuals including real objects, pictures, photographs, charts, close-captioned videos, etc while teaching to assist the deaf or hard-of-hearing student.
Use hands-on activities whenever possible.
Use role-playing and dialogue in the classroom. Good oral communication practice. Relate situations to real-life experiences.
Use concise statements
Divide lengthy directions into multiple steps and ask questions to clarify understanding. Check for understanding by having the student restate directions Sometimes students will just say “I understand” when they really do not. Provide extra one-on-one time after directions for any clarifications needed.
Use smaller cooperative learning groups. This will be more comfortable and easier for the deaf/hard-of-hearing student to be able to ask questions and interact with a smaller group of people. In addition, there will be less noise in a smaller group.
Modify class schedule to help with fatigue. (Example: incorporate active learning rather than all lecture)
Provide a note taker during lectures.
Provide computer games or review sheets to help the deaf or hard-of- hearing student practice and review material
Use peer tutors or volunteers to help work with the students
When reading aloud in class, give the deaf or hard-of-hearing child a copy of the reading material so he or she can follow along.
Organize the classroom so that all the children are sitting in a U shape. This way the children can see each other, which will make it easier for children with hearing impairment to use sign language, read lips and understand mimics, thereby making it possible to participate more actively in discussions and classroom activities.
Spend some time giving face-to-face instruction, since group situations can be quite challenging for children with hearing impairment.
Use “natural” signs (i.e. for tired, sleeping, eating or drinking) if you are not able use formal sign language.
Ask the child (if s/he has an oral language) to repeat what s/he has understood.
Write down key words of information given during the class and give it to the child at the end of every day.
Work together with an audiologist (if available) to teach and encourage the child to use her/his residual hearing to the maximum extent possible, even if the preferred means of communication is sign language (manual communication).
Reduce all unnecessary noise, as multiple sources of sound will make it more difficult for the child to use her/his residual hearing. This is also important if the child is using a hearing aid (amplification).
If some of the classrooms in the school are more noisy than others (noise from busy roads, trains, airports or factories), the school should be flexible and move the class who has children with hearing impairment (as well as classes who have children with visual impairment or other disabilities) to a less noisy classroom.
Be flexible with time, as most children with hearing impairment (both deaf and hard of hearing) will struggle to understand everything that goes on in the classroom (as a result of their hearing loss).
Focus more on content than on grammar when assessing the writing of children who primarily use sign language for communication. Because the grammar of sign languages is very different from written languages, these children are in fact writing in a “second” language.
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