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Research Highlights

Principles and Tips

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Principles and Tips

General Tips

• Use signed summaries of texts prior to reading.

• Offer signed interpretation of words, phrases, and expressions that pose comprehension problems.

• Use graphics, pictures, and visual organizers.

Captioning

Video captioning can be used to expose students who are deaf and can read to large amounts of written language and to provide significant context in which to understand the text.

Use captioning with cartoons, situation comedies, documentaries or instructional programs.

Lessons which use captioning may focus on any number of reading skills:

- Vocabulary
- Reading comprehension
- Finding main ideas
- Predicting
- Character identification
- Drawing conclusions
- Locating information

• Before using a captioned video in a lesson, preview for main ideas, new vocabulary, or important information to highlight.
• During the lesson, you may stop the video periodically to discuss vocabulary and to relate what students see with what they read.
• Supplement the lesson with related texts (books, magazines) and copies of the captioned text.

Computer Applications

A number of multimedia computer applications are available on CD-ROM that can be useful in teaching literacy to students who are deaf. Such applications are capable of accurately and respectfully presenting sign language on the computer screen.

Training:

• Don't assume that all students are familiar with computer applications. Evaluate training needs individually.

• Include instructions for using the computer software into the lesson.

• Provide them initial guidance in using embedded computer resources to enhance their comprehension.

Teachers can use interactive video (on videodisks or other computer media) to:

• Access parts of the video in random order.

• Easily repeat selected sections.

• Reorder scenes into new "compositions".

• Create non-linear links between different parts of a video (e.g., to show cause and effect).

• Integrate video and computer screen displays (allowing for instructional materials and activities and the video to be presented simultaneously on the same screen).

• Individualize lessons by adjusting level of difficulty.

• Using individual computer stations, assign students to translate short ASL video stories into written English captions, and apply captions to story.

• Provide students with task-specific instructional feedback for each captioning assignment.

• If your students come from another cultural/language background, try using multicultural resources.

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