Educator Resources

Reading Is Not One-Size-Fits-All — And for Deaf Children, the Stakes of Getting This Wrong Are High

Imagine being told your child needs more phonics practice to become a better reader when the science says phonics may have little to do with how your child’s brain processes written language at all. This is the reality for many families of deaf children right now. Across the United States, state legislatures have passed hundreds of bills mandating phonics-based reading instruction for all students. These policies are grounded in the Science of Reading, which emphasizes the co

6 days ago4 min read

Unlocking the Secrets of Word Learning in Signing Deaf Toddlers

Have you ever wondered how deaf toddlers learn to recognize and understand words in American Sign Language (ASL)? A recent study conducted by researchers from Boston University, Purdue University, and Rochester Institute of Technology, titled "Word recognition and learning in signing deaf toddlers" sheds light on this fascinating process and offers valuable insights for parents and professionals working with deaf children. The study explored how deaf children aged 18 to 71 mo

May 202 min read

Early and Accessible is More Important than Perfect: What New Research Tells Us About Deaf Children Learning to Sign from Hearing Families

When a deaf or hard-of-hearing child first arrives in a hearing family, caregivers are faced with decisions they probably never anticipated. One of the most pressing is which language(s) to use with their child, and how soon to introduce that language? For families who choose to learn ASL alongside their child, a new study offers evidence that their effort can make a real difference for their child, even before their own signing is fluent. Published in Developmental Science,

May 152 min read