Language & Literacy

Catalog description

This course is designed to develop an understanding of the nature of language and how it develops in typically developing children and children with a hearing loss, ages birth to 6. The more a hearing professional understands about how language develops in typically developing children the more informed their judgments about language programming for children with hearing loss will be. This course will begin with the nature of language, what we understand about it, how the theoretical perspectives about language acquisition have changed over the years, how these changes have influenced research and language programs for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. With this foundation, the course will explore: a) theories that address the development of language and literacy in typical children, b) the descriptive data that outlines language processes and growth in very young children, and c) how young children who are deaf or hard of hearing can acquire language and literacy in a developmental manner.