Off the Page: Bringing Books to Life

The use of children’s literature has long
been an important tool for children with
hearing loss to develop the complex
language skills necessary for conversational
competency. At Hearts for Hearing,
the team has developed strategies and
techniques used to coach families in how
to “share a book” and extend conversations
beyond the pages. This short
course is an intermediate training for
professionals who wish to use children’s
literature in new and different ways.
Classics and newly-released books will
be shared and video clips will be analyzed
to identify the strategies that are used
to “grow” conversations. Participants
will have the opportunity to practice the
strategies with children’s books and even
electronic books in small groups. The
interaction will be energizing and participants
will leave with a wealth of new
ideas and opportunities for bringing the
stories off the pages into the lives of
children and their families.