The Family Resource Center
The Family Resource Center Supports parents who seek to learn American Sign Language skills to communicate with the Deaf child in their life.
The Shared Reading Project
Specifically helps families with young Deaf children build effective communication skills through an innovative program using trained tutors, children's books and companion sign language video tapes. With an early intervention approach, the project builds the student's language and literacy skills while promoting the involvement of parents as equal partners in their child's education.
Shared Reading Program Outline:
- Open to children ages 3-7 and their parents.
- Tutors meet weekly with families individually, and provide a new book
and videotape each week.
- Children gain a better understanding for the printed word which provides
them a strong foundation for a first language. With this knowledge base,
children are better prepared to enter school.
- Parents gain improved communication skills enabling them to speak
directly to their child instead of through interpreters.
D.E.A.F., Inc. is partnering with the Horace Mann School in offering this resource, which is modeled after Gallaudet University's acclaimed Shared Reading Program. The Horace Mann School is the oldest school for the Deaf in the US with curriculums from early childhood through high school.
To request more information about the Family Resource Center and/or the Shared Reading Project , contact Ami Garry at 617-254-4041 TTY/Voice, of fill out our online form.
