Get Back To School Ready!

Cara shares some great tips & resources to help you feel prepared going into the new school year!

It’s that time of year–new school supplies, new clothes, and new teachers! And that means a whole new group of people need to learn about your child. More than likely, the teacher of the deaf/hard of hearing will do an inservice for the core school team about working with DHH kids, but YOU need to meet the school staff, too. [If you don’t have a teacher of the deaf, let us know! They are critical for school success!] You are the expert about your child. You know the most, so share that with the school. That means classroom teachers, related areas/arts teachers, guidance counselors, lunchroom staff…whoever might interact with your son or daughter. You can use any of these resources below to help you address the people at their school. Our Parent Education Specialist and mom of a deaf son, Lisa Jolly, suggests meeting with the teachers by making an appointment–NOT on the Open House night. Go to the Open House but use it to look around, not to try to have an important conversation with the teacher.

• Helpful Hints for the School Environment: Tips for Teachers and Staff: Give this to the people with whom you meet
• Max’s Cheat Sheet: Fillable and a sample to help guide you
• Information about my Child: Another way to introduce your child
• Accommodations and Modifications for DHH Students: Which strategies help your child?

Also, go ahead and start going to bed early. Make a schedule for night and morning and include pictures and words. Here are some different types of visual schedules. These are focused on the classroom, but you can make most of them with some paper, tape, and a little crafting. You may also want to practice getting ready for school, especially with younger children. Make sure there is a location to do homework and a certain space to put bookbags and papers that need to go back to school. 

Make sure your child understands all that will be happening. Transition and changes can be difficult with a language delay. Perhaps your child is worried about the school year but doesn’t have the language skills to express their feelings. Reviewing what will be happening is a great way to calm your child (even if you don’t think they are nervous!) and give them some ownership of the back to school process. That’s a great way to give them a little control, too, which might go a long way in reducing frustration/helplessness. 



Any questions? Give us a call at Beginnings at 803-216-1171.