Day 8: How To Be A Friend To Someone With A Hearing Impairment

As the children came in this morning they started making signs for our "Market Day" tomorrow.  I loved their drawings of people in wheelchairs and kids helping kids.  I asked some of the children, "Why should people give to 'Wheels For the World?'"  They had some of the best and most honest answers.  I put some of their quotes on signs to hang in our market.  One of my favorites was, "Everybody needs stuff to help them get around" and "We need to get kids wheelchairs so they can do what they want to do."

The children have been working so hard.  They brought in another $100 today and were excited to see the butterflies floating down the hallway, each one representing a $1 they had earned.  They can
hardly wait to see how the fundraising efforts go tomorrow!

During our classroom time we watched a You Tube video on "How the Ear Works."  It was animated and fun for the kids.  Of course, being five, they loved the section on ear wax :)  They did a great job remembering the parts of the outer, middle and inner ear and how sound waves are captured and messages are sent to the brain.

Later we talked about "How To Be a Friend to Someone With a Hearing Impairment."  Some of the suggestions came from Joni Eareckson Tada's curriculum and some are from my husband who is an audiologist.  After I shared the suggestions with the kids, they loved asking questions about how to apply it to their grandparents.

1.  Say the person's name before you start talking to them so they know you are talking to them and can listen more closely.

2.  If you say something to a person that is hard of hearing and they don't understand after you have said it a couple of times, reword what you are saying.  They may not be able to hear certain sounds and if you use different words, they may be able to understand.

3.  Don't yell or scream to get someone's attention, just tap them on the shoulder.

4.  Be sure to look directly at the person you are talking to because they may be reading your lips and watching your facial expressions.  Be sure not to chew gum while you are talking as it makes it more difficult to read lips.

5.  If the person is using an interpreter, be sure to talk to the person and don't talk to the interpreter about them.

6.  Be patient and supportive. As a person that struggles with moderate hearing loss, I really appreciate this one.  I know it can be frustrating to repeat what you are saying, but it is equally frustrating to have to ask.

7.  If you are trying to talk to someone with a moderate hearing loss, do not speak to them from another room.   Be sure you are close by if you want to speak to them. 

I close the day with great joy as I think about all that my students are sacrificing to help other children.  They serve with such love and excitement.  I also feel sorrow for the friends of mine that are suffering and navigating their way through great challenges.  We have so much to be grateful for and can't take a moment for granted.