|
Interview
with the Author
David A. Stewart
Coauthor,
Literacy and Your Deaf Child
GUPress:
Literacy is such a critical part of a
child’s education; what can
parents learn from this book that will help them help their children?
Dr. Stewart: The book takes a
pragmatic approach to helping parents understand the complex issues involved in
making sure their deaf children become literate in all aspects of their lives A
wealth of literacy experiences can occur in the home environment to foster a
child’s reading and writing skills, including E-mail, web surfing, captioning,
grocery lists, driving directions, checklists and instructions for chores, notes
that acknowledge accomplishments and affections, billing statements, and junk
mail. This is a far richer environment for literacy learning than the language
arts classroom. We address many issues that influence a child’s development of
literacy skills, but, more importantly, we follow up with descriptions of
practical activities that parents can do at home and in the community that will
help deaf children learn the function of reading and writing in their lives.
Many of these activities are fun and will add spice to everyday experiences.
They help deaf children see the importance of reading and writing and foster an
appreciation of the necessity of using these skills in real-life situations.
Without this appreciation, learning to read and write is much more difficult for
deaf children.
GUPress:
Is it true that deaf children have more
difficulty with reading and writing than their hearing peers? If so, what can be
done to improve these skills?
Dr. Stewart:
To become good readers and writers, all
children require proficiency with the English language, a strong command of
English vocabulary, a wealth of diverse life experiences, and a desire to put
pen to paper and learn from the printed text. This is a daunting task that
teachers of the deaf face but it need not be that way. Language will not be
mastered through rote learning activities in the classroom. Dr. Clarke and I
emphasize the need for parents to explore the use of language with their deaf
children by engaging them in meaningful experiences at home and in the
community. We ask that parents use everyday experiences to engage
their deaf children in reading and writing activities. This is a key to
fostering success in deaf children’s
reading and writing skills.
GUPress:
How did you and coauthor Bryan Clarke come
together to write this book?
Dr. Stewart: Dr. Clarke was my
mentor, advisor, and teacher when I pursued graduate studies at the University
of British Columbia. We have long discussed the lack of resources available for
parents despite the importance of parents in the education of their deaf children. Writing this book was our response to this shortcoming and
also our attempt to lay out in practical terms the means and efforts necessary
to help deaf children gain the requisite
literacy skills for life-long learning. |
 5:7
Wednesday, July 30, 2003
Classic Poetry
The Restoration of a Civil War Poet
Edited by Judy Yaeger Jones and Jane E. Vallier,
Sweet Bells
Jangled: Laura Redden Searing, A Deaf Poet Restored features more than 70
poems by Civil War poet Laura Redden Searing. At first writing under the
pseudonym Howard Glyndon, this young deaf poet exploded onto the public scene
with her patriotic poems. But her poetry was more than that, exploring every
aspect of life during her time.
Coeditor Jane E. Vallier sheds light on the title poem by stating: “Redden’s
epic poem, Sweet Bells Jangled, was published in her second volume of
poetry, Sounds from Secret Chambers (Boston: J. R. Osgood, 1873). Why
should we call Sweet Bells Jangled an epic rather than just a loosely
structured narrative? First, all of consciousness in the poem is situated in the
unnamed narrator, an everywoman who struggles against all the obstacles life can
bring her: love and death, untreatable illness, alienation and loneliness, fears
and horrors beyond description, and a general critique of the culture. The poem
tells the story of a journey that allows the traveler to bring home tales of
conquest and defeat that lead her to a changed definition of self. The “civil
war”
between the lovers mirrors the American tragedy Redden had confronted in the
earliest days of her writing career. The flawed heroine must confront herself
and her culture, redefine herself as a hero, and carry her gift of poetry back
to her homeland. Having overcome great odds, she now has a separate self and,
unquestionably, a poetic voice.”
Coeditor Judy Yaeger Jones sums up the value of this assembled work declaring
it “a wealth of materials
to excite scholars for decades to come.”
Read an excerpt
from this “epic poem”
and order Sweet Bells Jangled,
the fourth volume in the Gallaudet Classics in Deaf Studies series,
at a 20% discount off the regular price.
 Orchid
of the Bayou: A Deaf Woman Faces Blindness,
Catherine (Kitty)
Hoffpauir Fischer’s story written by her and Cathryn Carroll, author of
Laurent Clerc: The Story of His
Early Years, is recognized
by Louisiana History in a recent issue. “Her story is extraordinary: on
the one hand for the hardship she endured at many different levels, including
poverty and limited opportunities; on the other hand, for her ability to take it
in stride.” The reviewer goes on to say, “I enjoyed reading Orchid of the Bayou
and learned a great deal from it. This book is more than an account of a deaf
person growing up in Acadiana. It depicts the unmistakable characteristics of
Cajun culture and deaf culture, as well as touching on many of the historical
and political events that molded life in the South in the middle of the
twentieth century. Additionally, it was written in an easy-to-read and enticing
style that gripped my attention. I highly recommend it.”
Kitty Fischer was
born deaf, and during her college years at Gallaudet University, she learned
that she had Usher syndrome, a genetic condition that causes both deafness and
blindness. Undaunted, Kitty turned the discovery into an opportunity to explore
her Cajun roots and the diverse life she has led since she left her home on the
shores of a
Louisiana bayou. Read the complete
review and excerpt from chapter nineteen,
“Yes, I have
Usher Syndrome” to learn more about how Kitty dealt with the challenges in
her life, and order
Orchid of the Bayou.
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