Getting ready for back to school

Today begins our teacher training for the new school year. We are also signing up quite a few new students.


Our teacher training includes a course in Cued Spanish given by Marleny, one of our teachers.  Maria, the assistent director,  will be giving workshops on new strategies for teaching content with the use of Sign Language.

You may notice that we have mentioned two different language methods. That is because our goal is for the children to be bi-lingual. First of all, we use Sign Language, the preferred language of most Dominican Deaf people. Most of our communication and content is conveyed in Sign. 


We also use Cued Spanish to teach the students Spanish, mainly for purposes of literacy and knowing how to write effectively. This allows them better communication with the hearing world. That is important for jobs, family, and societal interaction.


We encourage parents to choose either of these options for their home communication, and provide training for those who choose to do so. Still, did you know that the majority of the parents of deaf children, even in the USA, never learn to communicate effectively with their children? If you'd like to know why, here is a good article on it: Why parents don't learn to sign