This online series will provide a range of topics that support the education of children and students who are Deaf or hard of hearing.

Session 1: Vocabulary development with Casey Reimer

9-10am AEDT 25 March 2025

Session 1 of this two-part series will focus on vocabulary development of children who are deaf or hard of hearing (d/hh), the cognitive learning strategy retrieval practice, and an intervention study using retrieval practice to improve vocabulary learning for children who are d/hh.

Vocabulary development begins in infancy (e.g., Kuhl, Williams, Lacerda, Stevens, & Lindblom, 1992) and continues throughout life (Fagan, 2016). Without the ability to acquire new vocabulary, communication break-downs and academic struggles are immanent. The majority of vocabulary is learned incidentally, but children who are d/hh do not have this luxury. The vocabulary delay can be persistent and continue to increase with age (Convertino, Borgna, Marschark, & Durkin, 2014). Even with hearing devices, early intervention, and newborn hearing screening, children who are d/hh are still falling behind in terms of vocabulary learning (e.g., Yoshinaga-Itano, Sedey, Wiggin, & Chung, 2017). Yet, there are few interventions to guide vocabulary instruction (Lund, 2016). The current study addresses this need by using one of the most effective and well-known learning strategies in cognitive psychology—retrieval practice (e.g., Brown, Roediger, & McDaniel). Retrieval practice has been used successfully for over a hundred years (Gates, 1917), with children as young as three (Fritz, Morris, Nolan, & Singleton, 2007), and with vocabulary learning (Goossens, Camp, Verkoeijen, & Tabbers, 2014). Prior to this study, to our knowledge, retrieval practice had never been studied with children who are d/hh to improve vocabulary learning. Sixteen children who are d/hh (5.0-8.11 years old) participated in this study. A within-participant repeated measures design was used to teach 20 novel vocabulary words over 3-5 weeks. Results from this study will be shared and implications for future research and practical applications will be discussed in Session 2.

Learning Outcomes:

• Explain the importance of vocabulary development and the current state of vocabulary learning for children who are d/hh.
• Define retrieval practice and examine a variety of past research studies using retrieval practice with children.
• Describe the innovation, methodology and results of a vocabulary intervention study for children who are d/hh using retrieval practice.

Session 2: Vocabulary Development (cont) with Casey Reimer

9-10am AEDT 8 April 2025

Session 2 will focus on the “now what” of this two-part vocabulary development series for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (d/hh). Session 1 set the stage with the current state of vocabulary learning for children who are d/hh and described a recent study with promising results for improving vocabulary learning. But now what? What can we do with these results?

There can be a disconnect between research to practice. This session will create a bridge to describe how professionals working with children who are d/hh and their families can incorporate retrieval practice into their sessions. Specific examples will be given across a wide range of children who are d/hh – from early intervention sessions in the natural environment to self-contained classrooms and itinerant settings. In addition, language will be shared on how to create buy-in for the use of retrieval practice in educational settings when presenting this learning strategy to families, other professionals, and administrators. Future research projects will be discussed including the potential use of other evidence-based cognitive learning strategies with children who are d/hh.

Learning Outcomes:

• Describe how to incorporate retrieval practice into early intervention sessions, self-contained classrooms, and itinerant teaching.
• Examine language to share with parents, other professionals, and administrators to create buy in for the use of retrieval practice in an educational setting with children who are d/hh.
• Define other evidence-based cognitive learning strategies and the potential use of them with children who are d/hh.

Session 3: Positioning in Mainstream Classrooms: A Collaborative Approach with Lisa Prinzi

9-10am AEST 3 June 2025

This workshop addresses the role of interpreters and Deaf students' autonomy in K-12 mainstream classrooms. This workshop explores Deaf individuals' and interpreters' perspectives on the interpreters' role and approaches to working together, which were taken from individual and group interviews. This workshop highlights issues interpreters and Deaf students face, such as role confusion and the need for additional training about educational team roles. Strategies for enhancing interpersonal communication and collaboration between interpreters, Deaf students, and educational team members will be discussed and shared.

More topics to be announced soon!

This event addresses the following Standards from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: 1.1.2, 1.2.2, 1.3.2, 1.4.2, 1.5.2, 1.6.2, 2.6.2, 3.2.2, 3.3.2, 3.4.2, 3.6.2, 4.1.2, 4.4.2, 4.5.2, 5.1.2, 5.2.2, 5.3.2, 5.4.2, 6.2.2, 6.2.6, 6.3.2, 6.4.2, 7.4.2. It fits within the Priority Area of Children/ Student with Disabilities. This event is evidence and research based.