Raising a deaf child is difficult, but most parents learn how to communicate with them successfully at a young age. However, when it comes time to send them to daycare, it can be more difficult. The deaf child may struggle to talk and may need help communicating with new people. Creating these simple communication cards can help them learn how to become better communicators.
Brainstorm Common Needs
The communication cards you are creating for your child are designed to communicate common needs to their daycare tenders. For example, there should be a card for "I need to go to the bathroom" or "I would like to play with this toy." Interact with your child and take note of common ideas, questions, and needs they communicate with you.
Write these down and brainstorm simple images which can communicate these needs. For example, "I'm hungry" could have a picture of a pair of lips munching on a carrot. Or "I'm sad" could have a picture a face frowning.
Create Cards With Your Child
When it comes time to create your cards, you should integrate your child into them as much as possible. The integration of creative artistic acts at a young age will help your child develop more creative skills. They can use crayons and pencils to draw the simple symbols on each card, safety scissors to cut out any decorations (such as ribbons or pictures), and paste to attach them to the cards. Creating them with you also helps your child better understand the meaning of each card.
Practice The Cards With Your Child
Before sending your child to daycare with your cards, sit down and practice using them. The child must understand what each card represents and in what situations they can be used. Once they understand the cards, the cards can even be used regularly at home. While these cards are simple, they can help your child master translating symbols into language, an important part of becoming a successful reader.
Introduce The Cards To The Teacher
Before your child's first day of daycare, talk to the caregivers about your child's needs and the cards they are going to use to communicate. Introduce your child and the daycare tenders and show them the cards, explaining what each card means, and let them practice with them. In this way, your child will get to know their caregivers and feel more comfortable using their cards when you're away.
By introducing these cards to your children at a young age and integrating them into their daycare, you are helping them learn better communication skills in general. They can use these skills later in life as they learn other important skills.For more information or assistance, visit a child care service near you, like Cottonwood Montessori.
