Basic Literacy Resource for the Deaf Produced by NorQuest College

by Flo Brokop *

“… the average reading achievement of deaf students completing school is at fourth grade level.” The push to inclusive education means more and more children are mainstreamed and with greater access to Internet, e-mail, real-time captioning, close-captioned TV and movies as well as TTY – reading and writing in English is no longer an option for adults who are Deaf. As more Deaf students seek upgrading, instructors need to be aware of their special needs and challenges. Bill Persall and Flo Brokop, members of the Learning Support Services team at NorQuest College in Edmonton (http://www.norquest.ca), have documented reading instruction strategies that are effective with adult students who are Deaf and have developed a CD containing beginning level stories from the Grass Roots Readers Series © with accompanying American Sign Language (ASL).

NorQuest College offers academic upgrading, ESL and skills training programs to approximately 10,000 students in Edmonton and satellite campuses in Northern Alberta. Approximately 2/3 of students enrolled in Employment Preparation Courses and Academic Upgrading (from basic literacy to high school credit courses) receive some form of support from the Learning Support Services unit. This semester, there are eleven students who are Deaf enrolled in a variety of programs at the College and an additional three to four students are expected to begin classes next semester. In addition to interpretive services, all Deaf students receive oneon- one tutorial assistance. Most students meet regularly with Bill Persall, an educational assistant who is Deaf. Through communicating in ASL, Bill clarifies assignments, fills in necessary background information, and develops students’ abilities to communicate in ASL and English. Bill plays an invaluable role assisting students as they bridge the gap between ASL and English. The focus of this five-month project was to document the teaching strategies used by Bill and develop an instructional resource for students that incorporate best practices for students who are Deaf.

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