The benefits of technologies in early childhood education have been increasingly recognized. Researchers have also begun to explore how technology might be used in early childhood Deaf education settings to collaborate with families to support Deaf children's language and literacy development and overall well-being. The purpose of this chapter is to share evidence-based practices early childhood educators can utilize to integrate technology in early childhood Deaf education instruction as well as to communicate with families. This includes ways to share resources and strategies with families from diverse backgrounds to support language, literacy, and well-being of Deaf children through technology. These recommendations can be beneficial both to educators and families in Deaf education as well as the greater field of special education.
TopIntroduction
Early childhood educators and families have incredibly unique and important roles in working with and caring for children during early childhood, including Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing (DDBDDHH)1 children receiving special education services. It is during this period that early childhood educators and families lay the groundwork for children’s language acquisition and literacy development leading to thriving futures. With the impacts from the pandemic, educators and families are increasingly relying on technology in early childhood education (OECD, 2021); recent evidence has begun to show promising benefits when educators utilize technology in school and home settings, including early childhood Deaf education (Roemen, in press).
The purpose of this chapter is to share best practices for utilizing technology in early childhood Deaf education. Technology is defined to include any digital resource (e.g., app, media, website) used by educators to engage Deaf children and/or used to communicate and share information and resources with families. We first spotlight recent research and evidence-based practices for utilizing technology to support early language acquisition and literacy development for Deaf children and communication with caregivers in early childhood home and school settings (e.g., Holcomb, 2022; Golos et al., 2015; Roemen, in press). This will be followed by recommendations for practice. Finally, we will share considerations for future directions in research. These recommendations can benefit both families and educators in Deaf education as well as the wider field of special education.
Early Access to Language and Literacy in Early Childhood
When hearing families bring their baby home, there is often a rich environment of spoken language(s) and culture(s). However, spoken language is often inaccessible to Deaf babies. Deaf children need abundant and complete access to language and for children who do not have full and unabated access to a spoken language, this access can occur through sign language (Hall, 2017; Kuntze et al., 2021). If a Deaf child develops in an impoverished language environment with limited communication at home, they often enter preschool with delays (e.g., Kritzer, 2009), with the threat of these gaps continuing to widen throughout schooling (e.g., Scott, 2022). These children are at risk for language deprivation that can have detrimental impacts on their future development (e.g., Gulati, 2019; Hall, 2017). However, by providing them with early and fully accessible language in both home and school settings, they can build a foundation for future academic success and overall well-being (e.g., Kuntze et al., 2021; Mayberry et al., 2011; Scott, 2022). Families and educators of Deaf children can create these possibilities for Deaf children within a community of practice.