There are 35,000 children in the UK who are either deaf or have some form of hearing impairment. For them, even the simple act of looking at a book can be a challenge.
Sharing a book with a child usually involves reading aloud, discussing the story, making animal sounds and using different voices, asking and answering questions. If the child cannot perceive sound, then the whole experience has to be tackled from a different perspective.
A deaf child is just as curious and eager to learn as any other, but can easily feel isolated or left out. Capturing their attention and maintaining concentration levels may prove more difficult than usual, so it is important to give one-to-one individual attention, allow plenty of time, and always sit with the child facing you to see your face and lips.
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