Deafness and me: A toolkit for early years practitioners

Young children begin to build their self-esteem, resilience and mental wellbeing through early relationships and experiences.

'Deafness and me' is an emotional health and wellbeing toolkit for early years practitioners. It was created with support from the children's mental health charity Anna Freud. 

The toolkit is designed to help you support the social and emotional development of deaf children. It includes:

• practical activities
• space for self-reflection and collaboration
• ideas for working together with children and families
• tips for creating an inclusive and accessible learning environment

Go to the toolkit (Anna Freud website)

Resources to support the toolkit

Illustration and colouring pages

Some activities in the toolkit suggest using pictures of deaf children, characters and hearing technology to explore deafness and deaf identity. 

Download our illustrations and colouring pages, or use your own photos, picture books or other visual resources.

• Document

  Deafness and Me - Illustrations and colouring pages.pdf (2.02 MB)

   

Activity 1: Me and my deafness

• Use our illustrations of deaf children to decorate the child’s personal photo book.
  • Document

    Deafness and Me - Illustrations of deaf children.pdf (371.24 KB)
• Read our children’s book, Elephant and the Lost Blanket (Shopify) to talk about deafness. Point out the hearing technology you see.
• Watch a signed reading of 'Elephant and the Lost Blanket' (YouTube).
• Brown our full range of children's picture books.
• Learn about childhood deafness.
• Read Nicky and Isabelle's story.

Activity 2: My name is

• Order or print out our fingerspelling poster (Shopify) to display in your setting. You could also cut out the individual letters for activities.

Activity 3: Music and me

• Watch signed nursery rhymes (YouTube playlist).
• Learn British Sign Language (BSL) vocabulary for Elephant and the Lost Blanket (YouTube).
• Download and read our free resource Teaching Phonics to Deaf Children (Shopify).

Activity 4: People who support me

• Read our free comic, Going to the Hearing Clinic (Shopify) – cut the pictures out for activities.
• Watch videos about visiting an audiology department (Evalina London).
• Watch Emma and Toby's story about starting nursery (YouTube).

Activity 5: My positive self

• Print out images of characters from our children’s books. Talk about the different hearing technology each character is wearing. What’s similar? What’s different?
  • Document

    Deafness and Me - Pictures from our children's books.pdf (1.98 MB)

Activity 6: My community

• Watch videos of BSL vocabulary for religious worship (YouTube).

Activity 7: When I grow up

• Watch Rosie discuss her work for the BBC (YouTube).
• Explore stories of deaf role models.

Activity 8: Making choices

• Use images of characters from our children’s books to decorate a visual timetable.
  • Document

    Deafness and Me - Pictures from our children's books.pdf (1.98 MB)
• Use our Let's Sign flashcards to learn BSL vocabulary for emotions, senses and routines.
  • Document

    Let's Sign BSL flashcards for emotions, routines and senses.pdf (996.72 KB)

Activity 9: Interacting with me

• Watch BSL signs for feelings and emotions (YouTube playlist).
• Find out about developing language and communication for deaf babies aged 0 to 2.
• Access more BSL videos and resources.

Activity 10: Using my senses

• Use the Let's Sign flashcards from Activity 8 to learn BSL signs for senses.
  • Document

    Let's Sign BSL flashcards for emotions, routines and senses.pdf (996.72 KB)
• Download and print images of hearing technology. Talk about what the children can hear with and without their hearing technology.
  • Document

    Deafness and Me - Hearing technology illustrations.pdf (457.19 KB)
• Try deaf-friendly play activities.
• Download or our free developmental play chart.
  • Document

    Developmental play chart.pdf (382.01 KB)
• Listen to what different levels of deafness sound like.

Activity 11: Making friends

• Print and cut out communication tips.
  • Document

    Deafness and Me - Communication tips.pdf (334.19 KB)
• Learn how to improve the communication environment in your setting.
• Read Millie's story about making friends at toddler groups.

Activity 12: Join in with me

• Order our children’s books (Shopify) to read with your setting.
• Watch videos of The Quest for the Cockle Implant (YouTube) and Elephant and the Lost Blanket (YouTube) being read in BSL.
• Download our free resource: Supporting the Pragmatic and Social Communication Skills of Deaf Children (Shopify). 

Activity 13: Let’s chat

• Download or order our free Talking to your deaf friends poster (Shopify). Display it in your setting.
• Use the poster or our communication tips cutouts to remind everyone how to be a good communicator.
  • Document

    Deafness and Me - Communication tips.pdf (334.19 KB)

Activity 14: What am I feeling?

• Download or order our free resource: What Are You Feeling? A guide to help deaf children understand and identify their emotions (Shopify).
• Watch BSL signs for feelings and emotions (YouTube).

Activity 17: How do my family feel?

• Discover local deaf children's societies who can support the whole family.