Families are key partners in a deaf or hard of hearing child's growth, and teachers help them stay involved. Use this checklist to reflect on your own practice. It asks whether you encourage families to join ASL learning and share signs tied to current classroom topics; whether you send regular, accessible resources on language development, Deaf culture, and learning strategies; whether you communicate proactively and clearly in ASL or English rather than only when concerns arise; and whether you invite families into goal-setting and decisions so communication flows both ways. Use any unchecked items to name your next steps.
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A tip sheet teams use to see what strong family partnership looks like, from accessible communication and ASL classes to meaningful engagement and shared decision-making.
A leadership checklist administrators use to monitor family partnership across the school: ASL classes, family empowerment, accessible communication, and home-school collaboration.