2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
3/11/2025 | 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM | Promoting Literacy in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children: Understanding and Applying Principles from the Shared Reading Project | 301
Promoting Literacy in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children: Understanding and Applying Principles from the Shared Reading Project
The Shared Reading Project is a national literacy initiative designed to promote reading among deaf and hard of hearing children. Established in 1997 at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center, the project is grounded in research by David Schleper, who studied how Deaf parents read to these children. Schleper identified key strategies that Deaf adults use during reading sessions, which help families develop critical literacy skills. The most important activity for fostering reading success is simply reading to children.
The project encourages parents to start reading with their children early, laying a solid foundation for future literacy and academic success. Research shows that the earlier families engage in reading together, the better children perform in school. However, 84% of deaf and hard of hearing children have hearing parents, who often wish to read to them but may feel frustrated due to a lack of effective strategies. Through the Shared Reading Project, parents can adopt the techniques identified by Schleper, empowering them to connect with their children through books and foster a love for reading. Participants typically read to their deaf and hard of hearing children an average of five times a week.
This session will introduce you to the 15 principles for effectively reading to deaf and hard of hearing children and how to apply them at home. You will also learn about Shared Reading Saturday, a successful adaptation of the project that can be implemented in schools, organizations, or communities. This program connects parents with Deaf and hard of hearing adults who play key roles in the initiative and creates a supportive environment for families with similar experiences. Several states already host Shared Reading Saturday—could your state be the next to adopt this valuable program? This initiative complements the support and resources already provided to families through Early Intervention.
- • Identify Key Principles: Participants will list the 15 principles of reading to deaf and hard of hearing children.
- • Implement Reading Strategies: Participants will demonstrate at least three Shared Reading strategies with their children at home.
- • Evaluate Program Implementation: Participants will assess the feasibility of starting a Shared Reading Saturday program in their community by outlining the steps needed for implementation.
Presentation:
3545975_18175StacyAbrams.pdf
3545975_18175ToddHiggins.pdf
Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Stacy Abrams
(Co-Presenter), Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center, stacy.abrams@gallaudet.edu;
Stacy Abrams, MA, is the Coordinator of Training at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center. Abrams grew up in Arkansas with a deaf sister and hearing parents. She earned her BA from Gallaudet University, and her MA from the University of California, Santa Barbara with the intention of working with hearing families with deaf children. For five years, Stacy taught deaf students in both mainstreamed and deaf schools. She served as Deaf Mentor Program Coordinator at the New Mexico School for the Deaf, and the Arizona Schools for the Deaf/Blind. She serves on the JCIH. Stacy’s passion of connecting families with the community on their signing journey led to her developing a social awareness campaign, #whyisign. The aim is for families to become inspired by seeing individuals share their reasons for signing. She and her husband are proud parents of two bilingual deaf children who attend the Kendall School.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with Gallaudet University.
Nature: I am currently an employee. .
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Todd Higgins
(Co-Presenter), Gallaudet University Regional Center East, thiggins@necc.mass.edu;
Higgins is the Director of the Gallaudet University Regional Center East at Northern Essex Community College in Haverhill, MA. In this role, Higgins shares Gallaudet's undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center's resources and expertise throughout the 13-state region, from Maine to West Virginia, plus Washington, D.C., through training programs, workshops and conferences, technical assistance, and consultation.
Higgins also oversees several initiatives, including the Massachusetts Family Sign Language Program, Rhode Island Sign Language Initiatives, and the Shared Reading Saturday program. He has a background in disability services within higher education and the non-profit sector, focusing on support for Deaf and hard of hearing individuals. Additionally, he has worked as a consultant on access issues.
Higgins holds a Master's degree in Public Administration from San Francisco State University and a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and History from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Salary for Employment,Management position from Gallaudet University Regional Center - East at Northern Essex Community College .
Nonfinancial -
• Has a Personal interest
(I have a vested interest in the success and continuation of the Rhode Island Hands and Voices chapter.)
relationship for Board membership.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with Northern Essex Community College; Rhode Island Hands and Voices.
Nature: The Gallaudet University Regional Center - East at Northern Essex Community College is funded by a grant from Gallaudet University, which supports my salary as the full-time director of the center. In addition, I serve on the board of the Hands & Voices chapter in Rhode Island.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.