Language and Literacy Corner

 

Starting with a good foundation

Literacy development support starts with a good foundation. An educational interpreter in the state of Indiana should have at least a high school diploma or equivalent and hold and maintain either Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) certification or an Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) rating of 3.5 or higher. In addition, the interpreter should have access to and a good understanding of the IEP goals and objectives of the students for whom they interpret.

If a student is unable to process information presented in a signed and/or spoken language, it is highly likely that they will be unable to read it. The educational interpreter is often the only professional in the child’s educational setting that can identify breakdowns or gaps in a child’s signed language development. When these gaps/breakdowns are identified, the educational interpreter should be working in tandem with the classroom teacher, speech language pathologist, and teacher of the deaf

TIPS

The Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center provides these tips that an educational interpreter can employ to support reading aloud in the classroom:

• Use appropriate pausing and allow the students to take in the book visually so they can see the English text and illustrations on the pages. 
• Highlight key vocabulary or phrases within the story visually on the blackboard, overhead, or laptop connected to a projector or television. 
• Give the student a copy of the book for reference during the read-aloud. 
• For read-aloud time with student participation, have the interpreter confirm where the group is within the text to assure the student who is deaf or hard of hearing is in the appropriate place. 

Educational interpreters have the benefit of close and frequent contact with students. Leveraging their time and expertise can be a powerful tool to attaining a major goal of education – language and literacy proficiency. 

Additional Resources:

• Resources Classroom Interpreting- Home Page 
• Classroom Interpreting– EIPA 
• Indiana Chapter of Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf 
• Indiana Department of Education: Educational Interpreter Certificate Applicants 
• Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center- About: Strategies and Tips to Support the Development of Literacy 
• Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. Skills and Qualifications Needed to Work as an Educational Interpreter