Introducing young children who are deaf or hard of hearing to spoken language: Child's voice, an oral school

This article provides an overview of the workings of an oral school for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The key features of the school include low student-teacher ratios, teachers who are trained as oral educators of deaf children, ongoing staff and parent education, specialized curricula, and a strong emphasis on listening and speaking throughout the day. Approximately 75% of the students at the school use cochlear implants; the remainder wear hearing aids. The graduates of this program have shown that an oral school can help many children who are deaf or hard of hearing achieve success as oral communicators and students in mainstream classrooms.