SPONSORING OFFICE:
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

Abstract:
Music is an important part of social development for young children and has proven to contribute to mathematic, linguistic, and motor development. Deaf children are not privy to the nursery rhymes and songs that hearing children learn as a part of American culture. This project will develop three CD-ROMs for young deaf children, each containing a well-known song that has multiple verses. The songs chosen will use techniques that foster early reading and linguistic skills (e.g., cumulative story, repeated phrases, consecutive events). Within the program, (1) the story or concept, (2) volume, (3) notes, and (4) rhythm of three simple songs will be depicted through graphic representations of each of these aspects, and analysis and coordination with each other. Text from the songs will follow graphic changes. The child will have the option of viewing videoclips of the song signed in English word order (as a whole or child-controlled verse by verse) or in an American Sign Language (ASL) version with explanation. Programming in Visual Basic will control presentation and timing of graphics. An interpreter dressed as Paws, the signing dog, a lead character for other IDRT preschool CD-ROM materials, will be filmed for this purpose.

Summary of Anticipated Results and Implications:
Phase II of this project will result in the complete development of three CD-ROMs that impart the story/concept, volume, notes, and rhythm of traditional, early childhood songs to deaf children along with ASL translations and word-for-word depictions synchronized to the music. Each CD-ROM will contain a song that has multiple verses and reinforces early reading and linguistic skills. IDRT has been extremely successful in developing and distributing other CD-ROMs for young deaf children, even into the retail market. Advertising and distribution arrangements, will be established at the conclusion of Phase II. During Phase III, the CD-ROMs will be marketed through our current relationships with educational software distributors and through our animated web site.

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