Field trips are a highlight of every school year and are an opportunity to shake up routines, learn in a natural environment and have fun. The benefits of field trips for students include:
- Promoting academic growth
- Strengthening engagement
- Providing real world experience
- Enhancing critical thinking
For students who are deaf or hard of hearing, field trips can be especially useful to reinforce vocabulary and language and provide real life experiences. However, varied environments and routines may present challenges to a child’s ability to access information on the fieldtrip. Fortunately, with some preparation, educators and caregivers can ensure that children who are deaf or hard of hearing have the same enriching field trip experience as their peers with typical hearing. Clarke professionals recommend:
- Plan ahead
- Consider travel and logistics
- Plan for equipment needs
- Share a briefing document with the venue, location or tour guide
- Rehearse what you will see or do on the field trip
- Follow up with a field trip report after the event for maximum impact
Alisa Demico, director of Clarke Florida notes, “We invest a lot of time in pre-teaching vocabulary and language including concepts like sequencing before trips. For example, if students see a pumpkin being carved, we want them to have the language and context to describe what they see and anticipate what comes next.”
Find resources below and read more about how to carefully prepare and ensure success for your students.
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