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From:  Ronald Zapien
Date:  Tue Sep 14, 1999  6:21 pm
Subject:  Student


Hi Listmembers:

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Cheryl Zapien. I am
working in our local Deaf ministry and next year I will most likely
begin my studies so that I can officially become an interpreter.
However, this year we have a deaf exchange student from Barbados and
Valerie suggested that I pose a question I posed to her to the list.
So here it is:

We just recently, this last week, have had our Deaf exchange student
arrive from Barbados. It has been an exciting week--very tough though.
She will be a dorm student at Gallaudet, but is a junior at MSSD. I am
very concerned. She brought home homework this past weekend. Basically
it was 13 pages of text. The reading level was maybe sixth grade or a
little more. She did not know most of the major vocabulary presented,
did not seem to know how to go about gleaning information from text, did
not seem to understand how to figure out vocabulary from context and in
some cases did not know the signs connected with the English vocabulary.
Between her daddy and myself, we spent about 4-6 hours on this homework.
I'm very concerned and, of course, have discussed this with her dad. I
know that you have spent many years working with Deaf people and working
on learning how to help people process information via reading and also
teaching people how to learn the process of writing. I know that many
of your very distinguished collegues have a lot of good knowledge on
this subject. What is the best way for me to help her. I think the
book that she has is far above her reading level. (My guess is that her
reading level is not even at a third grade level.) She is due a reading
evaluation and has an IEP--but she is a foreign student. I am her host
mom. Her parents and my hubby and I have developed a good
relationship--very open. I have told him that I will do what I can to
make sure that she receives what she is due on her IEP. Could you, or
any one you know share some ideas with me. She will be spending the
night at the dorm. I don't think anyone will be able to spend the
amount of time I spent this past weekend--esp. after the school year
starts running full tilt.

I would appreciate any advice or comments. I am particularly concerned
with the fact that although she is a bright kid, she does not seem to
have been given the skills needs to extract information from a text.
She does not seem to know how to go about learning.

Thanks,

Cheryl

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