Reflection Post

For my final project, I reviewed the following four books featuring deaf characters: Can You Hear a Rainbow?: The Story of a Deaf Boy Named Chris by Jamee Riggio Heelan, Moses Goes to School by Isaac Millman, A Button in Her Ear by Ada B. Litchfield, and Dad and Me in the Morning by Patricia Lakin. The most prominent theme I noticed in reviewing children’s literature featuring deaf characters was one of acceptance and similarities between deaf or hard-of-hearing children and hearing children. All four books, featured deaf or hard of hearing young children who experienced the world in different ways than hearing children, yet their experiences were all portrayed in a positive light. This was important to me because I really believe that equality in diversity has to start at a young age. Once students have stereotypes set in their minds, it can be very difficult to reverse those. For this reason, accurate depictions of very diverse groups of people, including the deaf community, are imperative for building an accepting environment within a classroom that will extend to the outside world.