The Cochlear Implant School Toolkit

5 - Arranging Your Classroom for a Student with a Cochlear Implant

Creation of a visual classroom

A child with a cochlear implant will benefit from visual reinforcement of information that you provide verbally. There are easy and fun ways to do this in your classroom.

Use visual materials to reinforce verbal language. Photographs, drawings, and written messages on overheads or chalkboards are useful tools for communicating with a child with a cochlear implant.

For example, you can:

• Create an area where you post the schedule for the day using a visual calendar.
• Post illustrations, pictures, and images related to learning themes.
• Use Smart Boards, LCD projectors, or overheads to share vocabulary and other key information. But be mindful that a child with a cochlear implant may have difficulty tracking conversations if all of the lights in the classroom are turned off, since the child might not be able to determine who is speaking.

Include your students in the creation of these classroom displays as a creative and educational exercise. A visual classroom will likely benefit many of your students, not just the child with a cochlear implant.