Book Recommendations for Children with Hearing Loss

For children with hearing loss, reading is a vital component in the development of listening and spoken language (LSL). Reading or listening to stories improves vocabulary, listening comprehension, critical thinking, concentration and knowledge.

Nearly any book can be tailored to highlight the building of LSL skills for children with hearing loss. The following selections were provided by CCHAT staff members and are used throughout the school year on our campus to promote learning and literacy growth.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? By Bill Martin, Jr.

Recommended by Leah, CCHAT Teacher of the Deaf

Books that provide opportunities for the reader to give clues as to what is next are great stories for children with hearing loss. Brown Bear prompts a new animal on each page, giving the child a chance to guess based on descriptions or remember based on memory what animal will appear next. The simple, repetitive style is also beneficial for children with hearing loss working on vocabulary.

Mighty Mila By Katie Petruzziello

Recommended by Meredith, CCHAT Teacher of the Deaf

It is extremely rewarding for children with hearing loss to see characters that wear hearing-assistive technology just like them. In Mighty Mila, the heroic main character wears cochlear implants while taking on a number of different challenges. This important story highlights hearing loss as a superpower, not a roadblock.

There Was An Old Lady… Series By Lucille Colandro

Recommended by Lauren, CCHAT Speech-Language Pathologist

Another collection of books featuring repetitive vocabulary are the There Was An Old Lady stories. This series covers a wide range of topics, and the funny tales keep children entertained. For children with hearing loss, the sequencing of these books helps build listening comprehension, and the rhyming within the story assists with speech and sound development.

Grow Flower, Grow! By Lisa Bruce

Recommended by Donna, CCHAT Substitute Teacher

Stories with vivid imagery and opportunities for visual learning are especially beneficial for children with hearing loss. Grow Flower, Grow! lends itself to being acted out by students and captures the attention of the audience with its emotion, silliness, chances to participate and ultimate success.

Read, Read, Read!

Literacy and LSL development go hand in hand. Whether you enjoy one of these stories or find another collection that sparks joy, incorporating reading into your daily routine is a surefire way to help your child with hearing loss enhance their knowledge and LSL skills.