Raising Readers: Aligning Current Research with Literacy Practices for Students who are DHH

Date: Monday, October 19, 2026

Time: 8:00-4:00pm

Location: Franklin Templeton (3355 Data Dr, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670)

Registration Fee:

Professionals
- Early Bird - Prior to September 1st - $100
- After September 1st - $125
Students - $50
Parents - $25

Course Fee Includes:

Electronic link to course handouts
Certificate of attendance
Light Breakfast
Lunch

Speakers:

Maria Hartman, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Teaching in the Program for the Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she teaches graduate level courses in language and literacy development as well as courses in assessment and teaching methods. Hartman also supervises pre-service teachers in schools, clinics and agencies that serve deaf and hard of hearing children throughout the New York City area. At Teachers College, her research and publications focus on language and literacy development. Hartman is a NYS certified Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing with many years of classroom teaching experience.
Elaine Smolen, PhD, CED, LSLS Cert. AVEd, is an Assistant Professor of Teaching in the Special Education: Deaf and Hard of Hearing program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research work centers around language and literacy development for young deaf and hard of hearing children who use listening and spoken language. Smolen received her PhD in deaf and hard of hearing education from Columbia as a National Leadership Consortium in Sensory Disabilities scholar. An experienced teacher of the deaf and certified Listening and Spoken Language Specialist, Smolen has served young DHH children and their families as a head classroom teacher and in an itinerant role. She is proud to be hard of hearing.
Ashley Ben-Jacob, M.Ed., is a Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Education Specialist, consultant, mentor and doctoral student at Idaho State University with over a decade of experience supporting children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families. She provides early intervention and school-age services while partnering with multidisciplinary teams to promote listening, language, communication, and educational access across home, school, and community settings. Ashley's professional interests focus on family-centered early intervention, coaching practices, interdisciplinary collaboration, and translating research into practical strategies that improve outcomes for children and families. Her doctoral research examines coaching practices in early intervention and the preparation of professionals serving young children who are deaf or hard of hearing, with a particular focus on how teacher preparation programs develop competencies in family-centered practice, collaboration, and coaching. She is passionate about equipping professionals with practical, evidence-informed tools that strengthen family partnerships, support interdisciplinary teamwork, and promote meaningful participation in everyday environments.

Summary:

This course will address two current topics through a workshop model:

Assessment data alone do not improve outcomes for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children, collaborative action does. This session uses a clinical reasoning framework to demonstrate how professionals can translate assessment findings into meaningful intervention across disciplines. Participants will explore three interconnected areas of practice: interpreting assessments during the transition from Part C to Part B services, embedding intervention within family-centered daily routines, and collaborating with educators and related service providers to support language and literacy development. Through practical examples and interdisciplinary discussion, attendees will learn strategies for connecting assessment findings to functional goals, everyday participation, and evidence-based literacy instruction. Emphasis will be placed on strengthening partnerships among families, Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, educators, and other team members to improve long-term communication, learning, and literacy outcomes.
This interactive workshop will equip teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing, speech language pathologists, audiologists, other professionals, and parents with the theoretical knowledge and practical tools necessary to implement the Science of Reading for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students. Participants will explore the intersection of language development, auditory access, and foundational literacy skills including the use of the Reading CASLLS in order to plan, facilitate acquisition, and assess reading development from birth through the “reading to learn” stages. Through hands-on activities, attendees will practice evidence-based, multisensory strategies to implement phonological awareness, orthographic mapping, and reading comprehension, ensuring equitable literacy outcomes for DHH learners.

Learner Outcomes:

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Interpret assessment findings across Part C and Part B services using a clinical reasoning approach that guides functional educational and intervention planning.
Apply family-centered coaching strategies that embed listening, language, and communication opportunities into children's daily routines through interdisciplinary collaboration.
Develop collaborative plans with families and educational team members that connect assessment findings to evidence-based language and literacy instruction, supporting improved participation and reading outcomes for deaf and hard of hearing learners.
Describe how the Science of Reading framework intersects with language development and auditory access for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) learners.
Use the Reading CASLLS tool to plan, target instruction, facilitate skill acquisition, and assess reading progress across developmental stages.
Demonstrate evidence-based, multisensory strategies for teaching phonological awareness, orthographic mapping, and reading comprehension to DHH students.

Time-Ordered Agenda:

8:30-9:00am – Registration / Light Breakfast

9:00-9:15am – Introduction / Disclosures

Ronda Rufsvold, CCHAT Executive Director

9:15-10:45am – Bridging Research and Practice: Aligning research to assessment, family-centered intervention, and literacy through interdisciplinary collaboration

10:45-11:00am – Break

11:00-12:00pm – Read Up! A New Era of Reading Achievement for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children

12:00-12:30pm – Lunch (provided)

12:30-2:30pm – Read Up! A New Era of Reading Achievement for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children

2:30-2:45pm – Break

2:45-3:45pm – Voices of the Journey: Insights from Caregivers and CI/hearing aid Users (panel)

3:45pm-4:00pm – Closing

Ronda Rufsvold, CCHAT Executive Director

Course Disclosures:

Financial – Dr. Smolen and Dr. Hartman are faculty at Teachers College, Columbia University and receive a salary. Mrs. Ben-Jacob is a self-employed DHH teacher.

Nonfinancial – No relevant non-financial relationship exists.