The Music to My Ears (MTME) Pre-K and Elementary school-based program is the first of its kind, supporting deaf and hard of hearing classrooms and specifically designed for students ages 3-7. Started in 2020, the implementation of the FHSR school-based music curriculum continues to expand throughout Chicago and its suburbs. Children of with all levels of hearing loss using all devices (and none!) participate in music classes embedded within the daily curriculum. This high-quality program promotes communication, language acquisition, articulation and gains in self-esteem for the students, while supporting their growing confidence in their communication and speaking voice. This DHH-specific curriculum has been developed to meet the needs of all communication modes from Listening & Spoken Language to Total Communication and American Sign Language with a strong emphasis on measurable outcomes supporting classroom learning and literacy.
Launched in January of 2020, FHSR’s school-based curriculum and afterschool programming was piloted at Child’s Voice Oral Deaf School and Children of Peace / Trinity School for the Deaf. This unique music curriculum has been created specifically for young children with hearing loss to promote communication, strong vocalization, pitch and timbre, all areas that support language confidence. Â
The FHSR DHH school-based music program provides weekly 45-minute classes along with the all instruments and materials necessary for student participation. Annual performances allow families to celebrate their students’ progress and provide insight into classroom activities.
Our 2023-2024 school year saw growth in key categories:Â
• 90% of our students were measured as good, very good, or excellent in terms of demonstrating proper call and response on their assessment. The goal of call and response is to support the strengthening of a child’s communication skills.
• 93% of the students increased their singing voice self-confidence. FHSR believes singing voice self-confidence supports positive self-advocacy, a crucial tool for children with hearing loss.
• 83% of our students were assessed as good, very good, and excellent on an independent assessment for proper pitch placement.
If your school has a deaf and hard of hearing program and you are interested in learning more about our Music To My Ears school-based programs, please contact our Executive Director at info@fhsr.org.
To learn more about our partner schools, please see their links below:Â
Contact us if you have a DHH program and would like more information about this programming.
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We hope you will consider making a sound investment in our children. Thank you!
