Understanding Hearing Aids: A Guide for Educators & Children

If your child or a student in your class has a hearing aid, you might be wondering how you should address the issue with other children in the class. Devoting a lesson to explain what a hearing aid is and how it works can be helpful for children in accepting the hearing-impaired child.

Things You'll Need

• "A Button in Her Ear," by Ada Bassett Litchfield
• Hearing aid
• Amplification device

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Instructions

• 1

  Read students the book "A Button in Her Ear," by Ada Bassett Litchfield. Discuss why the girl in the story gets a hearing aid and how it helps her.

• 2

  Show students a real hearing aid, and explain what the different parts do.

• 3

  Hand out small earplugs (available at a drugstore) to students, and have them put them in their ears. Ask students to complete an activity (e.g., drawing a group picture, playing a short game) with the earplugs in. Afterwards, ask them to describe their experience.

• 4

  Connect the hearing aid to the amplification device and speak near the hearing aid. Note to the students how the hearing aid makes your voice sound louder.

• 5

  If possible, provide students with a bear fitted with a plush hearing aid (available from BuildABear). Allow them to play with the bear and examine the hearing aid.