Academic Catalog
American Sign Language & English Bilingual Early Childhood Deaf Education: Birth to 5 Certificate Program
Overview
Dr. Laurene Simms, Program Coordinator
Fowler Hall, Room 406
This Graduate certificate program is designed to offer a program of study for in-service and pre-service professionals who work with or are seeking careers working with deaf and hard of hearing children from birth to 5 years old and their families in educational settings.
The 21-credit certificate program is designed to make it possible for full-time professionals to take courses. The program will emphasize advocacy, language planning, pedagogy, assessment, program planning, and theory and practices in ASL/English bilingual early education. In alignment with the Department of Education's mission, the program will emphasize culturally relevant critical pedagogy as a goal for the candidates to become change agents and leaders in advocating for and educating deaf and hard of hearing children and their families.
The certificate in ASL/English bilingual early childhood education: birth to 5 program is not intended to lead to licensure and does not lead to licensure in Washington, D.C. Gallaudet University has also determined that the program also does not meet professional licensure requirements in all 50 states and U.S. territories.
Requirements
Admission Requirements & Procedures
Interested applicants for the American Sign Language & English Bilingual Early Childhood Education: Birth to 5 Certificate Program may apply for either graduate or professional studies training (PST) credits. All applicants must complete the application procedures and meet the requirements for graduate study at Gallaudet University. Applicants who are interested in obtaining professional studies (PST) credit should visit the Center for Continuing & Online Education website: Center of Continuing & Online Education and applicants for the graduate certificate program should visit the Graduate Admissions website for more information: Graduate Admissions
The deadline for Consideration of Application for summer admission: April 1st.
The program admission requirements are:
- B.A. OR B.S. degree
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- ASLPI result of 2 or above and/or multi-measurement artifacts (use of ASL)
- A bachelor's degree in Deaf Education, Special Education, Counseling, Social Work and/or any related fields
- License/certificate of teaching (optional)
- Evidence of successful paid or volunteer work with infants, children, or adolescents and/or families (at least two years)
Summer 1
Fall 1
Spring 1
Summer 2
Courses
EDU 760 - Foundations of Policy and Legislative on Bilingualism: Implications for ASL/ENG Biling for 0-5 (3)
This course is designed to educate candidates about state and federal education policies, particularly as they pertain to bilingualism. In addition, the course addresses a basic working knowledge of regulations essential to the role and as bilingual early childhood professionals. Candidates will implement policies and regulations using the language planning framework in their work in homes, schools and agencies, and the community. It elaborates and builds upon knowledge and dispositions learned in foundation courses.
Prerequisite: Instructor or program coordinator's approval
EDU 761 - Theoretical Perspectives of ASL/ENG Bilingual Education for 0-5 (3)
This course introduces the candidates theoretical perspectives and current research of bilingualism. It is designed for the candidates to acquire an understanding of the concepts related to the development of bilingual language abilities (signacy, oracy, and literacy) for children 0-5 years of age. This course examines bilingual communities, bilingual deaf and hearing children and their language development and use, the bilingual brain, language maintenance and shift, transference, code switching and language attitudes. The course will also address historical and cultural aspects of bilingualism in early childhood deaf children.
Prerequisites: Instructor or program director's approval
EDU 762 - Early Language Acquisition and Cognitive Development of Bilingualism (3)
This course describes the early development of ASL and English in young deaf and hard of hearing children and their impact on cognitive development. The course examines how deaf and hard of hearing children go through developmental stages of acquiring and learning American Sign Language, which is similar to how hearing children go through developmental stages of acquiring a spoken language and how this development is tied to cognitive functions that are the precursors for further linguistic and academic growth (sign babbling, sign jargon, first words, ASL grammatical development and vocabulary expansion). In addition, the course will address factors intrinsic to the bilingual child as well as to the environment that promote and/or prevent their linguistic and cognitive development.
Prerequisite: Department's chair or program director's approval
EDU 763 - Assessment and Individualized Planning in ASL/English Bilingual Early Childhood (3)
This course will address individualized planning for language and emergent literacy development that can be used as a guide for teaching and learning interventions to support a child's linguistic competence in American Sign Language (ASL) and English. Candidates will apply various American Sign Language (ASL) and English assessment tools to explore ways of assessing diverse deaf and hard-of-hearing candidates' language and literacy acquisition and learning at home and at school. Based on the results of these assessments, the Candidates will reflect on and identify the bilingual methodology approaches to meet the ASL and English language and literacy needs of candidates. They will apply these strategies to home plan, lesson and unit planning, and within their settings.
Prerequisites: Instructor or program coordinator's approval
EDU 764 - Applications in ASL/English Bilingual Early Childhood Education for 0-5 (3)
This course is designed to prepare the candidates to apply an ASL/English Bilingual Framework in Early Childhood Education for deaf and hard of hearing children. This framework describes how the acquisition and learning of ASL and English (written and spoken) are being facilitated. This course reflects upon bilingual models and concepts and discusses the language planning process required to establish an environment that demonstrates value for both languages. Also, it focuses on meeting the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing children and families that it serves. Use of bilingual methodologies, assessment, effective strategies, and language teaching including signacy, oracy and literacy and critical pedagogy will be addressed.
Prerequisites: Department's chair or program coordinator's approval
EDU 765 - The Family Collaboration and Partnership: The ASL/ENG Bilingual Lens (3)
ASL and English Bilingualism at home and in school promotes healthy language development and communication, and creates positive self-esteem among deaf/hard of hearing children from diverse backgrounds. This course/seminar is designed for professionals to acquire the knowledge and skills to work collaboratively with diverse families and other professionals to support the bilingual development and education of young deaf and hard of hearing children. Participants will discuss a working model of bilingual language acquisition (American Sign Language and English), approaches to providing support and encouragement to families, ways to promote positive communication with families, and the creation of culturally responsive and inclusive early childhood educational communities for all families. IN addition, participants will apply a basic working knowledge of Part C and Part B of the IDEA regulations as members of an early childhood education team.
Prerequisites: Department's chair or program director's approval
EDU 767 - Capstone I (1)
This capstone project course provides the opportunity for candidates in the Advanced Studies Program, Special Program & Graduate Certificate programs to apply and demonstrate skills, knowledge, and dispositions developed throughout the courses in the program through completing a self-designed capstone project. Candidates will complete their proposal plan for the capstone project by the end of the fall semester.
Prerequisites: Program Director's approval, completion of EDU 760 and EDU 761
EDU 768 - Capstone II (1)
This capstone project course provides the opportunity for candidates in the Advanced Studies Program, Special Program & Graduate Certificate programs to apply and demonstrate skills, knowledge, and dispositions developed throughout the courses in the program through completing a self-designed capstone project. Candidates will show evidences of making progress with the capstone project by the end of the spring semester.
Prerequisites: Program Director's approval, completion of EDU 767