Birth to Three Playgroup

Michael Moon, Med.
Partners For a Greater Voice 2/06/07

The key to success with an auditory/oral philosophy, as with most educational approaches, is early intervention. Establishing good listening skills, consistent use of appropriate amplification, and an environment that fosters a need to communicate at an early age will greatly enhance a child’s ability to learn to listen and talk. Parent involvement is critical, and parents can initiate play groups among themselves. Schools can facilitate play groups as well. The establishment of a birth to three year old playgroup can and should be a priority of all programs for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The goals of a birth to three playgroup are:

• To provide a place and time for parents and their infants or toddlers to get together in a welcoming environment (six to eight families per ten-week session).
• To provide age appropriate toys, books, equipment and activities.
• To provide one or two professionals who are there as facilitators to play and talk.
• To provide a framework and direction for each session.

HEAR in New Hampshire (U.S.A.) established a birth to three playgroup with very few additional resources using the following model:

• Three ten-week sessions from 2 to 4 PM once a week. Although everyone involved would have preferred morning sessions, the teachers were in class in the morning.
• Families were expected to pay a small registration fee for each ten-week session. It has been proven that paying even a minimal fee increases the commitment to the program.
• Children ranged in age from ten weeks to three years. One or more family members were encouraged to attend each week. The playgroup was not a babysitting service. Having a wide range of ages gave the parents of the younger children an opportunity to meet and talk with parents of older children.
• A teacher of the deaf and a speech and language pathologist facilitated each session. The goal of each session was to play, sing, laugh, talk, play, eat and talk. The teachers were there, not to lead the group, but to answer questions, model good communication strategies, and keep the sessions moving.
• Each session provided a free-play time for exploration and imagination, a table activity time, a group snack time, and a music and movement time.
• Routines were established early in order to provide consistency and repetition.
• After the first few weeks parents and children became interchangeable. Children learned to ask any adult for assistance, not just mommy or daddy.