Written by an expert in the field who is both a teacher and a teacher-educator, this book is an in-depth and practical resource for educators and parents who wish to introduce music to children with hearing loss.

Author Lyn Schraer-Joiner makes a compelling case for offering music education to children with hearing loss before presenting a series of important and up-to-date teaching strategies meant to inform their educational experience, including preparations for the classroom, communication strategies for parents and teaching staff, and tips on more specific or technical matters such as conducting musical audiograms. These resources provide a solid background for hands-on instructional materials such as music lessons, supplemental activities, educational resources, discussion points, and journal samples for the classroom and home.

Schraer-Joiner goes to great lengths to offer detailed, purposeful suggestions for specific classroom settings such as general music, choral ensemble, and instrumental ensemble as well as a set of recommended listening lessons that take this potential variety of settings into account. Furthermore, Schraer-Joiner provides suggestions for incorporating music into everyday activities and also presents an overview of recent research which reinforces the benefits of music upon social and emotional development as well as speech and language development. Each chapter concludes with a section entitled "For Your Consideration" which features review questions, ideas, and instructional activities that teachers and parents can accomplish with deaf and hard of hearing children. The book's "Kids Only" online component provides deaf and hard-of-hearing children with descriptions of the many opportunities available to them in the arts, inspirational case studies and stories, as well as important
ideas and topics for deaf and hard-of-hearing children to consider discussing with the teachers, family members, and healthcare
professionals that they work with.

The message of this book is a powerful one particularly in this day and age. As hearing aid and cochlear implant technologies improve and become increasingly widespread, all teachers--especially music teachers--should expect to see more deaf and hard-of-hearing children in their classrooms. Awareness and preparation are not only vital in aiding these children in the classroom, but are in fact required of teachers by federal law.

This book is a comprehensive resource for teachers and parents who wish to gain a better understanding of the emerging field of music education for students with hearing loss.

About the Author:
Dr. Lyn Schraer-Joiner is an Assistant Professor at Kean University, Union, NJ. Her research interests include the musical rehabilitation of adult cochlear implant recipients, the musical responsiveness of children with prelingual hearing loss, and hearing loss prevention for musicians. She is the founder of PROJECT REACH: The Kean University Concert Series for the Deaf, a student-faculty group which performs for Deaf schools throughout New Jersey, New York, and Delaware. Her research findings have been presented on both the national and international levels and published in journals such as Music Education Research, The Music Educators Journal, and Early Childhood Development and Care. Dr. Schraer taught instrumental, vocal, and general music in New York for five years and has taught at the undergraduate level for 14 years.