Multiple-intelligence teaching
Most children acquire information easily through oral communication and reading. By contrast, children with hearing loss build up their knowledge little by little via formal teaching. Hearing loss causes changes in signal processing of the auditory system both quantitatively and qualitatively, and therefore deprives hearing-impaired children of many opportunities of incidental learning, which is the main mode of learning for children from 0 to 6.
Bothe sensory and social stimulation during early childhood plays a crucial role on the development of senses and intelligence. The process of learning occurs under the integration of all senses. Every concept can be learned via more than one sense and method. By doing so, hearing-impaired children can learn from difference perspectives, experience the links among them, form various depths of a concept and foster the ability of generalization.
Owing to the advances in technology, hearing aids have stepped into a digital era and made great improvement in function and quality. Cochlear implantation has brought up satisfactory outcomes, and broken the limitation of speech development made by hearing loss. The progression of hearing science helps us obtain a better understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the auditory system, and clear up questions brought up by hearing impairment, hearing loss, and hearing disability. The invention of hearing screening and assessment tools makes it possible to identify hearing loss on an infant and to actually implement early intervention. Advances in neuroscience change the definition of “intelligence”, and therefore forces educators to re-examine the substance of teaching, an act to give rise to global educational revolution.
New thoughts and perspectives owing to technological advances make us realize that we can no longer be satisfied with the fact that hearing-impaired children can listen and speak. We should help them develop their ability to learn and to solve problems, integrate with the mainstream society, and become a truly independent individual. To achieve this goal, our foundation originated a teaching method by applying multiple intelligences to the education for the hearing impaired. In addition to “individual class” and “group class”, we started “language learning through story class”, music class”, “art class” and “drama class”. Different from the conventional teaching method which puts the most emphasis on “listening” and “speaking”, these courses integrate 8 intelligences—linguistic intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence, spatial intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, musical intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence, and naturalistic intelligence. We hope to help hearing-impaired children develop their multiple intelligences in natural contexts, so that they can be equipped with abilities of independent learning and social adaption which are necessary in receiving mainstream education.

◎ Individual class
◆ Duration：1 hour per week
◆ Format：one-to-one
◆ Course objective：to develop highly functional auditory skills

Individual class is given once every week for 1 hour. The objective is to help children with hearing loss develop highly functional auditory skills. Before each class, the teacher designs a lesson plan based on the child’s ability. By demonstration in class, the teacher instructs the parent how to teach his/her own child at home.
（view individual class clip）

◎ Group class
◆ 10 hours per week (4-6 children) with an additional one-to-one class (1 hour per week)
◆ Course objectives—
•To expand cognition
•To cultivate logic and thinking
•To improve comprehensive and expressive language
•To learn routines in life and interpersonal relations

Children with similar abilities are grouped in one class for the duration of 10 hours each week. The class objectives includes expanding children’s cognition, cultivating their logic and thinking, improving comprehensive and expressive language and learning daily routines and interpersonal relations. By achieving these objectives, children would equip themselves with abilities to be mainstreamed in the future.
（view group class clip）

◎ Contextual class
◆ Duration：once per month
◆ Format：individual or group
◆ Course objective：to apply learned skills to real life
Bring our child with hearing loss to real-life contexts and experience everything he/she learns in class. In the unlimited space of learning, contextual class enriches the child’s learning experience, helping him/her acquire the abilities to solve problems in life. Indoor or outdoor, individual or in group, the once-a-month contextual class helps the child integrate what he/she has learned and apply it to real life. The activities aim at not only improving cognitive and language skills, but conveying knowledge of safety, morality, observation of nature, environmental protection and resource utilization. Sometimes, activities are tied in with holidaysand social events so that children’s learning and growth can be closer to the environment we live in. Further, by demonstration, contextual class serves as a chance for the teacher to implant in parents the idea of “teaching at any time.” We always found that children have fun and learn a lot from class. Also, teachers and parents benefit greatly.
（view contextual class clip）

◎ Language learning through story class
◆ Duration：2.5 hours per week
◆ Format：group
◆ Course objectives：
•To improve non-colloquial expressions
•To cultivate pre-reading skills
•To improve group discussion and interpersonal relations
•To strengthen abilities and confidence of self expression
•To introduce social value and morality
Language learning through story class is given once a week for the duration of 2.5 hours. Course objectives include improving formal expressions, cultivating pre-reading skills, improving group discussion, interpersonal relations and self expression, and introducing social value and morality. Before each class, the teacher adapts a story based on the topic to be discussed and children’s age. Following concepts of story analysis and dialogical reading, questions of different levels are designed. Also, assignments are given to extend the story to different areas other than the story itself. They could be tasks of description, logic, space, or observation. For children who already possess certain degree of language and cognitive skills, and who are not satisfied with individual class for the lack of group discussion, language learning through story class provides an advanced class style of language learning.
（view story class performance clip）

◎ Music class
◆Duration：1 hour per week
◆Format：group
◆Course objectives：
•To perceive musical elements through hearing and body
•To learn turn-taking and integrated group interaction
•To develop association, imagination and expression in music
•To build up healthy emotion
Music, rhythm and the development of language are highly correlated. Young children who have constant contact with music are more motivated to interact with the surrounding world. Research indicates that music improves children’s space and logic intelligences. Elements in music, such as rhythm, pitch and duration, are important media for children to learn language. In music class which is given 1 hour per week, children not only learn to perceive musical elements through hearing and body, but to learn turn-taking and integrated group interaction from group performance and music games. Also, children learn to develop association, imagination and expression in music and establish the ability of emotional management.
（view music class clip）

◎ Art class
◆ Duration：1 hour per week
◆ Format：group
◆ Class objectives
• To cultivate good observation and concepts of space
• To learn the change and integration of colors and lines
• To express own thoughts through art work
• To help the growth of cognition, emotion, perception, aesthetics and creativity

Art class is given on the basis of space intelligence and naturalistic intelligence. The class objective is not to teach painting skills, but to guide the children to improve their observation and understanding of the surrounding world. To be more specific, art class hopes to cultivate the children with good observation and sense of space, help them learn the change and integration of colors and lines, express their own thoughts through art work, and improve the growth of cognition, emotion, perception, aesthetics and creativity.

◎ Drama class
◆ Duration：2 hours per week
◆ Format：group
◆ Class objectives:
•To understand the relationship between own body and space
•To learn to express feelings and emotions
•To develop abilities of imitating, associating, imagining and creating

Drama class is taught in group for the duration of 2 hours. It aims at guiding children to understand the relationship between their own body and space. It is also hoped that, from role play, children can learn to express feelings and emotions, and develop abilities of imitating, associating, imagining and creating.