Instructional Readers with Deaf Characters

Springboard - Macmillan
Red

The reader features Santana and his friend, who are both deaf. It shows the boys playing: in the sandpit, on the swings, on a slide, with a ball, playing chess and on the computer.

Flying Colours, Nelson Australia Ltd, 2003
Red/Yellow Levels 5/6

This is a non-fiction red reader, written in the report genre about garden worms. The only character is depicted wearing a hearing aid. However, there is no reference to her being deaf in the text.

Fast Forward Series
(High interest low reading age readers)
Yellow 1, Level 6

The story is about Carla who has a friend to stay the night. The girls watch television and captions are shown on the screen illustration. Carla does not hear her friend try to wake her in the night as she has her hearing aid on her bedside cabinet.

PM Photo Stories
Yellow, Level 8

This instructional reader is about Rani staying the night at her friend Meg's house. No mention is made in the text that Rani is deaf but she is shown wearing her hearing aids.

Fireflies - Oxford Reading Tree
Dark blue, Level 9

This reader describes seven different ways of communicating with family and friends. It includes using a phone, text messaging, emailing, letter writing and using sign language.

PM Science Facts
Blue/green, Levels 11-12

Theme: Report/Explanation
The simple text explains about the life of a seven year old signing deaf boy at home and at school.

Fast Forward Series
Green 1, Level 12

Thomas Edison was a great inventor. Many of his inventions and ideas helped to change the world. Edison became deaf as a child. Many people say that being deaf helped to make Edison a good inventor.

Sunshine Books - Level 4 -- Set 7, Heinemann Education, 1993
Reading Age: 6.5 - 7.0

In two parts, the first is a story about Tim, an eight year-old Deaf boy who wears hearing aids and signs. The story includes some graphics of Tim signing as well as the fingerspelt alphabet. The story is positive and emphasizes what Tim can do.

The second part focuses on animal and human ears. It describes what people use their ears for.

Flying Colours, Nelson Australia, 2004
Turquoise, Reading Age: 7.0 - 7.5 yrs

This is a very early 'chapter' book with three chapters. Jason, the main character, is deaf and wears hearing aids with coloured ear moulds. The story also shows Jason signing and inside the front cover are illustrated signs for: learn, puppy, tiny, good and love.

Flying Colours, Nelson Australia, 2004

Turquoise, Reading Age: 7.0 - 7.5 yrs

This is another very early chapter book with four chapters. The signs illustrated inside the front cover are afraid, smell, clever, dog, under, danger and good.

Web Plus, Nelson Thomson
Reading Age: 8.5 yrs.

This instructional reader focuses on five problems. The four pages that are devoted to answering the question "How can I help Gran hear better?" focus briefly on hearing aids, cochlear implants and an early ear trumpet. It explains how a cochlear implant works with the aid of a diagram. A great read for students who wear these assistive devices.

All the chain Gang Series of texts are in an early chapter book format. The books are well supported by illustrations and speech balloons.
This series is comprised of a collection of exciting stories featuring a group of children whose passion for mountain-bike racing leads them into all kinds of adventures. Each member of the gang, has a distinctive character and individual hobbies. Andy is the deaf character and the illustrations show him signing.

School Journal Part 3, Number 3, 2002
Reading Age: 8.5-9.5 years

Turbo is a friendly border terrier puppy. He lives with the Simchowitz family, none of whom can hear well. Turbo is a "hearing dog", helping the family to cope with the problems that come with deafness.

School Journal Part 1, Number 3, 2008
Reading Age: 8.5 -- 9.5 years

Leevarde wears a hearing aid in each ear. This article explains what happens when he goes to the clinic to have his hearing aids checked. An accompanying article explains how a hearing aid works.

School Journal Part 1, Number 3, 2008
Reading Age: 8.5 -- 9.5 years

This article and simple diagram explain how a hearing aid works.

PM Chapter Books - Emerald Set B Level 26, Nelson Thomson Learning, 2000
Reading Age: 9.5 -10.0

Nick has a unilateral hearing loss and has just been fitted with a hearing aid. Nick's hearing aid turned out to be 'super-tuned' and he heard things such as a police car-chase and a mayday call from a fishing boat when he was wearing it.

School Journal Part 01, Number 5, 1997
Reading Age: 9.5-10.5 years

Kerri-Anne loves riding, but unlike most horse enthusiasts, she didn't hear the whinny of a pony until the age of six. It was then that she received her cochlear implant.

School Journal Part 2, Number 2, 2002
Reading Age 9.5 - 10.5 years

A young deaf boy tells about the visit by the Samoan Silent World Theatre to Kelston School for the Deaf in Auckland.

School Journal Part 2, Number 2, 2002

This activity invites readers to sign a sentence with sign language.