We are thrilled that your family has chosen Rocky Mountain Deaf School’s Early Literacy Program for Toddlers & Families as an early literacy and exploration experience for your child. Our goal is to make this program a fantastic experience for everyone… toddlers, families, and staff alike. We provide a literacy-based program in American Sign Language and English in a rich learning environment that nurtures your child’s exploration, creativity, and growth. Throughout the program, families will be modeled on a variety of early literacy activities and will learn effective strategies for promoting their child’s language and learning. Our program realizes the value of parents connecting and supporting one another as well as the chance to interact with other families with children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
During the program, we will have a lot of experiences, but safety is our number one priority. All of our staff members are well trained and were specifically chosen for their ability to work with young children. To ensure everyone’s safety, we ask that families attend with their child for the first month of the program to support their child and maximize the program’s impact.
The first step is to complete the registration to ensure that your child is under good care and that we have all the information to support your child’s needs in communication, medical, and other areas. Your paperwork must be received in order to be considered for the program.
Please be sure your paperwork is completed and submitted before the due date. After we receive your completed registration packet, you will receive a parent letter with specific details of the Early Literacy Program for Toddlers & Families and our confirmed schedule. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the registration packet, please contact Stephanie Carson at scarson@rmds.co or 720-961-9211.
We are looking forward to a great program and working with you and your child!
General Information:
The program will be held in person on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
First Day of the Program: Tuesday, September 12, 2023.
Last Day of the Program: Thursday, May 16, 2024.
Home Visit Opportunity (NEW!):
Families have the opportunity to schedule a home visit with your child's Early Literacy Program teacher on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. The home visit can range from 30 minutes to an hour. Your child's teacher will reach out to you to schedule a home visit that works best for you.
The purpose of conducting a home visit is for the professional to establish a positive and nurturing relationship with parents and their child, at the same time, helping to create a bilingual environment in their home setting by supporting and utilizing the resources they receive from the Toddler and Early Literacy Program. Also, home visits foster early literacy skills and promote a child's language development by modeling both ASL and English development with parents and children.
Purpose and Philosophy:
Rocky Mountain Deaf School is founded on the belief that Deaf and Hard of Hearing can and should succeed. In this intellectually stimulating environment, communication is totally accessible throughout the program from every person in the child’s environment. Each student’s potential is maximized as teachers continue to instill in each child the joy of living and learning. With our program, we believe that fun and learning go hand-in-hand. We are committed to supporting each child’s joy of learning by nurturing their emotional, creative, and intellectual needs.
Language Rich Learning Environment:
During the program, we provide a linguistically rich learning environment through the acquisition of American Sign Language and English both inside and outside the program. All staff members are fluent in both American Sign Language and English.
Eligible children:
*Ages 18 months to 3 years old
*Deaf or Hard of Hearing
*Completed all the required paperwork
*Families must be present during the first week of the program