‘Teaching a child with a hearing impairment was a huge challenge for me,’ says Petra Kratinová, a teacher at a Prague elementary school.  

Thanks to a specialist educational project funded by the European Social Fund, Petra and teachers like her have been learning how to make school a better experience for children with hearing impairments. In order to support them in making the classroom a more inclusive environment, ‘Experience to Understanding’ has published 30 teaching methodologies, supplemented by lesson plans, worksheets and even an app.  

Leona Pejcharová, the project manager of the ESF-funded project, explains why such a programme has been necessary. ‘90–95% of children with a hearing impairment are born into families that have no experience with hearing impairment,’ she says. ‘It is similar with primary school teachers; they also do not have much experience with teaching a child with a hearing impairment.’ 

There was also another, less visible, issue to be addressed.  

‘Students are able to hide the consequences of their disability very well, so the teacher may not notice them at all,’ Leona continues. ‘That is why we initially found it very difficult to find educators who would be willing to cooperate with us on the project. In their opinion, “they had no problem”. Over time, we have found that such a teacher statement can be a real problem.’ 

The Experience to Understanding project, then, is also designed to raise public awareness and to be shared with more schools. There were twelve elementary schools involved in the initial project, and the outcomes are fully transferable.  

Petra has found Experience to Understand invaluable, both for herself and her class. ‘The project enabled us to ensure that a child with a hearing impairment is not excluded from the team, but on the contrary becomes an integral part of it,’ she says. ‘Therefore, they can complete all the activities prepared for them at school by the teacher.’