A Supported Playgroup for Children with and without Hearing Loss
Zerrin TURAN
Abstract
This study aims to describe content and structure of a supported playgroup for children with and without hearing loss and evaluate its benefits according to teachers and mothers of participant children. It was designed as a qualitative case study. 14 mothers and 2 teachers of the deaf were the participants of the study. The data were collected through video recordings of the playgroups, semi-structured interviews with the participants, field notes and researcher’s reflective journals. The data were analysed inductively. The results indicated that playgroup was consisted of 5 main parts including free play, structured group time, following activity, music and snack time. Age-appropriate play materials were chosen purposefully to improve interaction skills of mothers and children. The benefits observed by parents and teachers were mostly related to improvement in socialization and language skills of children. The benefits and organization of the playgroup were discussed considering the findings and related literature.