Prepare. Engage. Reminisce. The Secret to Unlocking Language Growth for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children

Every moment is a chance to build language — but for children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH), access determines whether that moment becomes a language lesson or a missed opportunity.

When we intentionally prepare for experiences, stay engaged during them, and take time to revisit them afterward, we don’t just give our children language.
We give them connection and comprehension.

That’s the heart of the Prepare–Engage–Reminisce framework — an approach taught through The Online Itinerant’s FRIEND Academy, originally shared by parent coach Bev Teeter. It’s simple, natural, and profoundly effective.

Why Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children Need This Approach

Language doesn’t develop in isolation. It develops through shared, meaningful experiences — when adults label, explain, question, and expand on what’s happening in the world around the child.

Hearing children absorb this naturally. From the backseat of the car to the dinner table, they overhear language all day long — how people greet each other, solve problems, make jokes, and share stories. This effortless “background language” is called incidental learning, and it accounts for the majority of early vocabulary growth and world knowledge.

For children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, this invisible network of overheard learning is often inaccessible — even with hearing technology. Distance, background noise, overlapping talkers, or visual distractions can block critical language input. As a result, DHH children frequently miss subtle but important pieces of information: how an event is organized, why people are laughing, or the context behind a conversation or even a mood.

That’s where Prepare–Engage–Reminisce becomes essential.
This framework intentionally replaces what hearing children “pick up” incidentally with structured, purposeful experiences that make language, context, and meaning visible and accessible.

This simple but profound approach ensures DHH children have equal access to the richness of shared experiences — so they can connect, participate, and grow linguistically and socially with confidence.

When we approach daily life with this structure, every family dinner, birthday party, field trip, or science project becomes a chance to strengthen vocabulary, deepen understanding, and nurture communication competence.

The Power of the Approach

Language development for DHH learners hinges on intentionality and access.
Prepare–Engage–Reminisce provides both.

It mirrors how strong language models naturally teach:

• Prepare – preview and scaffold new experiences so the child can predict and participate

• Engage – stay attuned and responsive during real interactions

• Reminisce – revisit and reframe experiences to consolidate learning

For hearing children, this structure happens informally. For DHH children, it must be deliberately built in — not because they can’t learn naturally, but because their access to natural input is inconsistent.

This approach doesn’t replace normal interaction; it enhances it. It takes what good parents and teachers already do and adds intentional layers of access and reflection.

1. Prepare: Build the Foundation Before the Experience

Think of “Prepare” as the preview to the movie.
When children know what to expect, their brains can focus on the language and relationships — not just trying to keep up.

In this phase, adults use their access lens to plan for communication success:

• Who will be there?

• What language or concepts might come up?

• What environmental or sensory barriers could interfere?

This is the time to frontload vocabulary, introduce key concepts, and set expectations in natural ways — reading a story about the event, looking at photos, or talking through who might attend and what they’ll do together.

By engaging children in this phase, they gain both language and ownership. They feel part of the process, not just along for the ride. This stage should feel “natural and casual,” not like work — folding vocabulary into shared tasks like shopping for the picnic food, decorating for the party, or talking about who will be there

Why it works:

Research shows that background knowledge acts as a mental organizer for new information. When children enter an experience with pre-taught concepts, they have cognitive “hooks” to hang new words on.
For DHH learners, this preparation reduces auditory and cognitive load, freeing up mental energy to focus on meaningful communication and emotional connection.

This step also fosters self-determination — teaching children to anticipate challenges, identify what helps them succeed, and plan for access needs in advance. These are lifelong advocacy skills wrapped inside family routines.

2. Engage: Experience the Moment, Scaffold the Language

This is where the learning lives.

During the event — whether it’s a Fourth of July cookout or a school assembly — the focus shifts to real-time participation.
The adult’s role becomes one of scaffolding, not shadowing.

Bev Teeter explains that if preparation was intentional, the level of support needed during the event is often minimal — just occasional help with communication repair, gentle advocacy, or clarifying changes in plans.

She recommends creating a signal system — a simple, private sign or cue the child can use when they need help. This empowers children to communicate their needs confidently and builds independence while reducing parental stress

Why it works:

The Engage phase mirrors what developmental psychologists call guided participation — learning that happens through shared, supported experiences.
For DHH students, it also builds listening stamina, conversational rhythm, and confidence in advocacy.
When adults scaffold access naturally — joining games, prompting turn-taking, or modeling repair — the child experiences authentic communication rather than constant correction.

During this phase, we shift from translator to coach.
Instead of filling in every gap, we help the child problem-solve, ask for clarification, or adjust positioning for better access. This active engagement turns language from something they “receive” into something they use.

And, just as importantly — have fun.
As Bev says, “This is where memories are made.” Shared joy fuels learning more effectively than any worksheet or flashcard ever could.

3. Reminisce: Revisit, Reflect, and Reinforce

This is the phase most often forgotten — yet it’s the one that turns experiences into lasting language growth.

After the event, set aside time to talk about it.
Look at photos, draw pictures, make a short “memory book,” or just reflect aloud:

• What was your favorite part?

• Who did you talk to?

• What was hard?

• What might we do differently next time?

These conversations are rich in temporal language (“first, then, later”), emotion vocabulary (“I felt proud when…”), and cause-and-effect reasoning — all essential for building narrative skills and reading comprehension.

Bev calls this “intentional remembering” — a chance to fill in missed details, clarify misunderstandings, and solidify memories through meaningful talk.

Why it works:

Neuroscience confirms that reflection strengthens memory consolidation.
When children retell and re-experience events, they move information from short-term memory into long-term understanding.
For DHH learners, reminiscing also provides the multiple exposures necessary for mastery — but now tied to personal experiences, which deepens emotional and linguistic retention.
This process supports metalinguistic awareness, theory of mind, and social-emotional growth, helping children see how their perspective fits into a broader community.

Over time, reminiscing creates not just better language users, but more thoughtful, connected communicators — children who can tell their own stories with pride.

Why It’s So Effective for DHH Learners

The Prepare–Engage–Reminisce cycle reflects what research calls a “three-pass” approach to language learning — preview, experience, review — but with one crucial addition: an access-first mindset.

For DHH children, this approach:

• Bridges the gap between hearing and access — ensuring that learning is intentional, not incidental

• Builds background knowledge, a strong predictor of academic success

• Strengthens working memory through repeated, meaningful exposure

• Develops self-advocacy and metacognitive skills — knowing when and how to ask for help

• Encourages joint attention, a foundation for sustained interaction and literacy

• Fosters social-emotional development, helping children form identity, belonging, and resilience

In short, this model doesn’t just build vocabulary — it builds competence and confidence.

Every stage offers new opportunities:

• Prepare: Anticipation and ownership

• Engage: Participation and connection

• Reminisce: Reflection and mastery

This simple framework transforms everyday routines into purposeful learning moments and empowers families and educators to support language growth authentically.

How to Apply It Right Now

Pick one event on your calendar — big or small:

• A family dinner

• A class science experiment

• A birthday party

• A field trip

Then apply the framework:

1. Prepare

   • Talk through who will be there and what will happen.

   • Pre-teach or preview new vocabulary.

   • Discuss possible access tools or strategies.

2. Engage

   • Stay observant of your child’s access.

   • Model communication repair naturally.

   • Encourage independence with your pre-established signal system.

3. Reminisce

   • Revisit the event later that day or week.

   • Share photos, drawings, or short retellings.

   • Reflect on what went well and what to try next time.

Start small — one event, one conversation, one reflection. Over time, it becomes a natural rhythm that builds confidence, connection, and language mastery.

Bringing It All Together

In the end, Prepare–Engage–Reminisce isn’t just a teaching technique — it’s a philosophy of connection.

It’s about slowing down enough to give our children what hearing peers receive effortlessly: the context and continuity of experience.
It’s how we make sure DHH children don’t just attend events — they experience them.
It’s how we ensure every moment becomes a stepping stone toward stronger language, richer relationships, and a deeper sense of belonging.

As Bev Teeter reminds us, this approach helps families “plan and attend events with confidence, knowing that their child has access.”
And as The Online Itinerant community continues to model, it’s how we ensure every DHH child can thrive — linguistically, socially, and emotionally — in a world built on communication.

The Bottom Line

Prepare–Engage–Reminisce works because it’s not about teaching language — it’s about living language.

It transforms ordinary life into extraordinary learning.
It empowers families to make communication visible, intentional, and joyful.
And most importantly, it gives DHH children what every child deserves:
a chance to be fully part of their world.

Want to Learn More?

Join our FRIEND Academy, where parents share real-life strategies, mini-lessons, and community discussions to help families create language-rich homes and confident communicators.

Or, explore our Professional Academy for Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing — where we equip educators with evidence-based strategies like this to build language, access, and independence for every student they serve.

Want a short training on what the Prepare, Engage, and Reminisce approach to learning language?  Check out THIS TRAINING on YouTube now.  (Subscribe to get more trainings and hacks related to working with students with hearing loss.)

Visit www.theonlineitinerant.com to learn more about our programs and how you can bring the Gold Standard of support to your child or classroom.