Abstract
Today, children with hearing loss are often identified at birth, fitted with advanced hearing technology, and enrolled in family-centered early intervention. Most of these children have the opportunity to enter kindergarten or first grade with language competencies that rival their hearing peers. For these children to be successful communicators ready to learn, professionals serving them and their families-such as early interventionists, speech-language pathologists, and early childhood educators-must understand the developmental, communicative, and educational challenges inherent to childhood hearing loss. Likewise, these professionals also must be competent practitioners in the provision of evidence-based interventions that establish the critical foundations for literacy acquisition.