As well as the benefits listed below, you can look at our impact page to see blogs about the fun involved in a lipreading class!

• Improve communication through lipreading practice and exercises
• Provide communication strategies
• Exercises using voicing patterns
• Coping strategies
• Problem solving
• Information items
• An opportunity to relax and chat in a safe environment
• Lessens the isolation and frustration felt by those with a hearing loss
• Lipreading awareness

L – Looking at lips, eyes and facial expressions
I – Information given at all times
P – Passion for communication
R – Role-playing
E – Everyday communication
A – Animated conversations
D – Developing lipreading skills

In a lipreading class, there are all sorts of exercises that take place, with some examples listed below:

• Recognising speech movements
• Recognising vowels
• Fingerspelling is used as an aid for lip patterns that look similar, and also for those that are invisible
• Coping strategies and problem-solving to build up confidence with different scenarios
• Information items provide all kinds of benefits in everyday life
• Fun & interesting stories & pair exercises
• Practice lipreading with others in the class to build up skills
• Speakers from other organisations

There is a voicing lipreading pattern which is used in exercises where sentences are said without voice, and then with voice.

The pattern used is to say the sentence 3 times without voice so that you can recognise the lip patterns, then 2 times with voice (and written up on a flipchart / via PowerPoint slides on a smart board) so you know for sure what has been said, then 2 times without voice to understand the lip pattern.

This way, you become familiar with the lip patterns.

Each week, there is a different subject theme – a lipreading class is all about clues, so some classes have homework providing a clue to what the next class will be about. The classes usually last 3 terms, with each term lasting around 10 weeks.

Another important part of the class is the tea-break, as this gives you time to socialise with the other members of the class and is a good way of sharing experiences of hearing loss faced by others.

This is another way of building up confidence and feeling less isolated, which is often connected with hearing loss.

The face-to-face classes take place in a specific venue, and you will meet the tutor and other students.

The online class will use a platform such as Zoom, and this is extremely beneficial for those who cannot travel or are in areas where there are no face-to-face classes.

Both styles of class have the same format of learning.

One-to-one sessions for lipreading tuition may be available in your area, and your local tutor will be able to advise you of this.

Some of the online tutors may also offer one-to-one classes.

The lipreading classes are run by qualified tutors, many of whom have qualified under the Scottish Course to Train Tutors of Lipreading, which has recently changed its name to Lipread Scotland.

All the classes are listed on the Lipread Scotland website, where the contact details of the tutors can be found.

For those who wish to refer someone to a lipreading class, there is a pathway where this can be done.

They can take place in the morning/afternoon/evening, and some are run by local councils, organisations or centres that are linked to sensory loss.

Should you be looking for more information on a class near you, please contact us at Lipread Scotland.