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Alyssa Andreachuk
Stokoes work led to findings that garnered American Sign Language (ASL) linguistic
status (as cited in Daniels, 2001, p. 120). Now, like any other structured language, ASL
has its own grammar, syntax and morphology (Daniels, 2001).
Along with additional memory connections, sign language can increase childrens
literacy and learning through its visual nature. While the ears are the receivers for
English, sign language relies on the eyes for reception. This visual-spatial nature of sign
language leads to its intake to be by the right hemisphere of the brain, rather than the left
(Daniels, 2001). This intake is significant because children benefit greatly from visual
learning. An important comprehension strategy is visualizing, as it helps students create
mental images of what they are reading, or what they are hearing being read to them, in
their minds (Tompkins, 2011). However, if students are unable to create these mental
images in their minds, the words they are reading will be difficult for them to
comprehend (Daniels, 2001). Sign language can mediate this through providing a picture
for students to connect a word to. This process is greatly helped through the iconic nature
of signs (Daniels, 2001). For example, if children were to read the word car, they may
not be able to picture that word in his or her head. However, car is an iconic sign in
ASL, as it is portrayed through the mimicking of using a steering wheel. If a child knows
this sign, he or she can connect it back to the word, and to their previous experience of
seeing a steering wheel being used in a car. These connections can help create a visual
picture of a word for a child as well as further increase their semantic knowledge of the
English language. Even if a sign is not iconic, the gestures used to create that sign can
provide a visualization of the word, creating a concrete connection to the word for a child
(Daniels, 2001).
Sign language can also increase literacy and learning through its use of
movement. It has been found that children can create words with sign language before
they are ready to speak (Pettitto & Holowka, 2002). Sign language can capitalize on this
through using gestures to create meaning before children are able to write. The movement
of sign language creates a more conscious thought connection to the English language
than just hearing or seeing it does. Adults are able to connect to the English language
through motion by taking notes (Daniels, 2001). However, this process of writing is still
unnatural to children at a young age. Children are able to more naturally make gestures
with their hands before they are able to write words down with a pencil on paper
(Daniels, 2001). Furthermore, children often find the formality of writing on paper to be
intimidating (Newman, personal communication, n.d.) Sign language can be less
intimidating because a mistake can be easily corrected through the remoulding of a
childs hand to the proper gesture. Overall the motion of sign language can be an easier
first step into constructing English words and thoughts in comparison to writing or even
saying words.
Next I will explore how sign language can assist in the literacy and learning of
children with special needs. For these learners, the visual nature of sign language can
create a strong support for their communication and literacy development.
Students with attention deficit disorder (ADD) can benefit from sign language as
they learn mostly through pictures. As discussed, sign language is visual-spatial language,
and the concrete pictures it can make through gestures can greatly aid these highly visual
learners (Daniels, 2001). Potentially, students with ADD could use sign language to stay
better engaged in their learning.
Children with dyslexia, who also rely greatly on mental pictures, particularly
while reading, can also benefit from sign language. These learners often struggle with
words that do not have an image associated with them (Daniels, 2001). For instance,
these children cannot tell the difference between words like the and then as they have
no picture attached to them (Daniels, 2001). However, these students can benefit through
sign language by fingerspelling out the letters in each word. This process allows them to
see the difference between the two words through connecting them to concrete images.
Children with autism can also particularly benefit from sign language. These
children have trouble comprehending verbal communication, but do much better with
visual processing (Daniels, 2001). Signs can provide a way for them to understand
language through feeling and seeing it. Integrating sign language practice at both the
home and in the classroom can also lead to vocabulary development for children with
autism (Toth, 2009). Sign language, in some cases, may also lead to oral language
development as well in children with autism (Daniels, 2001).
Children with Down syndrome may also find benefit through sign language when
it comes to their language acquisition. These children often have difficulty
communicating through speech (Toth, 2009). Signs can aid in their communication
through the use of movement and gestures for expression. Like with autism, the
integration of signs at home and school can lead to an expanded vocabulary as well as
oral language development (Toth, 2009).
So far it is clear that the visual nature of sign language can have positive
developments for the learning and literacy of special needs students. Toth (2009) stresses
the importance of further sign language research in the area of special needs students in
order to better their expression and retrieval of information. She suggests continued,
collaborative and comprehensive effort is needed to support the specific needs of each
learner through sign language.
From the discussions thus far, it is evident that sign language can be a strong
potential way in to literacy for children. Reynolds (1995) suggests that the early
childhood years are the ideal time to introduce sign language. With that in mind, it is
pertinent to discuss strategies a teacher can use in order to implement sign language in
their classrooms so children may reap its literary benefits. As a pre-service teacher, and
the daughter of a teacher, I am well aware that teachers are busy people with many
strategies to implement in their classrooms; is it manageable for teachers to add sign
language in on top of these? Brereton (2010) investigated this question through observing
a pair of pre-school teachers as they implemented sign language in their classroom for the
first time. In order to implement sign language, the teachers learned it alongside their
students and integrated it naturally into the curriculum. This integration consisted of
teaching ASL signs that related to what they were learning while reading stories during
circle time. For example, when reading a story about families, the teachers would
introduce the signs for mommy and daddy. Throughout the year, the students continued to
learn vocabulary words in ASL based on the story they were reading. While reading to
the children, the teachers encouraged them to sign what they heard throughout the story
and what they saw in the illustrations of the book. A favourite mentor text for this process
was Eric Carles The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which they used to learn the signs of
various foods mentioned in the book. The teachers in Breretons research also explored
letters later on in the school year with their classes. The students were taught the manual
alphabet and were encouraged to make the corresponding signs to letters they recognized
in books, signage and other environmental print around them. Overall, Brereton (2010)
discovered that these pre-school teachers found sign language to be both feasible and
rewarding in their classroom as they taught new signs gradually throughout the year that
connected with their curriculum.
My mother is a teacher, and she too uses sign language in her Kindergarten class
curriculum (Andreachuk, personal communication, n.d.). Like the teachers in Breretons
research, she uses sign language as a daily strategy during circle time. During this time
each morning, her students perform an action song using ASL. These songs are related to
her themes of the month and allow the students to learn the vocabulary for these themes.
She notes that her students enjoy the repetitive nature of performing the songs and are
highly motivated by moving their hands to the music. Also similar to the teachers in
Breretons observations, my mother uses sign language to introduce the alphabet to her
students. She introduces the letters to them through Sharon, Lois & Brams song, A
Youre Adorable. As the children sing the song, they are introduced to the letters and
fingerspell them using the manual alphabet. My mother has also found sign language to
be a rewarding process in her classroom and continues to use it to this day.
Daniels (2001) also suggests a variety of strategies for sign language
implementation in pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten classrooms. Like my mother and
the teachers studied by Brereton, Daniels (2001) suggests using signs during circle time
and morning routine. These signs could include signs for the weather, seasons, holidays,
attendance and activities. During this process, she recommends teachers sign the word,
say the word, and ask students to do the same. While students are signing, it is easy to
notice whose hands are not quite creating the right shape. Teachers should move these
childrens hands into the proper positions, as well as allow for students to correct one
another (Daniels, 2001).
into classroom teaching to further literacy. Teachers can do so gradually by modeling and
learning signs along with their students. It is clear that sign language can be a key tool to
further accessing communication for children. This increased access to communication
allows for a way in to increased literacy and learning for children.
References
Brereton, A.E. (2010). Is teaching sign language in early childhood classrooms feasible
for busy teachers and beneficial for children?.Young Children, 92-97.
Daniels, M. (2001). Dancing with words: Signing for hearing children's literacy.
Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey.
Pettito, L.A., & Holowka, S. (2002). Evaluating attributions of delay and confusion in
young bilinguals: Special insights from infants acquiring a signed and spoken
language. American Annals of the Deaf, 154(2), 85-95.
Reynolds, K.E. (1995). Sign language and hearing preschoolers: An ideal match.
Childhood Education, 72(1), 2-6.
Tompkins, G.E. (2011). Literacy in the Early Grades: A Successful Start for PreK-4
Readers and Writers (3rd ed.). United States of America: Pearson Education.
Toth, S. (2009). Bridges of signs: Can sign language empower non-deaf children to
triumph over their communication disabilities?. Sign Language Studies, 3, 4-33.
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