Why Use Sign Language ?

                                                                                                

It has been said that children learn from what they hear, see and do.  By using sign language in the early childhood classroom, you give every child the chance to learn. Young children often benefit from the combination of speech, movement, and visual enhancement of communication.  (Lynch & Simpson, 2007)  Early childhood teachers have been using this theory for many years when using finger plays, movement and using songs with motions. 

Learning a new song

As I have observed in my music classes, children are able to remember what they have heard when there is a motion attached to the word.   These motions help increase the child’s vocabulary because it helps them with a memory tool when saying these new words.  Sign language is useful for the shy child who may not other wise participate and can use the motions until they feel ready to sing with the rest of the class.  This way no learner is left out, all the children can participate whether they are verbal or not.  This is especially true in my classroom where we are learning new songs for our spring program.  One of the songs is “God Bless America” which has a lot of new vocabulary for some of the preschoolers.  For instance, when introducing the word prairie, the children learn that it is a flat piece of land.  I show them a picture of what a prairie looks like and then the sign, palms down and moving back and forth like feeling the flat land. The children have now added a new word to their vocabulary, found out the definition, seen what it looks like and physically signed the word.  The light bulb goes on. It is so rewarding to see when they get it!  The highlight of our spring program is when the parents see their child singing and signing “God Bless America”.  There is not a dry eye in the fellowship hall from parents, grandparents to the proud teachers.

"There Was An Old Woman"

In my music class, I begin the school year by teaching simple directional signs to the children like stop, sit down, and quiet.  Once the children learn the signs, I am able to sign to the children and they know what activity is going to be next.   This technique is particularly helpful for the younger children.  These two year olds are all about movement, so when I use the sign for stop, they stop.  Using sign language when talking about the calendar and signing the number or signing the weather helps to establish a daily routine for the children.  Introducing these concepts through song and reinforcing with signs will help the children retain the new information.

I have found that sign language also helps build self-esteem in all children from hearing, hearing impaired and those children with disabilities.  This is especially true in our school for children who have delayed speech.  These children are learning a new skill that they can gain confidence in.   These are the children that have slowly over the past few months, have built up their confidence to move closer to me so they can watch my motions.  They want to be able to participate, even if they can’t say the words as well as the rest of their peers. Children are already natural movers and so adding the hand movements with their learning is easy for them.  For some of these children it is easier to do the motions than vocalizing the word.  Vocalizing for some children means coordinating the jaw, lips, tongue, thoughts and breathing, which may be a difficult task.  Being able to still participate in the music activity with the rest of the class by using the sign language is a definite confidence booster.

Early childhood educators do not have to be fluent or certified in American Sign Language to be successful in adding it to their curriculum.  As I practice in my teaching, I have come across many wonderful resource books and online programs that can help you can look up the sign for a particular word.  Start off slow so you are comfortable in your presentation.  The teachers at my preschool have found that they can choose a few words that they want to teach in sign language and introduce them slowly.  Brown Bear, Brown Bear is a good book to start with and just do the signs for the colors.  The children have probably already heard the book before and they are familiar with the rhymes.

 Another idea would be either singing the song “Old MacDonald” and using puppets or reading the story.  Introduce the signs of the farm animals to the children. The children love to make the sound of the animal and it is easy and fun for them to do the sign. This is always a big hit with the children of all ages in my music classes.   Another prop I use in my classroom is an old woman doll that swallows things.  I use the doll with the song, “There was an Old Woman”.  The children love to watch the old lady “swallow” the animals.  The song is long; by adding sign language it holds their attention. The children have to concentrate on making the sign of the animal and remembering the order that the old lady swallowed the animals.   I also change the end of the song from the old lady dying, to crying because she has a stomachache from swallowing all of the animals.  I teach them the sign for crying and then really ham it up.  The children love to imitate my sign for crying and have become wonderful confident actors!

I have observed at my preschool, that sign language in the classroom has many benefits that can change the everyday lives of all children.   I have noticed this difference when I go visit other schools to participate in enrichment programs where the children are not exposed to sign language.  The children stop their wiggles and concentrate on the new song that I am teaching them.  The teachers at these particular centers are amazed, excited and want to learn what they can do to extend what I have taught the children in the enrichment program.    Teachers need to choose developmentally appropriate activities that will match the children’s physical and mental abilities to have a successful sign language program.  It is better to start of slow and introduce a few signs to the children.  This will give the teacher a chance to begin to master the movements and also gives the children a chance to build their confidence with the new activity.  Slowly as the children and teacher learn signs for different activities, the children will start asking what is the sign for this and that? The sky will be the limit!

                    

                                                    

Simpson, C, et.  al.  (2007, July/August) Sign language: meeting diverse needs in the classroom.  Exchange, Retrieved February 9, 2011, from the Associates Programs Database.