Why ASL?
Our kids can hear, and so do we. But we're still teaching them all the American Sign Language (ASL) that we can. I only took a year of beginning courses, so I'm still learning myself.
Here is our daughter signing "I love you" in ASL.
Why ASL is Great!
ASL is very convenient when you want to communicate across a crowded room or playground. Have you ever been in that awkward situation where you can't hear someone, but you can see them? That's when signing comes in handy.
It is a way to get children's whole bodies involved in expressing their thoughts! When our oldest had a meltdown, I would start signing. It would knock her right out of the fit and help her regulate by simply using a different means of expression. ASL has been very helpful when explaining emotions and processing big and difficult thoughts.
Spelling
Spelling doesn't have to be linked to writing. Let me say that again another way. You do not need to learn to write before you learn to spell.
Picture of a 3 year old making the letter o.
Picture of the 3 year old making the letter r.
She just spelled "or"!
Finger signing individual letters to make words is a great way to internalize spelling, without the hurdle of writing letters. Children can learn to move their hands sign letters before they learn to write letters! Really! And learning to move our hands into these letters forms helps us to build the strength in our fingers so writing will be easier. Since the shape of the signs are like letters of the alphabet, it's easier to write after we sign.
Here's a video we recorded when we had lots of goofy fun practicing our spelling.
Music and ASL
Here is a playlist of songs we have recorded in ASL. I hope it might be a useful resource for you!
Disclaimer: our videos are far from perfect. I am slowly going through and editing the subtitles so they match up better. I am consulting with deaf / hard of hearing friends who know ASL as I make these videos.
Personal Note
My sister and I took our ASL courses together at a community college. We practiced at home. Our cousins also took courses, but they lived 6 hours away. When we got together we all knew many of the same signs! One of our cousins became an ASL interpreter. All of us hear and speak, but when we get together we tend to sign more than talk. And it has been a FUN and special way to bond.
Why Should Hearing Kids Sign?
I encourage everyone to learn sign. Even and especially if you can hear. It's a real language with real people who depend on it. Deaf culture is very real, too. You never know when you will come across someone who relies on sign, and being able to communicate across cultures is helpful for everyone. There are many advantages to learning more than one language at a young age. It changes our brains for the better.
One Sign to Know
Here is a good sign to know.
It means "Help."
I found myself making this sign as I was thinking about how to delegate a task.
Description of how I make this sign:
Hold out the palm of my non-dominant hand. Make a fist with my dominant hand. Place the pinky of my fist on the palm of my non-dominant hand. You can say I help you by moving from you towards another person, or you can say you help me by moving your hands from their direction towards you.
What can you ask for help with today?
#ASL
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