We Sign has chosen American Sign Language over gestures for a variety of reasons. American Sign Language, commonly know as ASL is the fourth most common language used in the United States and by using ASL children are being exposed to another language. ASL signs are consistent and words are generally consistent across the country. Children will see ASL signed at sporting events, at concerts and on television and can meet others who sign at school, church and in their neighborhood. And, by learning ASL vocabulary, children and parents are opening up opportunities in their lives to communicate and interact with the deaf community.
Signing involves movement, a key component to childhood learning. It develops hand-eye coordination along with fine motor skills. Signs are generally easy to do and often are recognizable because many are Iconic (they look like the word they represent) in nature. There are many videos, dictionaries and books to help you find and use as many words as you would like or even the entire language.
We Sign uses ASL because of all the evidence showing the benefits to hearing children who use sign language. It is a language and skill that is fun, is interesting, is challenging and can grow from infancy through childhood and beyond. Continued use of ASL in the educational process is a powerful memory tool, is a fun way to learn and retain vocabulary and many basic educational concepts. We Sign also provides a way to gain ASL vocabulary that can be used and expanded into learning a second language.
We Sign teaches the use of ASL vocabulary in a spoken English word order for hearing children. We are not teaching ASL as a language, though the vocabulary can be used as a foundation for future studies. Our goal is to use signing to provide a fun, playful, interactive, movement oriented and educational tool for parents, teachers and caregivers
We Sign provides a fun activity for hearing children and deaf children to learn and enjoy together. "Hearing people frequently study the signs from American Sign Language …and then use the signs in the syntactical order of their own verbal language. This mixture of spoken and gestural signs leads to the creation of “pidgin” language systems which have been formalized by some educators…Using signs with an English syntax provides a visual way for deaf children to learn English. Also, since this language…is easier for hearing people to acquire than American Sign Language, it provides a valuable communication link between hearing and deaf people… ” (Costello p.xi).
We Sign combines ASL words with fun new and traditional songs that encourage active participation. This activity is a rich multi-sensory way to expose children to a variety of learning styles or multiple intelligences (physical, verbal, visual, hearing, mathematical, intrapersonal and interpersonal). It also provides children with a powerful way to learn and remember information. Information that will be important and help them get a “Jump Start on Smart.”
American Sign Language (ASL) is a visual-gestural language with its own vocabulary and syntax. When signing ASL you do not sign every word, just the main ideas and concepts. We Sign tm uses Pidgin Signed English (PSE) which is American Sign Language vocabulary and concepts in a spoken English word order. This is because We Sign is designed for hearing children to sing and sign words at the same time. Once again PSE does not sign every word, just the main ideas and concepts. There are also a variety of other sign language systems including Signed Exact English (SEE SIGN), which signs every word as spoken in the exact English word order.
The following is a sentence to show how SEE SIGN, PSE and ASL would sign it:
| SEE SIGN: |
I am going to the store. |
| PSE: |
I go store. |
| ASL: |
Store I go. |
A SHORT HISTORY OF ASL
In 1815, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet traveled to Europe with the intentions of studying methods for teaching the deaf. In France he met Laurent Clerc, who himself was deaf, and learned about French signs that were being used with the deaf. With Clerc, Gallaudet returned to the United States and began teaching signs. Clerc and French signs had a great influence on developing signs used by deaf Americans and to this day, American Sign Language has much in common with French Sign Language. Currently American Sign Language, one "of the most complete sign systems in the world” (Costello p xi) and today is widely accepted in the U.S. as a language.
We Sign™ Bibliography
Costello, Elaine, SIGNING How to Speak with Your Hands, Bantam Books,1983
Habermeyer, Sharlene, Good Music Brighter Children, Prima Publishing, Rocklin CA, 1999
Landeck, Beatrice, More Songs to Grow On , William Sloane Associates, Inc., New York, 1954.
Sorieraj, Sandra, First Lady Testifies on Childhood Learning, The Orange County Register, Santa Ana, 1/25/2002 news p 27.
Taylor, Barbara J, A Child Goes Forth, Simon & Schuster 1999.
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