Thoughts of the McClellan Family: Using Sign Language

If your child is ready to learn to read, using American Sign Language to help teach your child learn to read may be one of the best things you can do. And it has a long history of success.

In the early 19th century, educators realized that sign language helped the hearing siblings of deaf students learn to read. Due to political reasons, the findings were not studied further. Then, in the 1970s, other researchers found that hearing children with average or above intelligence whose parents were deaf parents actually learned to read before they began school if their parents signed and fingerspelled to them. Researchers surmised that this was due to the fact that these children made the connection between manual letters (fingerspelling) and printed letters. But such results are not unique to the hearing children of deaf parents.

In more recent research, the children of hearing parents who were exposed to fingerspelling also had similar results. Marilyn Daniels, author of Dancing with Words, showed that signs helped kindergarten children increase their speaking vocabulary as well as knowledge of sight words, letters of the alphabet and phonetic sounds. Children who had problems remembering letters, words or sounds were often able to recall needed information once they saw the sign for the word (1996,Sign Language Studies)

For instance, Ryan, age 5, has increased his vocabulary words within one and a half year due to constantly exposure in sign language. He is also able to read some basic word sights, even before entering in Kindergarten in the Fall. It is same as for Dylan, age 6, who already knows how to spell many words, basically on phonetic sounds. He even read books at approximate low second grade reading level.

Using sign language to increase reading abilities has even made it in to the school systems. Laura Feltzer, who has used sign language to teach general education students, ESL students and special needs students, found that students tested at or above the beginning of first grade level on the Oral Gray Reading Test.

So, if you think signing is JUST for hearing babies while they are members of the diaper set, think again. As you sign with your baby now, you are creating the basis for a proven method to teach reading and phonics to your preschooler, ensuring a life-long love of reading!

Even if you don't know any basic signs, there is an advantage to take a look at this wonderful website: http://www.signingtimes.com I have bought all of the DVD's for my boys. It certainly helps them absorbing many new signs, including reading/seeing the English prints from the show. I highly recommend you to see and judge it yourself.

Since both of my sons know signs, I thought to share it with you by seeing each individual signs from this blog.