DD wants to learn sign language. Help!

[crl]

My DD is a 6 year old 1st grader who has tried to make friends with a young boy at our church. He is not deaf, but for medical reasons can not speak so he uses sign language to communicate. DD has asked if I would help her learn sign language so that she can understand him. She knows some of the letters, but since they are both young, they don't know how to spell a lot of things. Nor is it an efficient way of trying to communicate. Does anyone know of a resource that will help her learn real signs used in everyday life that she can use to learn to communicate with this boy?

[MeganW]

Due to some issues related to prematurity, my kids were VERY late talkers - long past the stage where they wanted to tell me 8000 things a day. The Signing Times videos were awesome! Really reduced the frustration levels, as well as making them more willing to attempt to talk knowing that I would understand via the sign.

 

The videos are geared toward a younger audience than your DD, but I think she would like them. Rachel presents every sign with an easy to remember memory hook, so after watching it just a few times she would know them all. There are a number of the videos, all on different topics. Mealtime, Playing, Zoo, Alphabet, Going to School, etc.

 

Maybe your library would have them?

[sthompson]

The Joy of Signing is a wonderful book that shows a picture of each sign with directions for how to make the sign.

[crl]

I bet her would be glad to help her so suggest she keep a pad and pencil on her so that she can draw pictures or write words to ask what the sign is.

 

 

Thanks! This is a great idea to help her while she is still learning.

[Just Robyn]

I've taken quite a few ASL courses and I would not recommend using a book unless it comes with a DVD or CD-rom to watch. The Signing Time videos mentioned above are good and my children like them despite their being for younger children. The Bravo course is good, but very expensive. Possibly your library has it though?

 

Good luck!

[Just Robyn]

After posting I got to clicking around on the Sign Enhancers website and found this. Though I have not used this specifically, I have used a couple of their other products and they were good. This one is much more affordable than the Bravo series I mentioned. I think it's going on my own wishlist now.

[Rosie_0801]

Books aren't a lot of good to learn from; they are more useful for refreshing your memory. However, you could use the book as a spine of sorts to give you a plan for learning, and look the actual signs up online. If the boy signs well, (and you can't bet on that *sigh*) then it won't take much to get them communicating and he'll be teaching her proper grammar. See if your library has any resources that mention the word "classifiers." Borrow them and use what they teach to practice, practice, practice them.

 

:)

Rosie

[Mabeline]

:iagree: "Signing time" videos are great and fun to watch. They even have catchy songs to help you remember and practice. We loved them here. Check the library, ours has them all. They even have some on Youtube. HTH

[monalisa]

Another vote for Signing Time. My dd7 learned ALOT of sign language from these back when she was 1 - 4, and she still remembers much of it. We haven't kept it up, but it was a great thing for her (and fun as a family). We started using it when there were just 3 or 4 DVDs, and now there are lots. You might even be able to find them at your library. At one point PBS had picked it up as a show, but not sure if that's still happening. Check the Signing Time website because I remember they would have great deals on sets.

[crl]

Thanks so much for speedy responses. I certainly want to encourage this since it's for a great reason (the educational value is just a bonus). I'll have to look at our library's video section once the snow lets up.

[hscherger]

This is a site for online learning http://www.lifeprint.com/.

[Terabith]

Another vote for Signing Time.

[mlgbug]

Signing times!!! I used the with DS, well really i learned from them, but with a non speaking fustrated 3 year old nephew, i knew anythign was possible. So me DD learned signs and he did too. he knew over a handful by a year, and they both new more than my by the times he was 1.5 and speaking....

 

so although she is older they are great. DD was about 2.5- 3 when she learned from them, and well i was 25, lol and learnned from them....

[LittleIzumi]

We used Signing Time :001_smile:. Both dds and I learned a ton, and we can all still sign most of what we learned even though dd finally started talking about 6 months ago.