Friday, May 23, 2014

Sign Language Alphabet ABCs Coloring Sheets and Room Border



Every kid learns the alphabet, but did you know that learning to sign the alphabet had additional benefits? Did you know that using sign language is a great way to introduce letter sounds and practice spelling? It provides a kinesthetic activity to accompany a phonics program and really helps students with special needs. Most of all, learning sign language is FUN!

Teachers and parents like to put alphabet pictures around the classroom. Sign Language ABCs is a downloadable product that you and your kids can color in and use as a room or classroom border, to learn MORE than just the ABCs.

Every page of this download includes upper and lower case letters, a beautifully illustrated picture that starts with the corresponding letter as well as the sign language hand shape for the letter. The Layout has a consistent design and is perfect for creating an ABC Alphabet room border for your classroom.

Children can make their own book of signs for reference, or have each child color one page to make a decorative border for your classroom. This download is currently available from Teachers Pay Teachers, but will soon be available on Teachers Notebook and Amazon. For more information about the Sign Language Alphabet ABCs Coloring Pages, check out Lucid Publishing's Website.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Down Syndrome Awareness Month: Sign Language can help children who may have difficulty with speech

It has been shown that children with learning disabilities often need to have multiple senses stimulated simultaneously in order for them to learn effectively. Even boys (as opposed to girls) do better when movement, or a third sensory stimulus) is added to their learning regimen. Yet, in a normal classroom setting, children only listen to a teacher and see what is being demonstrated. In this example only two senses are stimulated and a single set of connections is made in the brain.

By stimulating the tactile centers of the brain with a hands-on activity like signing, that number of connections can be tripled. Connections would now be made between somatosensory and visual centers, somatosensory and auditory centers and visual and auditory centers. As a result, learning becomes more efficient and memory is enhanced, or in the case of a child with a learning disability, learning becomes possible. This is just one reason that children with learning disabilities benefit from the use of sign language in the classroom. However, sign language isn’t just for the learning disabled. All children tend to benefit from its application.

This may be why teachers and early childhood educators are piling into sign language and baby sign language workshops. A representative from Kauai-based company, Blossoming Little Minds, just recently gave a standing room only presentation about using sign language in the classroom at the 2010 HAEYC (Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children) conference. She covered many benefits of using sign language in a classroom and pointed out that those benefits are multiplied for children with learning disabilities, speech delays, Down Syndrome and autism. She said that Children with Down Syndrome may also have difficulty with speech and that using sing sign language can alleviate much of the stress and frustration that is due to the inability to communicate.

She went on to say that preverbal children that can communicate their needs, are more likely to get their needs met. As a result, these children are often more self-confident and have higher self esteem. Since self esteem is related to the future success of our children, it would only make sense to use a tool such as sign language to instill these qualities into our children at an early age and if signing can help children with learning disabilities too, then kudos to the teachers that attend these workshops so that they can help our children succeed.

For more information about the benefits of baby sign language, you may visit Blossoming Little Minds’ website.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

March 24 vocabulary sign list

Aloha Mamas and Daddies:

Thanks for continuing in your quest to communicate with your baby! you guys did fabulous today, give yourselves a hand! Today we learned the signs for: Apple, banana, grapes, cookies, ice cream, water, juice, mommy, daddy, gramma, grampa, baby, bath, sleep, up & down! WOW! and we learned how to use them with songs! Keep up the good work and try to remember to incorporate just a couple signs into your daily life!
good luck and happy signing!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Word List March 16 class

Here is the word list for today's class:
Milk, Eat, More, drink, all done.
We will review these signs next week. For now, try to remember to use them as such:
Would you like more milk? Would you like more food? Would you like to play some more? When all done diapering say all done! When all done eating say all done! As your child if they would like to drink some milk. Then ask if they would like more or are they all done. Are you hungry, would you like to eat? Check out youtube, signing savvy, blossoming little minds and signing time! And bring pictures from magazine of fruits, cookies, cheese and crackers, etc.
Good luck! Happy SIgning

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Baby Sign Language Classes

Baby Sign language class

Learn how to communicate with your infant/toddler before they develop speech. This 6 week class will cover the benefits of signing, how to get started, how to help toddlers identify emotions using sign, overcoming any pitfalls and continuing to use sign language as a multisensory teaching tool in the preschool years. You will learn over 75 signs and the manual alphabet. Classes run Tuesdays 10A-10:45A, March 16-April 20 at Storybook Theatre in Hanapepe. Donation recommended but not required. More info lucidhawaii@mac.com, www.blossominglittleminds.com.
Schedule of topics:
March 16: Getting Started, Benefits of Signing, signs for basic needs
March 23: Uses of sign language, signs for food & drink
March 30: Overcoming pitfalls, signs for animals
April 6: Everyday signs, review, questions, books & games
April 13: Using signs to help toddlers identify emotions, signs for body & feelings
April 20: Using sign language as a multisensory teaching tool, signs for colors and the alphabet

Ziggity Zoom

Aloha folks:
I was recently appointed to the Ziggity Zoom advisory board and have posted a few articles about sign language at this site. By the way, it's a great site for kids and parents and shares that title of best site for kids with Disney kids. You may see my article on Empowering your baby with sign language here.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Multisensory learning

It's been a while since I've posted. I have been busy promoting my book, "The Complete Hawaiian Reef Fish Coloring Book"...which is now being used as a textbook in a number of Hawaii Schools as well as mainland schools. A lot of folks have said that the material is too hard for kids, but we parents know better. Young children are like sponges soaking up everything they can at an early age...Why? because their brains are developing at an astounding rate and everything that is new is exciting. My son is 2 and while he might not be able to identify all 80 species described in the book, He definitely knows the difference between a Manini, a Hawaiian whitespotted toby, and a Moorish Idol. This is because I don't underestimate his learning ability and I expose him to lots of different material (if he wants, I never force). I'm not saying my textbook is appropriate for 2 year olds who can barely hold a crayon, but I'm also not saying its not...there is something for everyone in there including college students..Why & where am I going with this on a SIGN LANGUAGE BLOG? MULTI SENSORY LEARNING IS KEY. when I developed the book I based it on the fact, that it was easier for me to learn to identify the fish when I used a multisensory approach...in this case reading & seeing (VISUAL), saying & hearing (auditory), & coloring (tactile)...so we have used multiple senses here...Multisensory learning can triple the number of connections made in the brain, thereby making learning more efficient & enhancing memory...NOW here's the Sign Language tie-in...SIGNING makes all types of learning multisensory...try it when you are teaching your child the alphabet, or reading...WOW! AND!!!!multisensory learning really helps those with learning disabilities!!!WOW again! You'll be hearing a lot more about this from me in the near future....In the mean time, don't forget to check out my older posts on how to get your baby started with sign language