ASL Resources
If you want to teach your children about hearing disorders and/or American Sign Language, these websites provide free lesson plans.
Arthur’s Communication Adventure
The goal of this guide is to help children who are hearing and sighted become more aware of ways that children who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, or hard-of-hearing learn, play, and enjoy the same things they do. The curriculum was developed especially for students in grades 2-3, but activities can easily be adapted for younger or older audiences. You can download the teacher guide, as well as the individual activity sheets here.
Arthur’s Sign Time
Practice ASL and finger spelling online with Arthur. Cornerstones
Cornerstones is a technology-infused approach to literacy development designed for early elementary children who are deaf and hard of hearing (can be used with others who learn well visually and struggle with literacy).
Give Me A Little Sign
This lesson focuses on conversation methods that children may use when meeting a person from another culture, or someone who speaks a different language. Students will be exposed to American Sign Language, learn basic signs from the episode, and learn to finger spell their names. When meeting someone for the first time who is deaf or hard of hearing, a hearing child may have many questions and may even be afraid to try to communicate.
The episode gives tips on how a hearing child can positively interact with a deaf child. The show also clearly displays and outlines basic ASL words and how to finger spell. Viewers are shown that American Sign Language is a complete language and equal to all other languages.
What’s That Sign?
Discuss and learn several signs in American Sign Language and play a related word guessing game. Your child will be exposed to ASL, and learn signs for 6 different words. Signing and physical gestures as well as your native language may be used to communicate the signs.
These companies create/sell American Sign Language (ASL) products, books and curriculum.
Before purchasing any sign language product, be sure it states that it will be teaching you American Sign Language (ASL) as opposed to signed English. There is a difference between ASL, signed English and Baby Signs. I prefer my kids learn ASL.
ASL University
Free ASL lessons online.
Color of Language
A a non-profit organization that develops sign language products for the education and benefit of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing children and their families.
Dawn Sign Press
Dawn Sign Press sells American Sign Language materials for teachers and families covering including books on Deaf heritage, videos, activity books, posters, and workbooks. All pre-school to high school materials have been field-tested with proven results. My husband used their curriculum and books while majoring in Deaf Education during college.
SignWriting
SignWriting is a writing system which uses visual symbols to represent the handshapes, movements, and facial expressions of signed languages. It is an “alphabet” – a list of symbols used to write any signed language in the world. SignWriting makes it possible to have books, newspapers, magazines, dictionaries, and literature written in signs.
It can be used to teach signs and signed language grammar to beginning signers, or it can be used to teach other subjects, such as math, history, or English to skilled signers. Website includes many free downloads to get you started, incuding videos and free charts.
