Research and Information On Signing for Children

General Information on Signing with Hearing Children

American Sign Language, ASL, works, provides wonderful benefits, enhances early learning and is fun and playful.

There are many benefits that children receive when parents, teachers, caregivers incorporate  American Sign Language, ASL, into the lives of all hearing babies, toddlers, preschoolers and elementary school children.    There are many products featuring activities for children that present themselves as a way to develop genius or increase IQ scores.   Most of these claims seem to be nothing more than an advertising ploy.  However, claims made about have been demonstrated for years and are supported by research and solid proof.  We Sign products have been designed for parents, teachers and caregivers to learn how to use sign language effectively as a communication skill, a support for early learning, and as fun bonding activities.

Why signing works is actually very simple and it is something that we all already know the reasons why.  Signing allows children to be involved in the learning process.  Signing provides a way to learn that is visual, physical, playful and interactive.   All together this provides children with a rich way to learn that accelerates their ability to communicate understand and use language.

Signing is a hand’s on learning style that engages children.  Involved learning is the oldest form of education and our universal human experience teaches us that this is true. Confucius, over 2000 years ago said:

“If you tell me…I will forget. If you show me…I may remember. If you involve me…I will understand.”

Current studies have shown that people will retain:

• Only about 10% of information told to them after 3 days;
• About 20% of information shown to them after 3 days;
• 65% of information they are involved in learning after 3 days. 1

Other studies have shown that we retain:

• 10 percent of what we read;
• 20 percent of what we hear;
• 30 percent of what we see;
• 50 percent of what we hear and see at the same time;
• 70 percent of what we hear, see and say; and
• 90 percent of what we hear, see, say and do.  2

Signing is fun and children enjoy the activity.  They love the challenge that sign provides.  They love the playfulness of signing activities.   Playful learning is important. Lev Vigostky, a renowned researcher in the field of child development, believed that play was an indispensable part of learning and development.   Fergus Hughes, in the book Play and Intellectual Development, states that “considering the importance of motor activity in the acquisition of knowledge, it seems clear that creative movement as a form of play can be an enriching intellectual experience.”  3 He goes on further to say that movement and play is a highly effective way to teach children almost anything they need to learn.

Playful learn must remain fun.   It is important to keep all playful activities fun and not allow them to become tedious or burdensome.  John Holt wrote in his book How Children Learn "If we take away the fun…we will destroy that which we are trying to do. “  4 Signing is fun for children. Researcher and writer, Marilyn Daniels, states in her book Dancing With Words that children “find an inherent joy in signing,” and that using Sign Language is fun!  5

American Sign Language, ASL, is a structured language with its own structure, syntax and vocabulary.  It is a visual and movement oriented language that uses hand, arm, facial and body movements.  When children learn ASL words they are learning vocabulary to one of the most commonly used languages in the United States.  We Sign uses ASL signs used in a spoken English word order.  This is called Contact Signing.  Contact Signing is the combination of ASL signs and concepts but used in a spoken English word order.  ASL word order is quite different from English word order. In general, ASL word order is the reverse of English, where we place the descriptor before the object, as in a white house, or a large brown leather chair and so on. In ASL the order would be house white and chair leather brown large.  6