My friend asked me this question: A child is born to a deaf dad and hearing mom. Which is more important? That they learn sign language before English? Or learn both at their own pace?
This family has 2 little boys. One is almost 3 years old and the other will be 1. Both parents sign.
Thanks ahead of time.
By Keeper from Blue Ridge Mts., NC
I taught my daughter some sign language starting at 10 months. Granted, we didn't continue using it once she started talking, but children are quick to pick it up and associate it with the spoken word. Never too early to start.
Babies can learn sign language before they can talk. It is never too early and it will benifit the communication between the child and father.
It's never too early! I think it would be really good to teach both at the same time. I recently read an interesting article about how the brain develops and thinks in terms of communication. If not deaf when we learn to speak our communication is processed in the brain verbally but if deaf it's visually.
The child should learn both at once. The child will understand speaking and signing at the same time, but will sign on his own before speaking.
Children are hardwired to pick up any language that is used around them, so they will grow up naturally bilingual-- lucky kids!
Thank you for all your great replies.
They have researched signing with "babies", yes that's right, and they learned that babies could communicate basic things like hunger, or toilet training, etc. when they signed. My son learned to read best when he was engaged in signing while reading aloud.
I work with special needs preschoolers. We teach sign along with spoken language, whether their needs are speech or not.
I think it is very liberating for a child to be bilingual. So from the perspective of communicating with a parent let alone a peer it is huge for this child to have spoken language as well as a second language of sign.
Sign language interpreter here. I think that kids should learn as soon as they're born. Hearing parents speak to their children as soon as they're born, so why not sign to them?
Absolutely learn simultaneously. The brain soaks up multiple languages easily when you are young. There is a neurological window from birth to about age 9 during which it is easiest to acquire new languages.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I am getting ready for Christmas. I would like to present O Holy Night in sign language to my family for their gift. It would be free pretty much if I could find the words that I could print on printer. Does anyone know how I could do that? I do have a sign language book but then I would have to use a copier. I just see that as very difficult. Thanks in advance.
Hi there! That's a great idea!
Just type them up using a sign language font instead of regular words.
There are some great ones located here:
babel.uoregon.edu/
Make an "original" of what you want using a copier & the sign language images from your book, if you cannot find the sign language images online to insert into your text or a translator program to print the sign words for you. Then scan the "original" into your computer & print them.
There is a website where you can get the sheet music to just about any song. Not sure of the exact website, but you could google Sheet music and get it I think.
The problem with just copying the hand signs is they may not be a true representation of the word. An example: If you want to convey the word "job," it would be spelled, J-O-B. But its hand sign is very different--it is only one sign, not the three individual signs for the letters. True signing has individual signs that carry the meaning of specific words, so one rarely spells words out. If you spelled out each individual word, it would be inaccurate signing.
The construction of phrases isn't the English form either. It is actually the French form, where the noun comes last. Example: If you want to ask someone their name, you would not spell out "w-h-a-t i-s y-o-u-r n-a-m-e?" or sign, "What is your name?", but rather give the three individual signs for "you-name-what."
Signing changes in differing geographic locations too, although the signs may be related to each other. To make matters worse, people use different types of signs depending on how they were raised. Some methods of signing are totally different, making communication difficult to impossible for even experienced signers. Your best bet would be to use standard American Sign Language.
As a sign language interpreter I recommend to first know what from of signing they use, such as a.s.l. or e s.l. and then go look it up on the American sign language website.
good luck
Sandy here. I would like this to be very simple. this is not going to be presented to deaf people. I would just like to do something special. I am sort of familiar with asl. so I figure that is what I would use. I used to dance in a church group. physically I am unable to do that right now but I could sign. I have tried going to the website at oregon university. I find lots of descriptions but nothing on how to type out the pictures.
We are getting ready for Christmas at our church and we were wanting to present the song we three kings in sign language, but havent been able to find it. If you have a version that is free, that I can print off, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.
