Sign Language For Kids
Hey there! Thanks for checking out our ASL resources. We started teaching ASL for free, back in the early 1990’s and have been adding to our collection over the years. Click the image below to jump to our “fun feed,” which is an assortment of all the fun free resources that we have added to date, or scroll on for info on our most popular activities and free printables.
Popular kidCourses ASL Resources & Activities:
>> Quick Link to the ABC Signs Program – Alphabet Rhymes with real ASL Signs
>> Quick Link to purchase the 26-Page PDF of all the ABC Signs Illustrated Rhymes ($2.99)
>> Quick Link to our DIY Sign Language Puppet how-to guide
>> Quick Link to the ASL Fun Feed, our ever-growing list of free sign language resources & activities for kids
Why Start Teaching Sign Language When Your Children Are Young?
Many parents who want to introduce sign language for kids are unsure of the best age for kids to start learning. They may be afraid that, if they start too early, the child will not be able to learn and understand what the signs mean. Other parents worry that teaching a baby or toddler sign language may make them talk later or discourage them from practicing speech and using their words.
In fact, the opposite is true. Research has demonstrated that adding the visual and kinesthetic elements (American Sign Language) to verbal communication helped to enhance the vocabulary, spelling, and reading skills in the participating preschool children. This research was conducted by Dr. Marilyn Daniels, a professor of speech communication at Penn State University. Babies as young as 6 months can learn to make and understand basic sign language and communicate with others. By teaching the spoken word along with the sign, many parents find that their children learn to speak faster and more easily than many of their peers. If you are wondering when the best age is to learn sign language for kids, then the answer seems to be while they are only a few months old.
By starting at 4 to 6 months, you can help your baby communicate with you and begin learning sign language naturally and easily. Many children will make up their own signs, signals, and motions to communicate, but they might go unnoticed or the parents may not understand them. By teaching your child the correct signs to use, you will not only be giving them a good basis in another language that they can use to communicate with others as they grow, but also sharing a language with them before they are able to speak clearly. This usually makes both baby and parents happier and more frustrated, because a child can simply sign for “mommy” or “daddy” or “milk”, instead of growing upset and hoping that you will be able to decipher their cries.
Things to Consider
One of the first things to consider when teaching kids sign language is your overall purpose. Some parents only use sign language when their children are very young and do not continue teaching or learning as the child grows and learns to speak. For these children, any of the some of the books or free online resources on baby sign language may be appropriate. Just be aware that some resources on sign language for kids may contain simplified or made up signs, and not “real” sign language that will be understood by others.
For most other people, you will want to make sure that you are teaching “real” sign language, or ASL (American Sign Language). This is an actual language and is used by deaf people throughout America. If you are learning sign language along with your child, teaching them so they can communicate with deaf or hard-of-hearing friends or family members, or teaching a child with speech or language difficulties, then it is especially important to make sure you are teaching your child ASL. Sign language for kids and their families can be a fun learning experience, but it becomes so much more valuable when they can communicate with others and build and grow their sign language skills as they grow older. The free resources below will help you do that.
Our most popular sign language resource for kids is our ABC Signs Program. It is a series of 26 ASL videos that you can watch online for free. Most posts also have a free ASL handout included. An example video is shown below:
Click to watch all 26 ASL videos.
Check out the Fun Feed below which includes free sign language resources such as:
- ASL Out and About series
- A free sign language worksheet for kids (a great reference when learning the ASL alphabet)
- ASL Cut & Paste Letters
- Fingerspelling handouts are available for free at Fingerspelling Fun, and you can send new request our way via Facebook
- How to make an ASL puppet
ASL Resources Online:
- You can also purchase a 26-page PDF handout which includes the rhymes and illustrations for all 26 letters for just $3 in our shop: Sign Language Worksheets for Kids!
- ASLU – American Sign Language University’s English to ASL Dictionary
- SignWriting – Children’s Stories
- Signing Families
- Communicating with Children Through Sign Language
- Sign Language Matching Game
- ASL Alphabet Naming Game
- Basic ASL Words Flashcards
- A Video ASL Dictionary
- Search for ASL signs on Signing Savvy
- LeTutor’s list of ASL Resources
- We also keep adding ASL recommendations here
ASL Wiki Quick Tip: Word Order
The basic constituent order of clauses in ASL is subject–verb–object. However, the subject, object, or both may be expressed as a topic and then omitted from the clauses and sentences that follow, as ASL is a pro-drop language. The full sentence structure in ASL is [topic] [subject] verb [object] [subject-pronoun-tag]. Topics and tags are both indicated with non-manual features, and both give a great deal of flexibility to ASL word order. Within a noun phrase, the word order is noun-number and noun-adjective.
ASL does not have a copula (linking ‘to be’ verb). For example, my hair is wet is signed ‘my hair wet’, and my name is Pete may be signed ‘[name my]topic P-E-T-E’.
Research on Sign Language
- Daniels, M. (2001). Dancing with Words: Signing for Hearing Children’s Literacy. Westport, Connecticut: Bergin and Garvey.
- Felzer, L. (1998). A Multisensory Reading Program That Really Works.Teaching and Change, 5, 169-183.
- Daniels, M. (1996). Seeing language: The effect over time of sign language on vocabulary development in early childhood education.Child Study Journal, 26, 193-208.
- Daniels, M. (October, 1994). The effects of sign language on hearing children’s language development. Communication Education, 43, 291-298.
- Wilson, R., Teague, J., and Teague, M. (1985). The Use of Signing and Fingerspelling to Improve Spelling Performance with Hearing Children.Reading Psychology, 4, 267-273.
Lugha ya Ishara kwa Watoto Asante kwa kuangalia rasilimali zetu za ASL. Alianza kufundisha ASL kwa bure katika miaka ya 1990 na amekuwa akiongeza kwenye mkusanyiko wake kwa miaka mingi. Bonyeza picha hapa chini kuruka kwa <unk>fun chakula chetu,<unk> ambayo ni aina ya rasilimali zote fun bure kwamba sisi wameongeza hadi sasa, au scroll juu kwa habari juu ya shughuli zetu maarufu zaidi na printables bure. "Kupitia ""Kuchunguza"" na ""Kuchunguza"" katika ""Kuchunguza"" na ""Kuchunguza"" katika ""Kuchunguza"" na ""Kuchunguza"" katika ""Kuchunguza"" na ""Kuchunguza"" katika ""Kuchunguza"" na ""Kuchunguza"" katika ""Kuchunguza"" na ""Kuchunguza"" katika ""Kuchunguza"" na ""Kuchunguza"" katika ""Kuchunguza"" na ""Kuchunguza"" katika ""Kuchunguza"" na ""Kuchunguza"" katika ""Kuchunguza"" katika ""Kuchunguza"" na ""Kuchunguza"" katika ""Kuchunguza"" katika ""Kuchunguza""" Wazazi wengi ambao wanataka kuanzisha lugha ya ishara kwa watoto hawajui ni umri gani unaofaa kwa watoto kuanza kujifunza. Huenda wakaogopa kwamba ikiwa wataanza mapema sana, mtoto hawezi kujifunza na kuelewa maana ya ishara hizo. Wazazi wengine wana wasiwasi kwamba kuwafundisha watoto wao lugha ya ishara kunaweza kuwafanya wazungumze baadaye au kuwazuia wasijizoeze kuzungumza na kutumia maneno. Kwa kweli, kinyume chake ni kweli. Utafiti umeonyesha kwamba kuongeza mambo ya kuona na ya kuona (Lugha ya Ishara ya Marekani) katika mawasiliano ya maneno kulisaidia kuboresha msamiati, herufi, na ujuzi wa kusoma katika watoto wa shule ya mapema walioshiriki. Utafiti huo ulifanywa na Dakt. Marilyn Daniels, profesa wa mawasiliano ya usemi katika Chuo Kikuu cha Jimbo la Pennsylvania. Watoto wenye umri wa miezi sita wanaweza kujifunza kutumia lugha ya ishara na kuwasiliana na wengine. Kwa kuwa watoto wao hujifunza maneno kwa kutumia ishara, wazazi wengi huona kwamba watoto wao hujifunza kuzungumza haraka na kwa urahisi kuliko wenzao. Ikiwa unajiuliza ni lini ni wakati mzuri wa kujifunza lugha ya ishara, jibu ni wakati watoto wako wanakuwa na umri wa miezi michache tu. Kuanzia miezi minne hadi sita, unaweza kumsaidia mtoto wako kuwasiliana nawe na kuanza kujifunza lugha ya ishara kwa njia ya kawaida na kwa urahisi. Watoto wengi hutengeneza ishara zao wenyewe, ishara, na miendo ili kuwasiliana, lakini huenda wakapuuzwa au wazazi hawawezi kuwaelewa. Kwa kumfundisha mtoto wako ishara sahihi za kutumia, si tu kuwapa msingi mzuri katika lugha nyingine ambayo wanaweza kutumia kuwasiliana na wengine wanapokua, lakini pia kushiriki lugha na wao kabla hawawezi kuzungumza wazi. Hii kwa kawaida hufanya mtoto na wazazi kuwa na furaha na kukatishwa tamaa zaidi, kwa sababu mtoto anaweza tu kutia ishara kwa <unk>mama<unk> au <unk>baba<unk> au <unk>maziwa<unk>, badala ya kukasirika na kutumaini kwamba utaweza kufunua kilio chake. Jambo la kwanza la kuzingatia wakati wa kufundisha lugha ya ishara kwa watoto ni lengo lako la jumla. Wazazi fulani hutumia lugha ya ishara wakati tu watoto wao wanapokuwa wadogo sana na hawaendi mbele na kufundisha au kujifunza wakati mtoto anapokua na kujifunza kuzungumza. Kwa watoto hawa, vitabu au rasilimali za bure za mtandaoni juu ya lugha ya ishara ya mtoto zinaweza kuwa sahihi. Kumbuka tu kwamba baadhi ya rasilimali juu ya lugha ya ishara kwa ajili ya watoto inaweza kuwa na ishara rahisi au alifanya juu, na si <unk>real<unk> lugha ya ishara ambayo itaeleweka na wengine. Kwa mfano, unaweza kuwa na wasiwasi kuhusu jinsi unavyoweza kujifunza lugha ya ishara ya Amerika (ASL). Hii ni lugha halisi na hutumiwa na watu viziwi kotekote Marekani. Ikiwa unajifunza lugha ya ishara na mtoto wako, kuwafundisha ili waweze kuwasiliana na marafiki au wanafamilia walio viziwi au wenye matatizo ya kusikia, au kuwafundisha watoto wenye matatizo ya usemi au lugha, basi ni muhimu sana kuhakikisha kuwa unawafundisha ASL. Lugha ya ishara inaweza kuwa uzoefu wa kujifunza wa kufurahisha kwa watoto na familia zao, lakini inakuwa yenye thamani zaidi wakati wanaweza kuwasiliana na wengine na kujenga na kukuza ujuzi wao wa lugha ya ishara wanapozeeka. Rasilimali za bure zilizo hapa chini zitakusaidia kufanya hivyo. Programu yetu ya lugha ya ishara ya ABC ni mojawapo ya programu za lugha ya ishara za watoto. Mfululizo wa video 26 za ASL ambazo unaweza kutazama mtandaoni bila malipo Machapisho mengi pia yana kifurushi cha bure cha ASL kilichojumuishwa. Kwa mfano, hapa chini kuna video ya video ya ASL ya 26 na video ya ASL ya 26. "Kama vile, kwa mfano, katika ""Kupiga na Kuandika"" (ASL) na ""Kupiga na Kuandika"" (ASL) na ""Kupiga na Kuandika"" (ASL) na ""Kupiga na Kuandika"" (ASL) na ""Kupiga na Kuandika"" (ASL) na ""Kupiga na Kuandika"" (ASL) na ""Kupiga na Kuandika"" (ASL) na ""Kupiga na Kuandika"" (ASL) na ""Kupiga na Kuandika"" (ASL) na ""Kupiga na Kuandika"" (ASL)." "Kama ""Kijana"" katika lugha ya ishara, ""Kijana"" katika lugha ya ishara, ""Kijana"" katika lugha ya ishara, ""Kijana"" katika lugha ya ishara, ""Kijana"" katika lugha ya ishara, ""Kijana"" katika lugha ya ishara, ""Kijana"" katika lugha ya ishara, ""Kijana"" katika lugha ya ishara, ""Kijana"" katika lugha ya ishara, ""Kijana"" katika lugha ya ishara, ""Kijana"" katika lugha ya ishara, ""Kijana"" katika lugha ya ishara." Hata hivyo, kichwa, kitu, au wote wawili wanaweza kuelezwa kama mada na kisha kuondolewa kutoka vifungu na sentensi zinazofuata, kama ASL ni lugha pro-drop. Muundo kamili wa sentensi katika ASL ni [somo] [somo] kitenzi [kitu] [somo-jina-tag]. Vitu na vitambulisho vyote viwili vinaonyeshwa na vipengele visivyo vya mwongozo, na vyote viwili hutoa kubadilika sana kwa utaratibu wa maneno ya ASL. Ndani ya kifungu cha jina, utaratibu wa neno ni jina-nambari na jina-jina-jina. ASL haina copula (kuunganisha <unk>kuwa<unk> kitenzi). Kwa mfano, nywele zangu ni mvua ni saini <unk> nywele zangu mvua <unk>, na jina langu ni Pete inaweza kusaini <unk> [jina langu] mada P-E-T-E <unk>. Utafiti juu ya Lugha ya Ishara - Daniels, M. (2001). Kucheza dansi kwa kutumia maneno: Kutumia ishara ili kuwasaidia watoto wenye kusikia kusoma na kuandika. Westport, Connecticut: Bergin na Garvey. - Felzer, L. (1998). Programu ya Kusoma ya Vifaa Vingi Inayofanya Kazi Kweli. - Kufundisha na Mabadiliko, 5, 169-183. - Daniels, M. (1996). "Kutumia lugha ya ishara kwa muda mrefu ni muhimu kwa maendeleo ya msamiati katika elimu ya mapema ya watoto, ""Child Study Journal, 26, 193-208." - Daniels, M. (Oktoba, 1994). Athari za lugha ya ishara juu ya maendeleo ya lugha ya watoto wanaosikia. Mawasiliano, 43, 291-298. - Wilson, R., Teague, J., na Teague, M. (1985). "Kutumia ishara na uandishi wa vidole ili kuboresha utendaji wa uandishi na watoto wa kusikia. ""Reading Psychology,"" 4, 267-273.