When one thinks of sign language, one might think of it as a language used only by people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Previously, parents had to wait until their children’s vocal chords were developed to understand their needs and wants. Sign language allows children to communicate at a much earlier stage in their development. With a recent new interest in the language, one must wonder why it is not used as a teaching strategy to help in the classroom.
Often times, the biggest challenge for staff is student behavior throughout the day. Creativity can often be seen to be replaced by a teacher turning up the volume to grab the attention of her stimulated students. As an educator, it is imperative that new and creative media be used to help ensure an environment that allows children to thrive.
Sign language allows a teacher to accomplish this goal while engaging children and teaching them something new and challenging. The first step is to introduce the language in the classroom. Either through a hired staff member or the teachers themselves who take the initiative to learn some of the basic signs and then pass on the knowledge. This can be done by going online. There are excellent websites available, where signs are modeled to be easy for everyone to learn, and words can be looked up the same way you would in a dictionary.
Students will enjoy being assigned animals. Let the children choose the animal they want to be, or help them establish a “sign name.” Once this is done, help the children practice and learn the signs of their new classmates. Another important sign is restaurant. How many times is a teacher interrupted by the cry of “I can go to the bathroom”? Instead, the children can use their new language to ask to use the bathroom, and the teacher can acknowledge that he gave permission without missing a beat. Another plus is the stop and please signs.
Throughout the day, the redirection is ongoing. Often a teacher can get tired of asking a child to stop doing an action. Signing stop please or asking the child to move to another area as well as a smooth transition can be a good change in what is often an overstimulated and unresponsive environment. Creativity in the application of this knowledge is essential. If used and taught correctly, you will soon find that the need for the term “using an inner voice” will soon disappear. It doesn’t happen overnight, and each group of students brings a different dynamic to the table, but with time, patience, and perseverance, this language opens up a vast horizon for changing the atmosphere in the classroom.