Learning Sign Language is FUN! - And How it Can Reinforce Early Learning

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Are you looking for some easy to do indoor

activities for summer, when it's raining or just too

hot to play outside?  How about learning and playing 

with a little sign language?  One summer, my daughter 

wanted to learn sign language.  She had seen it on TV, 

and wanted to give it a try.

Learning sign language turned out to be not only a fun 

summer time activity for us, it also enhanced the early

learning that my daughter had done, that year.  And it

was full of great sensory input for my gifted, 2e 

daughter.

As an OT, and a homeschooler, I get excited about the 

benefits of signing....It is a great way to enhance

academic early learning because it is literally hands-on.  

It gives excellent sensory feedback to young learners,

who may learn best through tactile channels.


For kids who have sensory or attentional issues, sign 

language can be a great way to reinforce their

academics.


8 Benefits of Learning Sign Language  

1.  Learning the alphabet in sign 

language, is a great way for kinesthetic 

learners to master the ABC's.

2.  Learning number signs enhances your 

math program, and makes counting more fun.

from You Can Learn Sign Language

3.  Learning signs helps build memory skills.

4.  Signing is fun!  It can be a nice break from your 

regular school work, and build confidence, as your 

kids learn a new sign, and share it with others.

5.  Kids can learn how grammar works, by learning how

to put together words in ASL, and that they follow

a different order than that of English.

from You Can Learn Sign Language

6.   Learning sign helps to build fine motor 

coordination for handwriting.

7.  Sign language can help develop visual spatial skills that 

are important for learning to read.

8. Signs can be used to help teach your kids

about emotions, as they learn the signs for their feelings.

Frugal Resources for Sign Language

There are a lot of resources on sign language on the web.  I 

chose to purchase a few frugal resources, instead, as

I wanted them in a book or card form, and I wanted them to 

be geared towards young learners.  (I do not do any 

affiliate marketing of any kind.)

I found two frugal resources, that were solid and a lot of 

fun to use.  

- You Can Learn Sign Language Book -

 The first resource we found was this little book, by 

Scholastic.

This was just the ticket for us.  It had a large variety of signs, 

in fact, over 300 signs, with easy to follow instructions, and 

colorful, clear photos of kids demonstrating each sign.  

It is written by experts in the field of deafness and American 

Sign Language (ASL), which is the true language of the deaf.  

It even taught my daughter how to put the signs together to 

make sentences, that followed the unique grammar  of ASL.

To read more about this little book from Scholastic, click here.


- Sign Language Flash Cards -


Another resource that we liked was a frugal set of 

flashcards ,called Sign Language Flash Cards from

Carson-Deliosa.  It includes 105 illustrated cards that 

taught the signs for numbers, letters, and some very 

basic common words that are meaningful to kids.

from Sign Language Flash Cards

My daughter loved using the flash cards, and I liked

how they included the signs for please and thank 

you, as it helped to remember and practice

 manners, in a fun way.  There are very simple signs that 

can be used with your young toddler, to help with 

communication, such as....the sign for milk, or the 

sign for juice.   For more information on this 

resource, click here.

Sign language not only added a lot to our 

summer days, it also gave my daughter great practice 

 in small motor and visual processing skills.  

The best part about it was that she didn't even know that 

was  happening...She was just having fun signing, and 

was busy teaching her dad the signs as well.  

Have a fun summer and enjoy signing with 

your family! 

Happy Homeschooling,

Betsy

Betsy blogs at BJ's Homeschool, where she writes about high school, college, and all the fun of homeschooling the early years, too.  As a veteran homeschooler, Betsy offers homeschool help to families.

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