Signing - A Valuable Classroom Tool!

My background is in teaching which is what lead me to signing with babies, it's my passion for all things education! When I was teaching I'd use ASL in the classroom as I found it useful in so many ways. I recently received an email from a teacher who started using it in her classroom and I feel it sums up beautifully why we should continuing signing with children even after they learn how to talk! Here is her email:

"Laura, I wanted to let you know that I have been using your ABC phonics song in my classroom. I teach 1st grade and many of my students did not know their letters or sounds. When I stumbled across your video on YouTube - I showed it to my class the next day. My students will actually sing the song out on the playground, and one of my really low little guys is able to blend phonemic words if I show him the signs. It's made him feel successful because I can sign (in a sneaky way so the other kids don't notice) and he can blend simple words like 'get', 'cat', 'dog', etc. Now we are working on getting him to connect the sign to the printed letter. I don't know what I would have done with this little guy without your video. (He is performing at a pre-school level 3/4 of the way through 1st grade.) My class really jumped on board with signing and they now know 65 signs (including the alphabet). They will sign to each other, to me, and are teaching their friends in other classes. I love that I can give them directions to get their pencils and go sit at the carpet without saying a word."

So all you teachers out there, I am encouraging you to use signing in your classrooms. You will be amazed at the success you will have!
Please feel free to email me with questions you may have about signing in schools, I now lecture across North America at universities on the topic of using signing to promote literacy in our schools. I can give you tons of info! laura@mysmarthands.com
By: Laura Berg, Founder, My Smart Hands, 'educating young minds'
http://www.mysmarthands.com