American Sign Language (ASL) is classified as a world language, the same as French, Spanish or any other foreign language. Therefore, if a child speaks sign language, the child is considered bilingual. When children are taught English and ASL together, they are processing language using both sides of the brain. This gives children two places to recall language from instead of just one.
Using ASL accommodates a wide range of learning styles that benefit not only Deaf and Hard of Hearing but also hearing children as well. The representation of information through seeing, hearing, and movement led to more pathways created in the brain which develops stronger memory. This is why both hearing and Deaf children have bigger vocabularies and can learn new words easier…the meaningful hand movements activates this area of the brain. (White Paper: Dr. Claire Vallotton)
Bilingualism, whether signed or spoken, has an extraordinary impact on boosting the brain. It enriches and enhances children’s cognitive processes, leading to higher abstract and creative thinking, better problem-solving skills, better listening skills, greater academic achievement, and so much more.
White Paper: Signing with Babies and Children
A comprehensive summary of the academic research on the impact of signing on cognitive, linguistic and social-emotional development Written by Dr. Claire Vallotton
Michigan State University
This paper gives an overview of research findings on the impacts of signing on development and learning for children of all ages and abilities – and provides research supported answers to common questions parents and teachers have about signing with children.
There are many benefits of using signs with students – from as young as preverbal infants, to those in early elementary, all the way to adult students who struggle with reading or those who are learning a new language. Research has also shown benefits for children with special needs including dyslexia, language impairments, Down syndrome, and Autism Spectrum Disorders, as well as for both hearing and deaf children in an inclusive education environment. Thus signs can be used to enhance education for learners of a wide range of ages and abilities.
The benefits of signing are not just for the students, but for teachers, too. When children can communicate more clearly, teachers can respond to them more easily, and teachers’ feel more competent in their own work.
– Claire Vallotton, Ph.D.
Signing with Preschool Age Children
Though there are many benefits for introducing signs to children when they are preverbal, there are many reasons to introduce signs to children who have already started to talk. Studies show that using sign language with hearing children can lead to improved literacy and language skills, and that using signs can help older children who struggle with reading.
A. Impact of Signing on Language and Literacy
Research showing that using signs with preschoolers and kindergartners aids their language and literacy development [3, 8, 58-60] and indicates that it is helpful, not harmful, to continue using signs with children who are signing. Several studies have also shown that signing can help kindergartners, and even older children, gain bigger vocabularies [58, 59], and improve their spelling and reading skills [3, 8, 9, 60].
A study by Marilyn Daniels showed that preschoolers whose teachers use both signs and speech in the classroom have bigger spoken vocabularies toward the end of the school year [58], and these gains in vocabulary were sustained into kindergarten [59].
We also know from the research on preschool and school-aged children, that teaching fingerspelling is helpful for verbal children’s language and literacy skills [8, 9, 55] and can help those who are struggling with spelling and reading [3, 8, 9].
Marilyn Daniels studied the use of sign language to enhance hearing kindergartners’ literacy skills by comparing the first grade reading placement scores of a classroom of kindergartners whose teacher used signs, and a classroom of kindergartners in the same skills whose teacher did not use signs. The children in the signing classroom had higher scores in letter identification, word recognition, and concepts about print [60]. Another study by Laura Felzer showed that signing helped a group of kindergartners who were English language learners read at or above grade level by the time they were in first grade [3].
Further, there have been several studies comparing the literacy skills of children who have been exposed to signs to children with no exposure to sign. However, these studies have not been rigorous scientific experiments, but rather, quasi-experiments. For example, studies have compared children’s scores at the beginning of a school year to their own scores at the end of a school year [3], or compared the scores of a classroom of children whose teacher used signs to the scores of children in another classroom [60]. These quasi-experimental results are promising, but this is definitely a topic that needs to be addressed further through rigorous experimental research.
B. Impact of Signing on Learning Across Subject Areas
Research shows that teachers who use two modes of communication – with both their mouths and their hands – in the classroom can help their students learn and retain information better. Studies by Susan Cook and her colleagues have shown that when teachers use gestures and signs while explaining a lesson, such as simple or advanced math, children are likely to use the same signs, which helps them learn and retain the new information [4, 5]. Another study by Cook and colleagues showed that when teachers instruct children to use gestures, the gestures bring out knowledge the children didn’t know they had, and help them learn more from instruction [6]. Now some teachers are even adapting other curricula in other subject areas, such as physical education, to include sign language [61].
Using ASL accommodates a wide range of learning styles that benefit not only Deaf and Hard of Hearing but also hearing children as well. The representation of information through seeing, hearing, and movement led to more pathways created in the brain which develops stronger memory. This is why both hearing and Deaf children have bigger vocabularies and can learn new words easier…the meaningful hand movements activates this area of the brain. (White Paper: Dr. Claire Vallotton)
Bilingualism, whether signed or spoken, has an extraordinary impact on boosting the brain. It enriches and enhances children’s cognitive processes, leading to higher abstract and creative thinking, better problem-solving skills, better listening skills, greater academic achievement, and so much more.
White Paper: Signing with Babies and Children
A comprehensive summary of the academic research on the impact of signing on cognitive, linguistic and social-emotional development Written by Dr. Claire Vallotton
Michigan State University
This paper gives an overview of research findings on the impacts of signing on development and learning for children of all ages and abilities – and provides research supported answers to common questions parents and teachers have about signing with children.
There are many benefits of using signs with students – from as young as preverbal infants, to those in early elementary, all the way to adult students who struggle with reading or those who are learning a new language. Research has also shown benefits for children with special needs including dyslexia, language impairments, Down syndrome, and Autism Spectrum Disorders, as well as for both hearing and deaf children in an inclusive education environment. Thus signs can be used to enhance education for learners of a wide range of ages and abilities.
The benefits of signing are not just for the students, but for teachers, too. When children can communicate more clearly, teachers can respond to them more easily, and teachers’ feel more competent in their own work.
– Claire Vallotton, Ph.D.
Signing with Preschool Age Children
Though there are many benefits for introducing signs to children when they are preverbal, there are many reasons to introduce signs to children who have already started to talk. Studies show that using sign language with hearing children can lead to improved literacy and language skills, and that using signs can help older children who struggle with reading.
A. Impact of Signing on Language and Literacy
Research showing that using signs with preschoolers and kindergartners aids their language and literacy development [3, 8, 58-60] and indicates that it is helpful, not harmful, to continue using signs with children who are signing. Several studies have also shown that signing can help kindergartners, and even older children, gain bigger vocabularies [58, 59], and improve their spelling and reading skills [3, 8, 9, 60].
A study by Marilyn Daniels showed that preschoolers whose teachers use both signs and speech in the classroom have bigger spoken vocabularies toward the end of the school year [58], and these gains in vocabulary were sustained into kindergarten [59].
We also know from the research on preschool and school-aged children, that teaching fingerspelling is helpful for verbal children’s language and literacy skills [8, 9, 55] and can help those who are struggling with spelling and reading [3, 8, 9].
Marilyn Daniels studied the use of sign language to enhance hearing kindergartners’ literacy skills by comparing the first grade reading placement scores of a classroom of kindergartners whose teacher used signs, and a classroom of kindergartners in the same skills whose teacher did not use signs. The children in the signing classroom had higher scores in letter identification, word recognition, and concepts about print [60]. Another study by Laura Felzer showed that signing helped a group of kindergartners who were English language learners read at or above grade level by the time they were in first grade [3].
Further, there have been several studies comparing the literacy skills of children who have been exposed to signs to children with no exposure to sign. However, these studies have not been rigorous scientific experiments, but rather, quasi-experiments. For example, studies have compared children’s scores at the beginning of a school year to their own scores at the end of a school year [3], or compared the scores of a classroom of children whose teacher used signs to the scores of children in another classroom [60]. These quasi-experimental results are promising, but this is definitely a topic that needs to be addressed further through rigorous experimental research.
B. Impact of Signing on Learning Across Subject Areas
Research shows that teachers who use two modes of communication – with both their mouths and their hands – in the classroom can help their students learn and retain information better. Studies by Susan Cook and her colleagues have shown that when teachers use gestures and signs while explaining a lesson, such as simple or advanced math, children are likely to use the same signs, which helps them learn and retain the new information [4, 5]. Another study by Cook and colleagues showed that when teachers instruct children to use gestures, the gestures bring out knowledge the children didn’t know they had, and help them learn more from instruction [6]. Now some teachers are even adapting other curricula in other subject areas, such as physical education, to include sign language [61].
