Animals: Symbols

by Margaret Walker, Dilys Barr (Illustrator), Renee Henderson (Illustrator)

This book contains Makaton symbols for a large variety of domestic and wild animals, birds, insects, reptiles and even a few imaginary ones! This selection also includes Makaton symbols for animal sounds, actions and body parts; their homes and habitats; and related items such as saddle, brush, dish, etc. This resource is designed to be used to build on the vocabulary learned in the Makaton Core Vocabulary.

Being able to communicate is one of the most important skills we need in life. Almost everything we do involves communication; everyday tasks such as learning at school, asking for food and drink, sorting out problems, making friends and having fun. These all rely on our ability to communicate with each other.

For those who have experienced the frustration of being unable to communicate meaningfully or effectively, Makaton really can help. Makaton takes away that frustration and enables individuals to connect with other people and the world around them. This opens up all kinds of possibilities.

Makaton is a language programme using signs and symbols to help people to communicate. It is designed to support spoken language and the signs and symbols are used with speech, in spoken word order. This helps provide extra clues about what someone is saying. Using signs can help people who have no speech or whose speech is unclear. Using symbols can help people who have limited speech and those who cannot, or prefer not to sign.

Makaton is extremely flexible as it can be personalised to an individual's needs and used at a level suitable for them. It can be used to:

•share thoughts, choices and emotions
•label real objects, pictures, photos and places
•take part in games and songs
•listen to, read and tell stories
•create recipes, menus and shopping lists
•write letters and messages
•help people find their way around public buildings

Today over 100,000 children and adults, use Makaton symbols and signs. Most people start using Makaton as children then naturally stop using the signs and symbols as they no longer need them. However, some people will need to use Makaton for their whole lives.

Makaton is designed to help hearing people with learning or communication difficulties. It uses signs and symbols, with speech, in spoken word order.

Symbols are a fundamental part of Makaton. Signing and speech are both transitory. Once you have made the sign or spoken the word, the sound or the picture has gone. Symbols, on the other hand, provide a permanent and concrete reference point. Symbols can be combined with signs and speech or just used with speech on their own. Like the signs, symbols give a pictographic representation of the concept.

Makaton symbols are created by a working party of experienced Makaton Tutors, linguists, teachers and therapists who are also practising professionals working in the field of Special Needs. The symbols are researched, designed according to strict design themes and evaluated before they are published.

The other book in the series is Animals: Signs

93 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 23, 2015

About the author

Dr. Margaret Abigail Walker Alexander was an African-American poet and author. She wrote as Margaret Walker. One of her most known poems is "For My People".

Her father Sigismund C. Walker was a Methodist minister and her mother was Marion Dozier Walker. They helped get her started in literature by teaching a lot of philosophy and poetry to her as a child.

In 1935, Walker received her Bachelors of Arts Degree from Northwestern University and in 1936 she began work with the Federal Writers' Project under the Works Progress Administration. In 1942 she received her master's degree in creative writing from the University of Iowa. In 1965 she returned to that school to earn her Ph.D. She also for a time served as a professor at what is today Jackson State University.

Her literature generally contained African American themes. Among her more popular works were her poem For My People, which won the Yale Series of Younger Poets Competition and her 1966 novel Jubilee, which received critical acclaim.

Margaret Walker died of breast cancer in Chicago in 1998.

Reviews

[Alison Mclean]

Helpful

Helpful when you are learning to draw your symbols for animals. Makaton books are really easy to follow. Thank you