Dancing with Words: Signing for Hearing Children's Literacy

by Marilyn Daniels

One of the foremost authorities on the use of sign language with hearing children provides a guide for teachers and parents who want to introduce signing in hearing children's language development. Marilyn Daniels provides a complete explanation for its use, a short history of sign language and its primary role within the Deaf community, an identification of the steps to reading success delineated with suggestions for incorporating sign language, and finally the results of studies and reactions of children, teachers, and parents. She shows how sign language can be used to improve hearing children's English vocabulary, reading ability, spelling proficiency, self-esteem, and comfort with expressing emotions. Signing also facilitates communication, aids teachers with classroom management, and has been shown to promote a more comfortable learning environment while initiating an interest and enthusiasm for learning on the part of students.

Sign language is shown to be an effective agent to accelerate literacy in hearing children from babyhood through sixth grade. A comprehensive exploration of the physiological rationale for the educational advantage sign carries is presented. Overlapping integrated brain activities are incited by movement, vision, meaning, memory, play and the hand itself when sign language is used. Recent findings clearly indicate this bilingual approach with hearing children activates brain growth and development.

Genres: Nonfiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2000

Reviews

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d recommend. Especially for kindergarten teachers. Great ideas. Lots of info at first, though.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daniels summarizes the research about sign language acquisition for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing, and details the work she herself and others have done with hearing children using sign language to aid literacy.

Her persuasive research findings are followed by a solid presentation of facts, theories, and speculation, and then she offers practical suggestions for teachers and parents wanting to apply these ideas to their own students and children.

Her presentation of information is so clear and persuasive, it is hard to imagine any teachers or parents reading this book and not committing themselves to using sign language with their hearing children.

[Alissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating research about sign language with hearing children and how it can improve their literacy scores. Totally makes me want to keep signing with my daughter as she learns to read. Fingerspelling and the manual alphabet are especially important.

I like the way this was broken in to 3 parts with general information, the research and then the tips for parents and teachers. The tips part is what gave it 4 stars. I like it when things are made practical.

[Kathy MacMillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daniels’ book demonstrates that American Sign Language isn’t just for deaf students. Citing numerous research studies, many conducted by Daniels herself, this book gives solid evidence as to why and how ASL supports literacy in hearing children. Best of all, Daniels offers practical strategies for use in the early elementary and preschool classroom.