How to Teach American Sign Language to Your Class

Teaching American sign language as a main stream teacher or a special education teacher can be both exciting and rewarding. While many students struggle to learn a foreign language many will find that learning American sign language (ASL) can be fun and enjoyable. This is due to the fact that learning sign language is much easier that learning a foreign language. Not only that but many students both main stream and special education students really love the change of pace in the classroom along with the fact that they get to work with their hands. This makes it much easier to get the children involved in the lesson and will keep them actively engaged while learning sign language.

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Begin by asking the students to think about how their lives would be different if they couldn’t hear. Allow them to consider the challenges of living in a hearing world, but be sure they understand that many deaf people do lead productive lives. They are capable of holding jobs, driving a car and maintaining meaningful relationships with hearing people. American Sign Language makes all of this much easier for many deaf and hearing-impaired people.

Although American sign language is intuitive, students will still find it easier to remember if it is presented in a meaningful context. One way to do this might be to start with a song the students already know and show them how to “sing” it using signs for the familiar words. A good choice would be the alphabet song, since this will allow the students to learn the signs for all the letters. Students often love being able to sign the alphabet song.

Another idea would be to teach the students how to do the Pledge of Allegiance in sign language. The American Legion has created a reproducible file that would be very helpful and can be found online at legion.org. This way, students can practice using American Sign Language every morning!

Once students have learned how to sign the selected piece as a class, they can begin practicing conversations. For example, students can learn the signs for “Hi,” “How are you?” and “I’m fine.” Then, they can take turns practicing the signs in pairs. After allowing some time to practice, have some of the pairs present their conversation to the class. Other examples would involve typical exchanges at the grocery store, doctor’s office or other settings.

The American Sign Language Teachers Association has published a four-DVD set with presentations covering teaching methods, curriculum and other important information. However, many professional American sign language teachers also recommend the program “Signing Naturally.” This program is available on VHS or textbook and has an accompanying workbook. However, there are many other useful programs for teaching American sign language. Many lesson plans are available online as well.

Sproutonline.com also offers several resources that will give you excellent ideas on how you can engage your students with activities in the classroom.

Teaching American Sign Language can be exciting, fun and meaningful for the teacher as well as the students. By teaching signs in a familiar and enjoyable context, teachers can give their class a valuable skill they may keep long after they leave the classroom.

National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders - American Sign Language

Deaf-Culture-Online - The Benefits of Sign Language for ALL Children

Wikimedia.com at this link