GAP FAMILY BLOG

American Sign Language (ASL) Facts

• In 1817 the first free school for the deaf was founded in Hartford, Connecticut by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc.
• A curious fact is ASL came from the Old French Sign Language (OFSL). The British sign language is very different.
• Gallaudet University, located in Washington, D.C., is the first and only deaf university in the world.

Did you know babies can be taught to communicate with sign before they are able to speak?

At times people have been afraid to teach their babies to sign out of fear it would delay the baby’s verbal development, but studies have shown this is untrue. In fact increased cognitive skills and vocabulary are the result.



Did you know that American Sign Language has been used to teach primates to communicate?

Project Washoe http://www.friendsofwashoe.org/

In 1966 the project attempted to teach a chimpanzee to ask questions in ASL, to understand and interact with her environment using language. Raised like a member of a family in a trailer with a refrigerator, bed, clothes, etc. Everyone communicated with her through sign language. She learned 350 words and taught other chimps to speak ASL.



Koko http://www.koko.org/index.php

Koko is a gorilla who learned in over of 1,000 signs based on ASL. There is some disagreement about whether she truly understands language and uses it to express herself or only uses it based on a “reward response.” Her trainer insists she uses ASL to express herself and has created unique word combinations without any reward.



ASL FUN

Go to http://www.start-american-sign-language.com/american-sign-language-alphabet.html

• Have students learn to spell their name.
• Play a game. Sign the spelling of objects, words, animals, people’s names, letters, etc. Challenge children to guess.
• Teach children the ABC song



REFERENCES

American Sign Language Browser
http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm

Baby Sign Language
http://www.babysignlanguage.com/

eHow
“About Monkeys Learning Sign Language”
http://www.ehow.com/about_5436028_monkeys-learning-sign-language.html

Friends of Washoe
http://www.friendsofwashoe.org/

HANDSPEAK.COM
http://handspeak.com/

Koko’s World
http://www.koko.org/index.php

NIDCD National Institute on Deafness and other Communicative Disorders
American Sign Language
http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/pages/asl.aspx

The Andy and Spirit series by Mary Jean Kelso and illustrated by K.C. Snider, and Signs of Trouble by Janet Ann Collins and illustrated by Jack Foster, are Guardian Angel Publishing books that recognize the social and cultural contributions made by people with disabilities.

Visit our website at http://guardianangelpublishing.com/ to learn more about these and other GAP books.

Look for these new titles coming soon from Guardian Angel Publishing!



The Golden Pathway by Donna McDine

Raised in a hostile environment where abuse occurs daily, David attempts to break the mold and befriends the slave, Jenkins, owned by his Pa. Fighting against extraordinary times and beliefs, David leads Jenkins to freedom with no regard for his own safety and possible consequences dealt out by his Pa.

Lightning Strikes by Kevin McNamee



Lightning Strikes, I count to ten. I don’t hear thunder until then ...

Science and Math come together to educate and entertain. This fun, rhyming counting book will help teach children to count backwards, and to understand the principles of lightning and thunder.





A Necklace for Jiggsy by Kit Grady



Junk yard dog, Jiggsy, delights in finding a necklace he thinks will change his life, but must make a decision when his special possession disappears. A dog’s tale of temptation and honesty well-rewarded.









It's Birthday Time, Jake by Samantha Bell



In this time-telling book, Jake the Hedgehog can't wait until it's time for his party.

Marta's Gargantuan Wings by J. Aday Kennedy



Reluctant readers will devour the humorous and thought provoking tale. A Pegasus that resembles a mule, a witty monkey that defends him and a hateful bird teach children looks aren’t important. What makes someone appear strange or different could be what makes them able to save the day.


Animal Sound Mix-Up by Connie Arnold



Can you imagine what the world would be like if animals each made completely different sounds than expected? That would be such an amazing surprise, and how crazy it would seem if this were to happen! This book explores different animal sounds and why animals make the sounds they do.