Signing Christmas Carols for Preschoolers
Holiday Hearing Impaired Musical Activity for All Students
Dec 8, 2008
American Sign Language (ASL) is not a direct translation of the English language, but a complex communication system all its own. Preschoolers, whether hearing impaired or otherwise, will gain an appreciation of the language and be proud to learn it. The positive aspects of an educational program incorporating ASL are many.
Benefits of Preschool Education Programs with Sign Language
In the article, "The Benefits of Sign Language for ALL Children" by Christine Jones, PCD [The Monthly Communicator, April 2006], it is emphasized that very young children who are taught sign language can effectively bridge “the gap between…preverbal and verbal stages”. Educational programs that include signing may improve preschoolers' abilities to express their feelings and also will demonstrate that there are many different ways to communicate.
Additionally, signing music in the preschool classroom will allow children to use a wide variety of sensory learning methods (verbal, visual, musical, and physical). Sign language develops fine motor skills, and may also boost reading and language abilities in the elementary years.
Signing Christmas Songs
Learning a Christmas song in sign language is challenging and probably won't be accomplished in an hour, but positive results will be seen within a few weeks. It is truly inspirational how youngsters can quickly pick up a brand new language like ASL. Include a class field trip to a local rehabilitation center or hospital in the holiday signing lesson plan. Here, preschoolers will be able to demonstrate their recently developed signing abilities through caroling and receive lots of positive feedback.
Online Signed Christmas Carol Resources
Educators can find free online ASL dictionaries, graphical signing instructions, and video instructions to help get started with holiday sign language. Check out Elijiah (LIFTUPHANDS) or The interpreter's friend for signing directions on several popular holiday tunes such as Jingle Bells, Joy to the World, and Silent Night. Utilize music CDs in case children have not yet learned all of the English lyrics. Teaching these songs in sign language will take time but will be well worth the effort.
Recommended American Sign Language DVDs and Books
There is a wide variety of books and instructional DVDs available to help teachers, interpreters, and students learn American Sign Language. For Christmas, the We Sign DVD video series offers the following helpful titles:
- We Sign Santa’s Favorite Christmas Songs
- We Sign Christmas Carols
Also look for Tim Riley’s A ‘Silent Night’…Christmas Carols in ASL, available at many online DVD seller locations.
Have You Ever Seen…? An American Sign Language Hand Shape DVD/Book, by Adonia K. Smith and Lynn E. Jacobowitz [MD: ASL Rose Publishing, 2005] is a highly recommended written introduction to American Sign Language for students of all ages, with colorful pictures and easy-to-follow instructions.
Signing Christmas carols will be a wonderful holiday activity for the preschool classroom. Signing is a great way to teach young students about the deaf community and foster their understanding of the difficult challenges facing hearing-impaired children. This holiday educational program may also turn out to be a highly anticipated annual tradition for preschool children of all abilities.
 |
