Technology and Resources

Technology Components:

1. Bubbl.us concept map: (see larger version in post #3 "Webbing")

2. Google Docs: I created a table in Google Docs to organize the benefits that different programs list about using baby sign language. 

Benefits of Baby Sign Language

I also used the new Google Docs Presentation feature to create a slide show for my final product.

Final Presentation

3. Delicious: I created a "stack" of annotated links in Delicious.com. I used this tool to organize my online resources into one place so I could easily refer to them throughout the inquiry.

Baby Sign Language

4. Digital Camera: I used a digital camera to take short videos of my daughter signing. 

Articles:

Signing with Babies and Children by Claire Vallotton

Research on How Signing Helps Hearing Children Learn to Read 

Pilot Study

Bibliography:

House, H. (Producer), & Briant, M. (Director). (2009). Baby Sign Language Basicsa [Motion Picture].

Garcia, D. J. (2005). Sign with your Baby. Sign2Me.

Linda Acredolo, P. a. (2002). Baby Signs. McGraw-Hill.

Lowenstein, F. (2004). All About Sign Language: Talking with Your Hands. Enslow Publishers, Inc.

Paul, P. (2008). Parenting, Inc. Henry Holt and Company, LLC.

Productions, T. L. (2011). Retrieved February 8, 2012, from Signing Time: http://www.signingtime.com/program1

Vallotton, C. (2011). Signing with Babies and Children: A Summary of Research Findings for Parents and Professionals. Two Little Hands Productions.

Personal Connection

Prior to this inquiry experience I viewed a traditional research project as inquiry. Teacher gives assignment, student locates sources, reads information and regurgitates what has been "learned" in a final paper or poster.  Although I knew that this was not the best way to investigate a topic, explore sources or gain knowledge, it is the accepted, convenient, easy standard fulfilling method of teaching. Personally, it is easy for me to develop inquiry rich learning experiences for younger children, 0-6 year olds.  It drives me crazy that kindergarten and first graders sit at desks, fill out worksheets and take tests on the first day of school! What happened to centers? Circle time? Art? Young children learn through hands-on learning and interactions. However, as students progress through school those "center" learning environments are more difficult to produce. Nevertheless, their  critical and creative thinking value is immeasurable. Unfortunately, the experiential learning opportunities are minimally present in kindergarten, making it nearly impossible to incorporate them into high grade levels. 


This project has taught me to alter my thinking to find new ways to make information inquiry learning experiences possible.  The models offer invaluable ideas and guidelines to help form lessons, units and projects that will expand student's learning environment and intellectual thinking. Kuhlthau (1997) writes that, "When the learner is placed at the center, the goal of information seeking is not longer merely getting the relevant information but getting information that leads to a new understanding in the process of learning." This is the type of learning experience I want for myself and for those I am teaching/helping in the library. And there are already so many materials on the Internet--WebQuests, lesson plans and technology tools-- that can help support the development of inquiry lessons.  Creating inquiry rich learning experiences should not be a long-term goal that may be attained if there is time.  Inquiry should be at the forefront of learning with all other components (tests, worksheets, textbooks) made to fit within its perimeters, not the other way around. 

Curriculum Connection

Sign Language has many uses in day cares and special needs classrooms. However, research is beginning to show that it also has reading and literacy advantages when used with hearing, developmentally on target, children. A summary of research surrounding signing with children was compiled by Dr. Claire Vallotton. She writes, "Research shows that teachers who use two modes of communication--with both their mouths and their hands--in the classroom can help their students learn and retain information better" Vallotton, 2011). It has also been shown that finger-spelling with children, and adults that have difficulty reading, helps them transfer the sound they hear to the page (Vallotton, 2011). Dr. Joseph Garcia (2005) writes, "Signs themselves have certain advantages over words. Signs are often iconic--they represent the shape of objects or mimic an activity or movement. Therefore, they can be easily recognized and remembered. Words, on the other hand (no pun intended), are more arbitrary and lack an obvious connection to what is being expressed." I had never made the connection between the visual representation of signing that children can connect to letters and words. However, several of the signing programs and research had mentioned the visual correlation signing offers that is not available verbally.


Below are some academic standards that could be supported or met by using sign language in the classroom, as an inquiry project or as a component to another lesson or activity.  I have created some ideas for incorporating sign language in lessons and the classroom.


Indiana Foundations for Children
Three to Five Years
Early Childhood Foundations


ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS FOUNDATION 1

F.1 - READING: Word Recognition, Fluency, and

Vocabulary Development (cont.)

Phonological Awareness

Phonological awareness is an “ear” skill. It is the ability to hear and manipulate the sounds of words, recognize that speech is composed of sounds, that some words rhyme, and that sounds can be manipulated. This is a foundation for phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness is the ability to recognize the smallest units of sounds in words (the word pink begins with the sound /p/).

Learning to read requires that children have considerable awareness of the sound structure of spoken language. Few young children acquire phonemic awareness unless teachers and other adults take the opportunity to draw attention to the sounds and phonemes of spoken words.

Young children are learning when they:

F.1.15 Match the sound that begins own name with the sound that begins another word or name.

F.1.16 Identify first letter of own name.

F.1.17 Generate sounds from letters.

F.1.18 Recognize that words that look alike may sound alike.

F.1.19 Imitate simple rhymes.

F.1.20 Sing the alphabet song.

F.1.21 Recite/sing one rhyme or song.

F.1.22 Generate and blend the sounds of letter patterns into recognizable words.

F.1.23 Clap out syllables in word songs.

Kindergarten Activities:

1. Have pictures of the sign language alphabet throughout the room and on each table or desk.
2. Sing and sign the Alphabet song.
3. Teach how to sign common nursery rhymes.
4. Finger-spell sight words.
5. Sign the alphabet while saying the letter sound, not name. Have students write the letter with their fingers in shaving cream, rice or some other tactile substance.

ADVANCED CHILD DEVELOPMENT

The Family and Consumer Science academic standards for Advanced Child Development support the course description, which can be found HERE.  Standard 4 Students will evaluate developmentally appropriate practices to enhance child growth and development.  ___  ACD-4.1 Assess strategies that promote physical, emotional, social, intellectual, cultural, and moral development of children. ___  ACD-4.2 Analyze components of an integrated curriculum that incorporate a child's language, learning styles, home experiences, and cultural values. ___  ACD-4.3 Demonstrate respect for diversity with sensitivity to anti-bias, gender equity, age, culture, and ethnicity related to children, parenting, and child nurturing practices. ___  ACD-4.4 Choose positive guidance and discipline practices that promote child growth and development. ___  ACD-4.5 Devise nonviolent, proactive strategies to prevent and manage conflict between children and between adults and children. ___  ACD-4.6 Access, evaluate, and utilize current and emerging research related to child growth and development to assess early childhood practices and procedures. OR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION The Family and Consumer Science academic standards for Early Childhood Education support the course description, which can be found HERE  Standard 4 Students will demonstrate integration of curriculum and instruction to meet children's developmental needs and interests. Examine a variety of curriculum and instructional models. Implement learning activities in all curriculum areas that meet the developmental needs of children. Implement an integrated curriculum that incorporates a child's language, learning styles, home experiences, and cultural values. Demonstrate a variety of teaching methods to meet individual needs of children. Create environments, including learning centers, that provide for children's creativity, exploration, discovery, and development. Establish schedules, routines, and transitions for units, lessons, and activities.

High school child development class activities:

1. Have students investigate the use of sign language with babies and young children. They can use library resources, personal interviews or experiences, or the sites listed HERE.
2. Discuss language development, second language acquisition and communication.
3. Discuss the use of sign language with special needs children.
4. Discuss how sign language can be used to bridge language, cultural and social barriers. 
5. Using what they  have learned, have students develop a game or activity that incorporates sign language to use with a child 0-2 or 3-5 years of age.
6. Students should present their activity to the class along with a multimedia power point that explains their findings.
7. Host a child day at the school where students can play their games with young children. 
8. Reflect/debrief on the experience interacting with the children using sign language. 

Interestingly there is an entire document dedicated to sign language in the World Language academic standards. Read it HERE


The activities listed above, especially for high school students, can help build content literacy skills. Annette Lamb (2011) writes that, "Content literacy involves the integration of strategies and experiences that build understandings related to a particular topic rather than simply acquiring large amounts of information."  By focusing on one or two of the suggestions teachers can integrate a variety of content areas while using sign language as the guiding topic--culture, foreign language, child development, social sciences, history, and ESL to name a few. Sign language has so much to offer professionally, educationally and personally. Take
the aspects that work for your situation and use signing to enhance your learning experiences.

Wishing

I feel that my inquiry was successful. I appreciate the fact that we were given an extended period of time to complete the assignment. I believe that my knowledge growth, information use and final product would not have been as complete if pursued with less time. I think that this is an important observation to note because as teachers and/or librarians the assignments we give students are often expected to be completed within the same week or maybe two weeks of time.  Granted, this is in part due to the curriculum restrictions and schooling time requirements. However, if we are truly seeking to foster critical thinking skills to create life-long learners, it is imperative to strive for inquiry opportunities that can take 4-6 weeks, and then ensure that students work throughout that entire time frame.  Even if a month long project occurs once a year, or better, once a semester, the chance to develop thinking and learning skills is immeasurable for student's future success. When creating inquiry and higher level thinking projects for today's students there are many options and models to follow. A web quest might take a teacher some time to create, but the students can move through it more quickly while still engaging in information rich learning experiences. Alice H. Yucht's "FLIP IT" inquiry model would be a great choice to use with high school students. It is divided into four sections that may make is more feasible to move through an inquiry assignment with less time. The steps: FOCUS, LINKS, INPUT and PAYOFF contain components that lead students through exercises in order to develop "intelligent thinking" skills. 


See an overview of the FLIP IT model:


FLIP It Info-Skills Categories




When I began this inquiry I created a list of 7 questions. I then narrowed my search to focus on two questions: What are the benefits of teaching sign language to hearing children? and How do you teach a baby to sign? I feel that I have been able to successfully answer these questions for myself personally, as well as, to share and use the information professionally.  Through my inquiry process I was also able to answer a third question: How does knowing sign language help children learn in other areas? My inquiry touched on ways that signing with infants and children can increase, enhance and help improve literacy skills.  This is a question that can definitely be pursued more in depth; however, I feel that my inquiry was able to provide resources and information to begin answering this question. 


A challenge for me during this project was to remember that the inquiry process is cyclical. My natural inclination and personality tend towards a linear process. I am someone that loves to gather materials together, read and then reflect on what I have learned. Questioning, searching, re-questioning, wondering, inferring, re-searching, and moving again into questioning is difficult for  me to complete. I find progress in making a list, moving through the activities, checking items off and arriving at an end point. I really wanted to just go through each "W" systematically and end up with an answer to my question. And though I think I did move through this inquiry more linearly than others, and perhaps more than I should have, I really tried to recognize and apply the cyclical process of inquiry that we have studied. Sandy L. Guild (2003) writes," ...the research process...is often presented in a fashion that leads students to assume that the process is linear. We tend to move students through the stages of research in a sequential fashion, providing lessons on each stage, without explicitly providing for the incorporation of a model for recursion." Since I was taught how to research in this linear method, and have a personality that responds well to this type of "learning," I need to make a concerted effort to learn, embrace and include the inquiry models of recursive information seeking processes in my own studies, as well as, in my instruction to students and other library patrons. 


This inquiry was a good experience to help me realize what students are encountering when they seek information and help in the library. Oftentimes they are unable to explain the assignment or what information they need. This is frustrating but after completing this assignment it is easier to understand their confusion.  Students are overwhelmed by the task, the information possibilities or so focused on the final product that they can't process what needs to be accomplished in order to arrive at the final destination. I now have more skills to help students question, assimilate and reflect on their knowledge so that they can fulfill their information needs.  The reference interview requires librarians to take an alternative perspective to the posed problem so that they can ask questions that lead to the true information need. Likewise. helping students through research and inquiry projects requires teachers and librarians to pursue a different approach in order to guide them through the process. 

Waving

The information I focused on for my inquiry project could have numerous applications. I narrowed my topic of baby sign language to two main ideas--benefits and teaching techniques.  Carol Kuhlthau (1997) writes that, "Enough relates to seeking meaning in a quantity of information by formulating a perspective on which to build and determining what one needs to know. Within the ISP, the question of enough is addressed by what is enough to make sense of oneself."  Baby sign language has a myriad of information focuses.  By chooses to investigate the benefits and teaching techniques I made the choice of what was "enough" for myself and my project at this time.  My inquiry allowed me to briefly touch on other aspects that I will explore at a later date. 


The benefits of signing with infants and children offer solid reasons to share what I have learned.  There are several ways in which I could use this new knowledge.


Professionally: (Public or school library)

1. story hours
2. parent educational/enrichment program
3. student inquiry projects
4. teacher/student classroom application and interactions
5. foundation for further study into student learning/teaching methods, literacy skills and language acquisition

Personally:

1. signing with my children, perhaps leading to a further study of ASL
2. supporting family and friends that use baby sign language or have special needs children
3. continuing my personal inquiry and knowledge to enhance my learning and teaching abilities
4. using sign language as a literacy tool as I home school my children 
5. developing skills that could lead to other career opportunities--instructor, interpreter 

In order to include my home video as part of my final product I had to use YouTube to convert and publish it to the web. I wasn't planning on sharing it with the world but now it is out there for others to view. I also shared it with family and friends as a post on my Facebook page. The slide presentation I can see potentially using as part of a library program. It could also lead to a conference presentation if I continued my inquiry into the literacy benefits of baby sign language. Right now I will share this inquiry with my classmates and family; however, I will not limit the possibilities it holds for other applications or "waving" opportunities. 

Final Product

I created a video of Emma using sign language as my final product. I took small videos of various signs and used Windows Movie Maker to bring them all together into a video that tries to reflect a typical day of signing with Emma. I incorporated pictures of how to make the ASL signs so that you could see the actual way to form the sign.  Initially children do not have the dexterity to make the signs correctly. As you will see some of Emma's signs are not exact replicas of the actual sign; however, they are close approximations that are easily understood by her accompanying verbal word or the context.  Though this is a fun way to see baby signing in action I decided that it needed something more to make it complete. I created a slide show in Google Docs Presentation.  Most of the information about baby signing I have posted in my blog.  However, to make this an independent slide show, that could be used to share the information through programming or outside the context of the blog, I took the major points of my inquiry to make the presentation.  My inquiry focused on benefits and teaching methods of baby signing.  I listed these and also incorporated videos as examples of the three baby signing programs I studied. If I was actually giving this presentation I would provide more information as I explained each slide. I did not narrate it as the participates and instructor of this class already have this information through the blog. The video of Emma is the final slide and lets you see what she has learned in a short time.


You will see that some of Emma's signs are similar. Her sign for "eat" and "water" look almost identical. However, when she wants water she also says, "wawa" so it is very clear whether she wants a drink or to eat. There is also some footage of her making animal sounds. These are animals that I sign to her but are difficult to make, I included this so that you could see how she has learned to communicate even though she cannot yet make the sign.  You will also see that some of the signs are approximations as she cannot yet form the sign correctly.  Please pardon my amateur cinematography. It is quite difficult to have the camera ready when the active, independent toddler decides to make the signs!


Brown, Bryan and Brown write that "...technology supports powerful literacy instruction and offers multiple opportunities to collaborate with more knowledgeable learners." By creating my presentation in Google Docs I have the chance to work with others on the project later. It also allowed me to use graphics, pictures, text or videos to create an engaging multimedia presentation.  As I embedded videos from YouTube I realized how many video resources there are about babies signing. I have never explored YouTube as a source for this information. So even as I am concluding this information inquiry I am returning to the "wondering," "webbing," and "wiggling" phases (Lamb). I have answered some questions but still have additional resources and questions to explore in the future as this cyclical process continues.


View my presentation below: It will advance to the next slide every 5 seconds. Click the box next to the "Slide1/10" to view a larger version that will allow you to view the included videos. 

                    

Wrapping in the Library

Signing with infants and children is a wonderful literacy tool that could be used in libraries. Studies have shown that when parents actively engage with their children when reading, through gestures and open ended questions, the children's language skills are increased.  "Parents who use signs with their preverbal children report that their children take a great interest in books, and use signs to actively participate in book-reading with their parents" (Vallotton, 2011). Story hours are opportune times to incorporate signing into children's programming.  Usually parents attend these activities with their infants and toddlers so they can learn signs along with the children.  Signing is already a part of most library story hours, it may just not be recognized.  All of the songs and finger plays that are included in this time generally have a hand motion component--that's signing! If librarians wanted to extend the signing language inclusion and education it would be very easy to learn a new sign each week. Baby Signs offers free poster downloads that are delivered directly through email.  Librarians could download and laminate these posters to have as part of the story hour and then displayed throughout the children's department. 


Signing does not have to stop with toddlers.  Research has also shown that preschooler, kindergarten and elementary aged children can benefit from sign language. "Several studies have shown that signing can help kindergartners, and even older children, gain bigger vocabularies, and improve their spelling and reading skills" (Vallotton, 2011). Media specialists can work with teachers to learn ways of incorporating sign language into the classroom. They could also develop inquiry activities that involve signing focuses or components. 


I have focused on the benefits and techniques of signing with infants and toddlers; however, this information can be transferred to older children and other settings. The possibilities are endless, with a little creative thinking and application of the numerous resources available, sign language could become an important literacy tool. 


Click below to see an example of the posters that can be downloaded and used at home or in the library. 


Baby Signs poster "ball"

It's a Wrap!

As I reflect on this inquiry I am amazed at all I have learned and also what I still have to learn. I have encountered many wonderful resources through this process. I was very familiar with the Signing Time program as I watch the DVDs and read the board books with my daughter. However, I never fully looked at the website and resources they have available. I still feel like this program meets our needs the best, and will be returning for further investigation. I don't allow Emma to watch much television (and she really isn't interested) but I have found these DVDs to be beneficial for both of us to learn new signs. We watch them together so that I can talk to her about what we are seeing and immediately make the signs with her myself. Placing a child in front of a DVD is not using it as an instructional tool.  Studies show that "young children learn most through responsive interactions with their family members" (Vallotton, 2011). In order for the DVDs, that these programs offer, to be effective it is important to engage in the activities with the child so that it is understood what they are viewing, and so that you can reinforce the signs.  Furthermore, it is important to remember that the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend television for children under two years of age, and very limited amounts for older children.  So even though these DVDs are helpful for parents and children to learn sign language, they are not the complete answer to teaching baby sign language. They are a supportive tool, that should be used in moderation, with adult interaction. Vallotton writes that, "...the negative impact of extensive television exposure is likely due to a lack of interaction with parents, making it important for parents and children to view educational media together, to make it an interactive and responsive activity." Use the baby sign language DVDs as tools to teach and support the signs you use with your child, but don't expect them to babysit or turn your child into a signing wonder. 


The Signing Time videos are broken into subject area clips so that you can choose to just watch one or two and return for more later. This is nice because Emma's attention span is limited. We are able to complete a section but wait to watch more so that she does not lose interest. This inquiry has allowed me to investigate other signing programs. I will have to try the Baby Signs, and other programs, DVDs. I was previously unaware of most of the resources available. I now receive emails from three programs I have focused on during this inquiry.  They include signing activities, free sign language posters, articles and promotions.
I have learned the leading advocates of baby signing, and gathered research that I can use to help others teach baby signing and support my choice to sign with Emma.  


Baby sign language was important to me to investigate because I have really seen the advantages with my daughter and wanted to be more prepared to share the experience with others. I now have research, program options, and numerous resources to share, instead of just having my own personal thoughts. Barbara Stripling (2010) writes that "...inquiry is recursive and cyclical, with learners going back and forth between the phases of inquiry to resolve new questions and complexities as they arise." The information inquiry process has opened doors to new information and material. I did not have time to thoroughly investigate all the sources I encountered.  So now, as time allows, I can return to the inquiry process of questioning, exploring, assimilating, inferring, and reflecting to further my knowledge acquisition and information usage (Callison, 2006). 

Program Commonalities

The second question I want to address through this inquiry is: How do you teach babies to sign?


I read Joseph Garcia's book Sign with Your Baby which gives parents an overview of signing with babies, offers suggestions and provides illustrations of common signs.  I then explored the Sign2Me, Baby Signs and Signing Time websites to investigate the teaching methods and products they each provide. I also viewed the video Baby Sign Language Basics by Monta Briant, parent and founder of the company. I have also used and reviewed  Signing Time DVDs and the Baby Sign board books available at my local library.


Technology has provided the visual tools needed to teach sign language easily and in one's own home. Each program includes DVDs as the main instructional tool.  The Sign2Me program includes an instructional video for parents and children that teaches signs and gives information about signing. There is also a CD of songs, and flash cards available to support the signs parents are teaching children.  The Baby Signs and Signing Time programs center around DVDs that are designed for children.  These DVDs incorporate actual babies signing, animation, print words, audio and music.  Baby Signs relies heavily on animated characters that move at a slow pace, making it easy for babies to follow.  Signing Time videos are a mixture of fun animations that support the signs taught by company founder, Rachel Coleman. Baby Signs and Signing Time also have board books, flash cards and Cds. Each company has an email program that allows parents to receive free posters, weekly signs and other resources.


Monta Briant, in her video Baby Sign Language Basics, offers eight recommendations for teaching children sign language.


1. Be on the child's level so you can make eye contact.
2. Make sure that you are in the baby's field of vision so they easily see the hand motions.
3. Say the word as you make the sign.
4. Sign in context--sign about what you are seeing or doing.
5. Use appropriate facial expressions to match the sign. Don't smile when you are teaching the sign for sad.
6. Make signing a part of your daily routine.
7. Teach motivating signs. Signs that express your child's interests. For example, "train" was one of the 1st signs I used with Emma because she loves to watch the train go by our house.
8. Have fun!


The program tools (animations, people, songs, written and spoken words) and suggestions for teaching babies signs reflect the inquiry process and life-long learning skills.  Callison (2006) writes that "Media merge to create multimedia, where written, spoken, and visualized images bring both improved clarity and new complexities to the communication process." The DVDs created to teach baby sign language combine various elements to address different learning styles and stimulate children's senses.  When I was nine years old I wanted to learn sign language. We had a book, The Joy of Signing, that had illustrations of hundreds of signs.  I would spend time choosing signs, mimicking the pictures and trying to teach them to my younger siblings.  I was able to learn some and my interest was piqued. However, it was not engaging enough to make a very lasting impression. Wiggins and McTighe (2005) state that "...enduring understandings answer the question, "What do we want our students to understand and be able to do several years from now, after they have forgotten the details" (qtd. in Donham, 2010). Advancements in technology make teaching and learning sign language easier, fun and engaging. The use of visual, audio and tactile (making the hand positions) senses allows children to engage in the learning process. And though many children stop signing when their verbal skills are fully developed, I believe they will have gained skills and knowledge that will carry over into later learning and life experiences.


Here are  preview clips from the Baby Signing Time, Baby Signs and Sign2Me programs.

Baby Signing Time 
"Here We Go"

Baby Signs--Eat

Clips from Sign2Me instructional video by Joseph Garcia

When teaching children sign language it is important to remember that, "Each sign is made up of four parts. They are handshape, hand movement, location, and position of palm. The looks you make with your face while signing are also very important" (Lowenstein, 2004). As you can see, these videos make it easy to learn and imitate signs by clearly demonstrating hand shape, movement and location, the palm position and appropriate facial expressions. When signing with your own children keep these 5 guides in mind.

Lowenstein, F. (2004). All About Sign Language: Talking with Your Hands. Enslow Publishers, Inc.

  

Testimonials

Though I am moving towards the end of my inquiry (due to the impending due date), I have returned to exploration "...the initial action taken to seek answers to a question" (Callison, 2006) to gain some more personal insights into signing with babies.  


To help further my inquiry I posted a poll on my Facebook page. I have many friends with children and was curious to see if any of them use/used sign language. I have only received one response so far but wanted to share the information. This is what I posted:

I am doing an inquiry project for my class this semester.

I am studying signing with babies. I personally use signs with 

Emma and have discovered some great resources. However, 

I would really love to hear your thoughts and personal experiences. 

If you would be willing to share with me

 please respond to this post or send me a message. Thanks!

 Some questions I am interested in answering:

1. Why did you begin signing with your child?
2. At what age did you begin signing with your child?
3. How have you taught the signs?
4. What signs do you use? Why?
5. What are some benefits you have experienced by signing with your child?
6. Anything else you would like to share! Personal observations are welcomed.

This is what a friend of mine shared:

"I used sign with my first. I wish I had taken the time to teach it to my second as well.

The two are so close in age that some things had to go in caring for two babies, and sign,

 unfortunately, was one of those.I loved signing with Alivia. I used the sign and the word

 simultaneously, beginning with the sign for "milk" when nursing. She was several months 

old when I began signing with her, well before she was able to make the signs herself. 

She had quite an extensive expressive and receptive sign vocabulary by the time she did 

start talking, everything from "milk" to "motorcycle." When she did start talking, she 

progressed very quickly from single words to complex sentences. Elliott on the other

 hand is developing speech much slower than Alivia, though I am reluctant to say that it 

was because of the lack of the use of sign language that he is progressing more slowly 

than his sister. I loved the fact that though Alivia couldn't talk, she could express her thoughts

 and desires at a young age. I think that is probably the neatest thing about baby sign language.

 I would encourage all parents to invest in a book of simple signs--

I used a book called "The Joy of Signing"--and choose the signs they think will be most-

used by their little one. I would suggest starting at 3-4 months old if not sooner.

 And I would suggest using both the verbal word and the sign at the same time. "

~Annie

We also have a family friend with a child that uses sign language due to a disability that makes him currently unable to easily form words. This child is also growing up in a bilingual home. He attends a special school that uses sign language and Spanish to communicate with the children. This child's younger brother is learning signs from him and is able to use them to communicate as a toddler. Signing has allowed Peter to communicate with his parents, sibling and peers. He will hopefully develop verbal speech one day, but is now able to function as a three year old via signing. His brother has been exposed to signs since birth and though he can talk he is able to use signs since he is still a pre-verbal toddler.  Although the parents do not know ASL they are learning signs along with the children and signing is also acting as a bridge between English and Spanish speakers.


Early use of manners is one benefit of signing that I have found personally significant.  "Please" and "thank you" are signs I have used from the very beginning of signing with Emma.  I taught "more, please" instead of just "more." As she started to sign "more" and "eat" I always asked her to say "please" as well. As her physical ability to form signs increased she quickly began signing "please." Recently she has been able to sign "thank you." Now I often do not have to ask her to "say" please or thank you, she automatically combines the manner sign with the request. She has also figured out when the use of these signs in appropriate in other situations. For instance, she was trying to get her Dad to play the other day, he was kind of distracted so she started signing "please." (try to say no to that!)  And when I handed her a toy she signed "thank you" without being prompted. Politeness is an attribute I highly value in children. I see many kids just ripping open presents or grabbing something without even a glance let alone a thank you.  Signing has given me the chance to instill the abstract concept of manners in Emma at a very young age. Though we haven't had to use it yet, "sorry" is another valuable sign that helps young children interact appropriately with peers. 

Assimilation

By reviewing books, websites and videos I extrapolated information about the benefits of signing with babies. In my previous post I discussed the three main benefits agreed upon by leading experts in the field of baby signing.  However, each signing program listed additional positive aspects of signing with infants. There are so many that I will not be able to investigate or discuss them all for this inquiry. I created a basic table in Google Docs to display what benefits each program advocates. I also added a column with the benefits I have personally observed through my own experiences of signing with babies. You can use this table as a starting point to expand your own search if you would like. 


See the table of benefits HERE


I enter a weaving and assimilation phase of inquiry as I merge my prior knowledge of baby signs with new information. Callison (2006) writes that assimilation "...involves the actions to absorb and fit information to that which is already known, believed, or assumed by the learner. Assimilation involves accumulation of knowledge, alteration of accepted knowledge, and constant consideration of alternatives." I had some unconfirmed previous knowledge of the benefits of signing with babies.  Through my discovery process I have encountered research that supports my own assumptions. I have also found new information that furthers my understanding of infant sign language. One benefit that is discussed by numerous baby sign experts is that signing can enhance the parent/child bond.  I had never considered this as a benefit. 


Let's see what the experts have to say:

• Joseph Garcia (2005) writes, "Using manual communication with your infants can help build a solid foundation for mutual understanding, dramatically contributing to the bonding process."
• Monta Briant, in her video Baby Sign Language Basics, argues that the greatest benefit of signing with babies is that it builds the parent/child bond by allowing children to express their ideas and learn that their thoughts and needs are important.
•  Rachel Coleman, founder of Signing Time, says, "Sign language is a wonderful tool that allows even very small children to express themselves. Most parents that sign with their babies talk about an unexplainable [sic] bond that is felt when their child communicates so early!" 
• Drs. Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn, founders of Baby Signs, state, "Because babies using baby sign language are able to communicate effectively with their caregivers, the number of positive interactions goes up and the number of negative interactions goes down. In other words, when a baby and parent can truly understand each other and share what's on their minds, they feel more connected to one another." 

I had never thought that signing with babies could strengthen the parent/child bond, but I encountered it again and again during my search process. Now that I  added this information to my previous knowledge I began watching" and "wondering" about it in my own life. Emma and I have a very strong bond due to many factors aside from signing. However, as I considered how we use signs to interact throughout the day I can definitely see that it could enhance the bonding experience. Signing allows us to communicate at a much higher level than most parents with a 14 month old. Signing with each other is a natural part of our daily routines. I am able to reinforce my instructions by signing along with verbal words so that I ensure she understands what I mean to convey.  Likewise, Emma "tells" me what she sees and needs through words and signs. Today I did not understand the word she was trying to say so after I asked her what she meant she said the word and made the sign. I was then able to figure out that she had seen a ladybug on the floor. 

Signing with Emma was something I started because I knew that when a child can sign "more" and "eat" life is much easier. I did not realize how easily and quickly it would become a supportive part of our lives. I am currently trying to learn more signs because my signing vocabulary is about empty and Emma wants to know more signs for animals and words. This inquiry is allowing me opportunities to learn even more ways to include signing in my life, and hopefully share the experience with others. I never considered signing as a way to bond with your child, now I look forward to learning more signs so that we can explore the world together. 

Weaving Professional and Personal

Sign2Me, Baby Signs and Signing Time, three respected, influential leaders in the baby signing movement, agree on the following benefits of signing with infants.


Signing...

• Reduces frustration and tantrums
• Creates an early ability to communicate
• Stimulates spoken language development

Each program lists additional benefits but these three were common between all of the programs. I will discuss additional benefits in another post. 

As I reviewed these benefits I began to reflect on my own use of signing with my daughter, Emma. I returned to the observation, "watching," and "wondering," phases.  Emma is 14 months old and is able to communicate her desires and needs quite effectively through signing and spoken words. Of course she screams to express herself at times, but these moments are very few and usually stopped quickly. I wonder if this is due in part to her ability to sign? Yes, I believe that signing has greatly enhanced her ability to communicate which in turn has decreased her frustrations and need to have a tantrum. 

Emma frequently uses the sign, "more" to indicate that she wants a snack. She also signs "water" for a drink and "all done" when she is finished eating or done with another activity. She does say "more" and "water" along with the sign and is beginning to say "all done." These signs allow her to express herself and they allow me to understand her needs so that I can respond accordingly.  Signing "all done" has been very helpful in reducing the instances of food being throw onto the floor. She is able to tell me she is finished instead of having to show me by throwing a plate.  Emma has begun to sign "potty" which is going to be wonderful as we move into the toilet training phase. 

In addition to signing her needs Emma is also able to express her desires. She signs "play," "book," "ball," and "dog" to convey what she would like to do. I feel that this empowers her as she moves into the more independent toddler stage. For example, she just woke up from a nap and was fussing. I asked her what she wanted and she signed, "eat." She is now happily having a snack while I finish this blog! :) I think that many toddlers know what they want to do but have no way of telling the adults. Intellectually they understand their desires but physically they are unable to verbally express everything, resulting in the dreaded "terrible" twos and threes.  I have no illusions that we will have our fair share of meltdowns; however, I am confident that they will be resolved more quickly and lessened by the ability to communicate through signs. 

Many critics of signing with babies argue that signing will delay verbal development. However, research has proven quite the opposite and all three signing companies agree that signing can enhance and help speech.  When I sign with Emma I say the word along with the sign. There have been some instances where she says the word before the sign, some where the sign comes first and others where they have come together.  For her 12 month well-baby appointment I made a list of her words and signs for the doctor.  I just reviewed that list and at 1 year old Emma had 23 spoken words and 13 signs ( I have no idea how many she has now!).  5 words she could both sign and say. Through my personal observations and reflections I see only language enhancement by including signs throughout our day, just as advocated by Sign2Me, Baby Signs and Signing Time.

Barbara Stripling (2010), reminds us that "...inquiry is recursive and cyclical, with learners going back and forth between the phases of inquiry to resolve new questions and complexities as they arise." I like order, lists and steps so going back in a project is counter intuitive to my personality. I love to mark things OFF the list. :) However, as I explore the benefits of signing with babies I am going to return to "watching" to help me as I "weave" the professional information together. 

Weaving

Now that I have my general questions, guiding questions and core resources I decided to begin focusing my information study and search on my three main sources. One of my main questions is: What are the benefits of signing with your baby? To start answering this question I reviewed the Sign2Me, Baby Signs and Signing Time websites in search of their discussions of signing benefits. I created a simple document in GoogleDocs that includes a table to list the benefits all three programs cite, as well as, ones specific to each organization. This helped me visualize and hone in on base benefits and unique insights. By using GoogleDocs I can add to this document at anytime and have others collaborate with their own information.  Callison (2006) writes that "Knowledge and understanding, therefore, will  move at different speeds and levels of meaning..." By gathering information into one place and focusing on specific parts of the whole (benefits, program components etc) I can help myself  start to align my knowledge and understanding of baby signing without becoming completely overwhelmed. I think I will be in the "weaving" stage for awhile this week. I will share my documents when I have formatted and completed the information.

Wiggling

For me this is a difficult step. There are so many great resources available that it is hard to choose just a few. However, as I was becoming overwhelmed with the information while "webbing," I decided to focus on two or three websites on which I could focus my inquiry. Many of the websites I encountered are maintained by parents. They have wonderful resources, suggestions, information and support for those that want to sign with babies. But in order to have a successful inquiry project there is no way I can keep track of and use everything available. Plus I wanted to make sure I was using information from credible sources.


I have chosen three websites to use as my main sources of information. I will probably use information from other sites and books as well, but these will form the foundation of my project. To determine what sources were authoritative I reviewed 17 websites that dealt with baby sign language, multilingualism, language acquisition and linguistics. Since I am questioning the benefits and teaching methods of baby signing I eliminated those that addressed languages and bilingualism but not signing. I then made notes of the names and signing programs that were frequently referenced in several websites. I did some brief research on the key people to determine the extent and credibility of their work. Through this process I narrowed my main references to Sign2Me, Signing Time and Baby Signs. These are all web sources but the founders also have books that I will be skimming this next week.


Sign2Me is a company that uses the Sign with your Baby program developed by Joseph Garcia. Garcia was referenced in several books and websites as one of the founding fathers behind the baby signing movement. He observed that children with deaf parents were communicating through signs much earlier than their peers raised by hearing parents. He conducted research on using sign language with hearing children and has written books and signing program for parents. You can read an overview of his work HERE.


SigningTime is a program developed by Rachel Coleman, the mother of a deaf child. When her daughter was found to be deaf at age 1, Coleman began to learn ASL and has created the Signing Time video series to help parents of deaf and hearing children learn sign language. She uses songs, animations and real children to quickly engage you in the learning process. I have used the Baby Signing Time videos with my daughter and they have made a significant difference in my ability to teach her signs, and she is very receptive to the videos. The Signing Time program is internationally recognized and includes DVDs, books, CDs and flash cards.


BabySigns was founded by Drs. Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn. These women observed that children will often create signs to communicate their needs. The Baby Signs programs is bases on "a natural baby sign language that allows babies and their parents to use simple signs to communicate." It does not use ASL as the other two programs. Personally, I am an advocate of ASL sign language because I feel that you should establish a base of signs that could be built upon if the child decides to continuing signing as an adult. The validity of some of the research done by Acredolo and Goodwyn has been questioned. However, I am including Baby Signs as part of my project because they are highly recognized in the field of baby signing and do offer some excellent resources and information.

Callison (2006) writes that according to Carol Kuhlthau's theory "Information gains meaning when it becomes evidence." I feel that each of these programs have establish history, research and national/international recognition to be used as authoritative information resources. My local library has material from each of these programs which will allow me to review hard copies of the information as well. Callision discusses information literacy in reference to a person. However, I think that the concept can also be transferred to organizations.  These three companies seems to be  information literate, they "...know how knowledge is organized, how to find information, and how to use information in such a way that others can learn from them" (Callison, 2006). I  hope that I can become more information literate by using this inquiry to expand my knowledge, information usage skills and teaching abilities. 

Webbing

My information search process started with two basic searches--one in the library's online catalog and one through online search engines. I chose search terms out of the questions I had posed about baby sign language, language acquisition, bilingualism, multilingualism and benefits of baby signing. I placed several books on hold  and have skimmed each for information pertaining to my inquiry. There is so much information available about languages that I really had to narrow it by choosing a few books specifically about signing with babies. Although much of the other information could be incorporated, it would turn this into a semester, yearlong or dissertation project! I also used these search terms to seek out resources online. There is a plethora of information and websites addressing baby sign language and multilingualism. Many of the websites contain instructional video clips which are great information sources as well. Additionally, I watched the DVD Baby Sign Language Basics which features the work of author Monta Briant. To help narrow these sources I placed them all into a "stack" in delicious.com. I have since spent time briefly reviewing each website, creating tags and writing brief descriptions. Much of the information is repeated; however, there are differing levels of authority and resources. 

While reviewing these sources I tried to extrapolate terms, ideas and theories that I felt were significant to my inquiry. I also learned several names of key people that are influential in this field of study. I am going to focus my research and resources on references that include these experts that have been proven authorities. When I began this project I used bubbl.us to create a concept map of my ideas and thoughts. 

The amount of information and resources available is quite overwhelming. As an inquirer, librarian and information seeker I have this great desire to gather and absorb everything--not possible! Carol Kuhlthau discusses a drop in confidence that students experience during the exploration phase of her ISP model.  This lack of confidence is due to inconsistencies, over abundance of information and altered expectations that are encountered during the initial search process. I am definitely experiencing less confidence at the moment. I feel that there is so much I would like to address and share but don't have the time to do so for this assignment. At the same time I feel that I will not meet the project requirements or level of work if I don't incorporate all the research, sources, information and aspects of baby signing. Kuhlthau (1997) writes that, "...they [students] need to attend to the task of exploring information to form a focus for their research rather than collecting information to support a thesis."  I must remember this edict if I am to move forward in the inquiry project. It is very easy to get caught up in gathering source after source after source. However, there is not enough time or space to use each reference, no matter how valuable.


To help myself refocus and once again narrow my topic and ideas I created a second concept map in bubbl.us. This map still contains a lot of information, but I have focused in on two main questions--How do you teach babies to sign? and What are the benefits of signing with babies? 

There is still much to cover but I think these two ideas will support each other in ways that make the information and resources become unified. I just have to resign myself to the fact that there is much more to this topic that will have to be explored later. I am going to create a bibliography and keep links in delicious so that others can investigate further and I can return to other areas at another time.

Wondering

My main topic is "baby sign language." Possible subtopics include "language confusion" and "bi/multilingualism."

As I search for a focus for my project I wonder about the following questions (ordered as they came to mind).

1. What are the benefits of teaching sign language to hearing children? 

2. How do children learn language?

3. What is language confusion? Does it occur only when children learn two spoken languages or also when learning sign language in conjunction with a spoken language?

4. What are the benefits and challenges of multilingualism?

5. How does knowing sign language help children learn in other areas? 

6.What is the long-term impact of baby signing?

7. How do you teach a baby to sign? 

I really want to focus on the benefits of teaching children to sign. How does learning sign language carry over to other areas of social and cognitive development? Does knowing sign language help children's acquisition of a spoken language? By focusing on these questions I think I will also gain knowledge of teaching strategies and bilingualism, though these will be supplemental to learning the influence of signing with children.

Watching

As I read through this assignment I began thinking of many different activities and topics I am interesting in exploring.

My first notes looked like this:

• sign language/baby sign language
• language confusion/bilingualism/multilingualism
• Italy
• dairy farm
• food in books

Let me explain this varied list.


I have a 13 month old hearing child that I teach sign language.  I also speak Spanish and it is my hope that my daughter will be multilingual at a young age. My husband only speaks English so it falls to me to teach Spanish. I have not spoken Spanish with her as much as I had planned, it is my second language and English just comes more naturally if I am not around other Spanish speakers. So, needless to say, I have a huge interest in bilingualism and how children learn and communicate, hence my first two bullet points. 

Next, I have a love affair with Italy. I love everything I read, watch and listen to about Italy. I think the culture, people, food, way of life, land and language are amazing. However, I have never visited. I hope to travel there someday, though I always say that it is probably good I haven't gone yet because I may not come back! I love to read memoirs, nonfiction, fiction and travel books about Italy. I enjoy watching movies set in Italy. So when thinking of things I would like to learn more about Italy topped the list. 

Dairy farm comes from my interest in dairy goats. I currently have 9 LaMancha does. I have had goats my entire life and showed for 10 years in 4-H and open shows. I hope to share the showing experience with my daughter someday. I do not do as many things with the goat milk as I would like but hope to do more cheese, yogurt and soap making in the future. I collect children's goat books and love learning about those that have been able to make dairy goat farming a way of life. 

Lastly, I made a lot of notes on how food plays a prominent role in many books. I seem to be drawn to fiction and nonfiction titles that deal with food. As I was thinking of this topic I also realized that food seems to be closely connected to family and emotions in the novels.

By exploring my interests I was able to gain some insight into myself and the world in which I live. Daily life is so busy that it is easy to fall into routines and forget to look up now and then to see what is passes by or through your experiences.  Callison (2006) writes that, "Informal learning involves the lifelong process by which every individual acquires and accumulates knowledge, skills , attitudes, and insights from daily experiences and exposure to the environment--at home, at work, and at play." By simply observing my daughter I have learned so much about language acquisition, physical development and emotional maturity. Taking this informal knowledge and applying some inquiry skills I can increase my formal information base. 

As I considered all of these interests I decided to spend this inquiry project on baby signing. My daughter already has extensive spoken and signing vocabularies. However, I just teach her the signs I am familiar with to help her communicate. Signing with babies has become quite popular in recent years and parenting magazines often feature articles of how to sign with your child. I often get questioned about why and how I sign with her. I have a background in child development and have seen the benefits of signing with hearing children. However, I want to learn more about "what the experts say" so that I can give better answers and also advocate for teaching children to sign. 

Now onto formulating and narrowing all of the questions that come to mind when I think of the phrase "baby sign language."