Murray - Simple Signing with Young Children, Revised: a Guide for Infant, Toddler, and Preschool Teachers, rev. ed

Contents

Chapter 1
Lets Begin Using Sign Language with Young Children

Chapter 2
Using Sign Language to Manage the Classroom and Teach Social Skills

Chapter 3
Sign Language for Babies

Chapter 4
Sign Language for Toddlers

Chapter 5
Sign Language for Preschoolers

Chapter 6
Sign Language for an Inclusive Classroom

Copyright

2018 Carol Garboden Murray

Published by Gryphon House, Inc.

P. O. Box 10, Lewisville, NC 27023

800.638.0928; 877.638.7576 (fax)

Visit us on the web at www.gryphonhouse.com.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or technical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America.. Every effort has been made to locate copyright and permission information.

Cover photographs used under license from Shutterstock.com.

Interior photographs courtesy of Paul Rich.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Murray, Carol Garboden, author.

Title: Simple signing with young children : a guide for infant, toddler, and

preschool teachers / Carol Garboden Murray, MEd.

Description: Revised edition. | Lewisville, NC : Gryphon House, Inc., [2018]

| Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018036345 | ISBN 9780876598092 (pbk.)

Subjects: LCSH: American Sign Language--Study and teaching (Early childhood)

| Nonverbal communication in education.

Classification: LCC HV2474 .M87 2018 | DDC 419/.7--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018036345

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Disclaimer

Gryphon House, Inc., cannot be held responsible for damage, mishap, or injury incurred during the use of or because of activities in this book. Appropriate and reasonable caution and adult supervision of children involved in activities and corresponding to the age and capability of each child involved are recommended at all times. Do not leave children unattended at any time. Observe safety and caution at all times.

Introduction

Every now and then, things come to us in our professions that revitalize our practice. For me, these gifts arrive in various forms: an amazing book, an inspiring colleague, or a unique child. American Sign Language (ASL) has been one of these gifts, and that is why I am so happy to share Simple Signing with Young Children , Revised Edition, with you.

This book originally emerged from my years teaching in early-intervention programs, special-education classrooms, and integrated preschools. I found that as I was increasingly becoming inspired by sign language, I was compiling pictures, drawings, and notes about sign language to use in my teaching practice, particularly with stories and songs. I was also making posters or printing photos to put around the classroom to embed signs into the daily routine and so that I could teach my assistant teachers and student teachers sign language along with the children.

One day, while organizing my stack of notes, homemade posters, and photo cards so that I could teach a workshop to others in my community, I realized that early childhood teachers really needed a good book on ASL. Although signing with babies was very popular and there were many books available for new parents, it was difficult to find books for teachers in child-care centers and preschools. I wanted to show early childhood teachers how sign language can be a natural part of the early learning experience and an excellent tool for creating high-quality programs.

About the Original Edition of Simple Signing

Simple Signing with Young Children: A Guide for Infant, Toddler, and Preschool Teachers was originally published in 2007 and received several awards:

Earlychildhood NEWS Directors Choice Award

iParenting Media Award

Moms Choice Award

Simple Signing has been used in child-care centers, preschools, early-intervention programs, and home-based programs throughout the United States. It has sold more than 20,000 copies and was reviewed by Young Children , the journal of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and the Midwest Book Review.

Young Children Review by Gail Perry:

This guidebook is designed to help teachers develop a meaningful vocabulary in American Sign Language to use in their teaching practice with hearing children. Murray shows techniques for embedding sign language in daily routines and in the curriculum as a natural form of commu-nication alongside the spoken word. Teaching babies the signs for caregiving rituals can enhance successful communication and help them bridge the gap between understanding words and speaking them. For example, the signs for more or All done! can help create peaceful, smooth transitions for babies at mealtimes.

The author illustrates signs that can help toddlers and preschoolers practice emerging social skills, including the sign for share , and express their feelings, with signs for sad and angry . Sign language helps teachers reach children with special needs and creates a common classroom language for English language learners. The signs are easy to learn, with photos of an adult or young child demonstrating each sign and showing the importance of facial expression. Each photo is accompanied by an explanation that graphically describes the movement, such as in the sign for thank you : hand starts at lips and moves outward as if blowing a kiss.

Midwest Book Review by Michael Carson:

In Simple Signing with Young Children: A Guide for Infant, Toddler, and Preschool Teachers , preschool teacher, special education instructor, early interventionist, parent educator, nursery school and childcare director, and [sign] language workshop presenter Carol Garboden Murray draws upon her more than 17 years of experience and expertise to write a thoroughly user friendly instruction manual for parents, teachers, and caregivers to teach very young children how to communicate through sign language. Detailed photographs aptly demonstrate how to execute each sign while written directions provide a methodical and step-by-step guide for educators and parents. Comprehensive, authoritative, and superbly organized, Simple Signing with Young Children is the ideal introductory instruction manual and very highly recommended for anyone having to teach sign language to very young children at home, in a daycare center, or a community preschool program.

About the New Edition of Simple Signing

One of the things I have learned in the decade since the original publication of this book is that as simple as signing can be, teachers are sometimes intimidated or feel overwhelmed by the prospect of learning yet another teaching strategy. Lets face itsigning involves using your hands, and if you are caring for and teaching young children, your hands are very full.

I am happy that in this new edition, the first chapter includes a few beginning signs to get you signing right away. If you start with just one or two signs today, you will see and feel immediately that signing is a fun and motivating tool for young children and that it offers ease and elegance to your teaching practice. The exciting thing is that within each chapter, you can learn how to access video files in which I teach a few beginning signs. It couldnt be simpler! I believe that once you embed just one or two signs into your day, you will be motivated to learn more, and the chapters that follow offer all the information you will need to do so.