Dancing with Words: Signing for Hearing Children's Literacy

About the Book

One of the foremost authorities on the use of sign language with hearing children provides a guide for teachers and parents who want to introduce signing in hearing children's language development. Marilyn Daniels provides a complete explanation for its use, a short history of sign language and its primary role within the Deaf community, an identification of the steps to reading success delineated with suggestions for incorporating sign language, and finally the results of studies and reactions of children, teachers, and parents. She shows how sign language can be used to improve hearing children's English vocabulary, reading ability, spelling proficiency, self-esteem, and comfort with expressing emotions. Signing also facilitates communication, aids teachers with classroom management, and has been shown to promote a more comfortable learning environment while initiating an interest and enthusiasm for learning on the part of students.

Sign language is shown to be an effective agent to accelerate literacy in hearing children from babyhood through sixth grade. A comprehensive exploration of the physiological rationale for the educational advantage sign carries is presented. Overlapping integrated brain activities are incited by movement, vision, meaning, memory, play and the hand itself when sign language is used. Recent findings clearly indicate this bilingual approach with hearing children activates brain growth and development.

Table of Contents:

Getting Started
Introduction
Sign Language
Reading
Research
My Studies with Typical Students
Reactions of the Participants
Other Researchers' Studies with Typical Students
Children with Special Needs
Inclusive Programs
Theory
Why It Works
Doing It
In the School
In the Home
Index

About the Author :
MARILYN DANIELS is Associate Professor of Speech Communication at The Pennsylvania State University. She is the author of Benedictine Roots in the Development of Deaf Education: Listening with the Heart (Bergin & Garvey, 1997) and numerous articles in communication education journals.

Review :
"Dancing with Words is a valuable contribution to the literature on the use of signing with hearing children. This carefully documented text explains how to implement signing in the home and school and why every parent and teacher should consider it. Dr. Daniels has brought this unique and highly effective teaching technique to the next evolutionary level. Every teacher training program in the country should have a copy of this on their shelf."-Jan C. Hafer, Ed.D Associate Professor Department of Education Gallaudet University "Dancing with Words is an extremely powerful publication. Dr. Daniels provides the reader with the benefits of and basic procedures for incorporating signing into the instructional program. This reader friendly text highlights how signing helps students retain sight words, extend their vocabulary, and improve spelling. As an elementary school principal and part time assistant professor I am thrilled that Dr. Daniels wrote such an informative, meaningful document. I am eager to share Dancing with Words with current and future teachers."-Cynthia Bowen Principal Berkshire Elementary School Assistant Professor College of Notre Dame "Dancing with Words will become the basic text for teachers and parents interested in teaching sign language to their hearing children. The well written text and thoroughly documented contents will be pleasing to parents and teachers. Readers can select chapters to read and chapters to ignore since each chapter stands alone. I am sure that sooner or later all will want to read all of it. This is a book I wish I had written."-Robert M. Wilson Professor Emeritus University of Maryland, College Park "Dancing with Words: Signing for Hearing Children's Literacy is an excellent contribution to the field of enhancing learning. As a physician, I was impressed with the clear understanding and presentation of the way the brain is organized to process and store languages. The heightened cerebral activity sparked by the involvement of the visual cortex when sign language becomes part of the communication signal is so impressive that one feels that by NOT being able to sign, one is handicapped. Dr. Daniels' enthusiasm and knowledge is expertly put forth and is a convincing argument to learn and to teach sign language."-Joan Lundeen, M.D. "Dr. Marilyn Daniels, the most prolific researcher in this field, has methodically and painstakingly molded an effective argument for enabling children with normal hearing to become full participants in language and communication with their families and peers at a younger age through the use of sign language, citing benefits in reading, spelling, self-esteem, and expression of emotions. I heartily recommend Dancing with Words: Signing for Hearing Children's Literacy, a fresh innovative perspective on a communication modality that can extend most effectively beyond the traditional educational realm of its deaf and hearing impaired beneficiaries."-W. Winfield McChord, Jr. Executive Director American School for the Deaf "From an entirely original perspective, based on ten years of solid research, Daniels presents an exciting adventure into the dynamics of language acquisition. Teaching sign language to hearing students brings into focus the visual and spatial components of communication and conceptual thinking, creating at the same time a spontaneity of fun in learning. Teachers who have introduced even minimal skills in ASL into their classrooms are reluctant to return to former methods of teaching. There is an enchantment, too, in Daniels' descriptions of classroom situations where various forms of comprehension are brought into play. One wants to observe the richness added to these classes where young mental activity is fermenting, acuity sharpened, self-confidence abloom, unself-conscious emotional expression evident - an inherent element of the language of ASL."-Hannah Merker author of Listening: Ways of Hearing in a Silent World "Marilyn Daniels's book helps teachers and parents develop yet another pathway to increasing children's literacy: the use of sign language. She provides solid evidence that training children in sign language contributes to their ability to visually focus and attend when reading. This book is essential reading for early childhood educators."-Anthony J. Coletta Professor of Early Childhood Education William Paterson University ?Dancing With Words not only constitutes an important addition to this existing literature, but also opens the door for very different kinds of discussions about sign language....Highly recommended for researchers, faculty, practitioners, and professionals.?-Choice "Dancing With Words not only constitutes an important addition to this existing literature, but also opens the door for very different kinds of discussions about sign language....Highly recommended for researchers, faculty, practitioners, and professionals."-Choice