Using Sign Language in the Classroom

One of the best strategies I have learned so far in my first year as a teacher is the use of sign language in the classroom. It is great for young children since it incorporates movement but also for ELL students it allows them to associate a movement with an otherwise unfamiliar word. We use sign language every day in our classroom. At the beginning of the year we were just making up motions for words but we decided to streamline it between grades by using American Sign Language. This ensures that the same motions are being used in all grades so when our students move onto the next grade they are not confused by a new motion for a familiar topic. We use the website Signing Savvy to look up any key vocabulary words before we start a new unit or topic. The website is great since you can find almost any word and there is a video showing you exactly how to do it. Our students love learning the signs and they actually remind us to teach the sign if we have forgotten to do it! They have even mastered some of them so well that they use them when they say the word or they hear someone else say the word. Some signs stick around only for that topic but others are used almost daily. Here are a few of our favorite signs (click on the words to see a video showing you how to do the motion):

Connection: The students use this one when they have a text to self or text to text connection with a book we are reading. They also tend to use it when they have a connection to something a friend or teacher has said.

Celebrate: We use this as a silent celebration when something exciting happens. We have a sticker chart at the front of our room and students will use it when they get a sticker during a lesson to celebrate themselves. They also love doing it to celebrate classmates when they accomplish something.

Problem: This came up originally in our problem and solution unit but we have adapted it to be used when students have a problem they cannot solve on their own. They use it mostly during a lesson when it would be inappropriate to approach a teacher about a problem. 

Think: We technically use this sign for "keep thinking". One of the things we use a lot in our classroom to keep our students engaged is feedback. We ask students to give feedback when a friend gives an answer to a question. The students either give a thumbs up to show they believe the answer is correct or this sign for thinking to tell the classmate to keep thinking about their answer.

We have a lot more signs that are used for specific topics as well as general motions that we have made up to get our point across, which can be tricky when trying to communicate with a student who speaks no English and you are not fluent in Spanish.