Signing Savvy, Your Sign Language Resource

Over the years that I have been teaching deaf and hard of hearing children, and even in the years since, I am often approached this time of year by parents or grandparents of young deaf children and asked, “How do you sign The Night Before Christmas?” The book is discussed and paired with a pre-built Signing Savvy word list to help you get started with learning and signing the vocabulary in the book.

Today I’m cooking up "Homemade" Double Chocolate, Candy Cane Cookies. These cookies look like a million bucks and taste even better, yet they are so easy to make (you start with a cookie mix from a bag). The article features a recipe and accompanying Signing Savvy word list to get you started on an interactive cooking activity that is great for spicing up language learning at home or in the classroom.

This is another holiday classic! Frosty the Snowman is a song that was developed into a book and animated movie, that is shown on TV every year during the holiday season. The book is discussed and paired with a pre-built Signing Savvy word list to help you get started with learning and signing the vocabulary in the book.

Today I’m cooking up "Frosty The Snowman" Oreo Truffles. These are some of the easiest no-bake treats I make, and every time I take them anywhere, people go nuts over them! You can make them for any occasion, but you’ll see here how I’ve turned them into snowmen for the perfect holiday treat. The article features a recipe and accompanying Signing Savvy word list to get you started on an interactive cooking activity that is great for spicing up language learning at home or in the classroom.

Children everywhere love the story of how Rudolph and his glowing red nose guided Santa’s sleigh through the night skies on a blustery Christmas Eve long ago. This classic has since been made into several books and movies. The book is discussed and paired with a pre-built Signing Savvy word list to help you get started with learning and signing the vocabulary in the book.

Today I’m cooking up peanut butter reindeer / Rudolph cookies. They are a cute and fun treat that kids love. The article features a recipe and accompanying Signing Savvy word list to get you started on an interactive cooking activity that is great for spicing up language learning at home or in the classroom.

The The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a classic book, loved by many. It was a favorite that I would read in my classroom. Not only is it cute and kids love it, but it also incorporates days of the week, counting, and food… if you’ve read some of my other articles, you know I love teaching signing through food! The book is discussed and paired with a pre-built Signing Savvy word list to help you get started with learning and signing the vocabulary in the book.

Recently, I was contacted by a young hearing mother of a 10-month old, deaf child. This mother had two other children that are hearing, she works full time outside of the home, and now her third child was born profoundly deaf. She has tried her best to read and learn everything she can about deafness and educational options. She and her husband have decided they will be using sign language with their family. This mother did share one thing she was feeling very guilty about though; something she knew she did with her hearing children, that she was NOT doing for her deaf child… reading and sharing literacy with him on a nightly basis.

This article is part of our “Signs That Are Close... But Not the Same” series, which highlights signs that look similar, but have different meanings. The signs discussed in this article include (1) BATHROOM vs. TUESDAY, (2) WONDERFUL vs. SUNDAY, (3) HUSBAND vs. WIFE, (4) MARRIAGE vs. HAMBURGER, and (5) MOTHER vs. VOMIT.

One of the first concepts covered in beginning or basic sign language classes is fingerspelling. There are a few common mistakes that are made by many beginner signers related to fingerspelling. Hopefully you can recognize them in your own practice and avoid making bad habits that are difficult to break.