Learning Tips Articles
Holiday Sign Extravaganza
Tis the season to be jolly! Below are several holiday-oriented signs and word lists to help celebrate (or at least communicate about) the holidays in sign.
Holiday Signs
We WISH you many BLESSINGS this HOLIDAY SEASON, including HEALTH, HAPPINESS, time spent with FAMILY and FRIENDS, and PEACE, LOVE, and JOY.
View our Holiday Word List
Santa Claus Signs
Have you been NAUGHTY or NICE this year? Make sure to hang your STOCKINGS and put out MILK and COOKIES for SANTA CLAUS.
View our Santa Claus Word ...
10 signs to know for Thanksgiving
From THANK YOU to NATIVE AMERICAN to TURKEY, here is a fun, themed list of 10 signs to know for Thanksgiving.
Say Thank You and Use Polite Words
As you are giving thanks this Thanksgiving, remember to show your love and appreciation for the special people in your life and be kind and polite to all. Learn about using polite words in this WonderGrove Kids animation featuring sign language from Signing Savvy.
Developed by Educators, the Use Polite Words animation has accompanying lesson plans and extension lessons that align to the Common Core Standards for Pre-K through Second Grade.
Plus, there are over 100 more animations at WonderGrove Kids. The ...
The Importance of Coupling Writing with Signing
I know, you never thought you would hear me ("The Man in the Blue Shirt") say that deaf children are signing too much, right? Well I say it only in perspective of comparing their signing skills to their writing skills.
I think there are often times in the field of Deaf Education that the parents, teachers and interpreters that are working with the deaf and hard of hearing population are just so excited that the children are beginning to express themselves ...
The many facets of sign language
Sign language is not a universal language.
Unfortunately sign language is NOT universal throughout the world. There is American Sign Language, British Sign Language, Spanish Sign Language, Japanese Sign Language, Ausian (Australian Sign Language) and many more. In fact, there are even multiple sign languages used in the United States (American Sign Language, Signed Exact English, regional dialects, etc.). Although one universal sign language would probably make things easier, just like with spoken language, the world would have a very difficult ...
Happy Valentine's Day!
We hope you have a great Valentine's Day! This is a reposting of our blog post from last Valentine's day. It does a great job of covering all the different ways to show LOVE... in sign language that is!
Many people know and use the sign for I LOVE YOU. This sign is used universal throughout the country and the world. We see it all over television, at sporting events and during "shout outs" to our mothers. The sign is actually ...
Thinking BROAD as you learn sign
Recently I visited with a group of parents of young deaf children who were sharing their frustrations and struggles with learning sign. They were asking for tips to improve their skills as their families learn the language of their young deaf children. Their question is one that I hear often, and I know I have addressed it in previous blogs, but because I hear it so much, I thought it might be good to discuss it again. I will also ...
Clearing Up the Confusion Between Translators, Interpreters, and Interveners
I thought it might be interesting for the Signing Savvy community to hear a little bit about the people who work in communication fields with deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing individuals.
It's easy to misunderstand the difference (or to even know there is a difference!) between a translator, interpreter, and intervener. However, they are different professions with varying expertise. The type of person you would work with would depend on the situation and needs of the individual, such as the ...
Braille Explained
There is sometimes confusion between the communication techniques used with deafness versus blindness, especially with understanding what Braille is and who uses it. It's not uncommon to tell someone you know sign language and then they ask if you know Braille.
Braille is typically not used by deaf or hard of hearing individuals. It is a written language used by the blind and visually impaired who may have a hard time, or be unable to read written text. Braille uses patterns ...
A blended approach to learning sign language is still the best!
I often am asked what the best way to go about learning sign language is. My stock answer is to take a blended approach (classes, web resources, books, practicing with others) in order to give yourself the best and most well rounded experience.
Classes of some sort, whether it is through your local community college, church, school class, or becoming enrolled in an actual interpreter training program can all be great ways to learn the language. The reason for this is ...