MN Hands & Voices Lifetrack Resources 709 University Avenue West St. Paul, MN 55104 651-265-2435 Voice 651-265-2379 TTY 866-DHOHKID Toll Free MNHV@lifetrackresources.org

Sign Language for Hearing Children Selected Resources www.MNHandsandVoices.org

These are examples of materials at MN Hands & Voices that can be used by parents who are interested in teaching their hearing child a system of signing. Signing may be of interest to hearing children with deaf relatives, or hearing children with speech or developmental challenges. Parents also may want to communicate with very young children who do not yet talk. Other parents may simply want to expose their children to a second language.

Although the materials at MN Hands & Voices are only available for families who have children with hearing loss, parents may want to look for these titles at local libraries, bookstores or on-line.

Books

We have many children’s stories that teach basic signs used in ASL and/or manually coded English. Our library also has sign language dictionaries for kids.

Computer Software

1. Sign Language For Everyone. Higher Learning Systems, second edition, 1998. This CD-Rom includes lessons on the manual alphabet, common phrases, vocabulary, grammar and more.

2. The American Sign Language Phrase Book. Sign Media, Inc. This CD-Rom provides the learner with ASL phrases from themes such as health, family, school, sports, travel and time. The program does not focus on grammar which makes it appropriate for the beginning signer.

Videos

1. The Bravo Family. This popular series contains 15 lessons with vocabulary, culture and grammar applied to real life situations.

2. Basic Sign Language for Children. These videos present a basic signed English vocabulary. The introduction ot the tape says it is directed toward children with developmental disabilities but the tape’s simple format makes it appropriate for any viewer learning to sign.

3. Come Sign With Us. This video features “popular lessons for children, including how to fingerspell using the manual alphabet and how to form ASL signs for animals, holidays, sports, trucks, cars and more.

National and State Organizations to Contact

Three other organizations in Minnesota have libraries with resources related to sign language:

1. Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS), a division of the Minnesota Department of Human Services in St. Paul: 651-297-1316 (V) or 651-297-1313 (TTY). Website: www.dhhsd.org.

2. Minnesota Resource Center: Deaf/Hard of Hearing (Faribault, MN). 800-657-3936. Website: http://cfl.state.mn.us/SPECED.

3. Merriam Park Library, St. Paul: 651-642-0385 (V) 651-298-4185 (TTY). Website: www.stpaul.lib.mn.us.

Other Web Sites to Check Out

1. www.babysigns.com. Baby signs are simple, large muscle movements that parents and babies can use to communicate – a combination of ASL signs and parent/baby generated signs.

2. www.handspeak.com. This site calls itself the “largest and fastest growing visual language dictionary on-line.”

3. www.harriscomm.com. Harris Communications sells a large variety of books and video tapes related to sign language.

4. www.production-associates.com. Production Associates, Inc. has a variety of tapes designed for hearing children learning some sign language. The videos use a combination of signing and singing, related to such topics as ABCs, numbers and animals.

5. www.signingwithbabies.com Denise Meyer is a person who does classes for signing with hearing children.

This is not a complete list of resources available. If you do not find something of interest listed here, we encourage you to contact MN Hands & Voices for further information and

The resources listed here have been selected by the staff of MN Hands & Voices but are not affiliated with us in any way, please review carefully as we can not be responsible for their contents or claims.