This week, Roleen surprised the West Wing teachers with a set of American Sign Language Blocks! Next, Jenn introduced them in the afternoon and the children showed complete engagement and excitement. The interest they have in wanting to learn how to sign the letters in their names is electrifying.
Teacher Jenn: (During afternoon circle) Roleen gave us a gift, something very special.
Children: Blocks!
Teacher Jenn: Yes, very special blocks. (Jenn picks up a block and shows the side with the signing hand) Oh! and what is that?
Harper: An ‘O’ in sign language!
Teacher Jenn: That is an ‘O’ in sign language. (Picks a different one and the children guess). How about this one? (Holds the block and signs it while children take their guesses). This one was letter ‘E’ and immediately Everly signs it and says:
Everly: I have the letter ‘E’ in my name.
Mila: I don’t know how to do an ‘M’ in sign language.
Teacher Jenn: These blocks will show us how. Mila, can you come and search for letter ‘M’?
(Mila finds it then, together with Jenn, she practices signing the letter ‘M’).
Teacher Jenn extends the invitation to all the children to play the letter game by singing: If you have letter ‘L’ in your name please stand up, please stand up.
Luscia, Milo, and India stood up and did the short dance they usually do when Jenn sings: Dancing in a circle, circle, circle, dancing in a circle and then you sit down, and then you sit down.
The blocks are definitely an important tool we will continue to rely on in addition to all the visuals Jenn has been using to support our learning of the American Sign Language in the West Wing. An exciting note to it is that, besides learning the signing, we are also reviewing it all in Spanish and starting to share some signing with the East Wing class. Thank you, Roleen. -Teacher Flora