ASL for Stortime Webinar

From DPI's Jeni Schomber's weekly Youth Services Weekly Reminders and Resources Updates 4/4/24:

ASL for Storytime: Feelings Signs Webinar 

(CLEL – Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy)– Wednesday April 24^th at 2 p.m.

 Click here to register.

Add some American Sign Language to your storytime toolbox! In this interactive session, we’ll focus on basic ASL vocabulary for emotions and activities to support self-awareness, an important social emotional skill. Learn how to incorporate ASL into storytime songs, rhymes, and stories in a respectful and effective way. 

About the Presenter:
Kathy MacMillan is a nationally certified American Sign Language interpreter, librarian, and storyteller. She is the author of the Little Hands Signing series from Familius Press and Little Hands and Big Hands: Children and Adults Signing Together (Hands Up Press) as well as many other books for children, teens, librarians, and educators. She has worked in school and public libraries for over 25 years and has presented workshops and trainings for thousands of library staff throughout North America. Find her online at StoriesByHand.com.

Adapted Books and Sign Language

Kristine Millard is working on her MLIS at UW-Madison as well as managing a lab that studies early language development in toddlers with autism. Periodically, she shares resources relating to developmental disabilities that you might find useful.

In September, the http://wfdeaf.org/iwdeaf2022/ hosts various events to build awareness and acceptance. Like me, you may occasionally insert sign language into fingerplays, and other elements of storytime while wanting to know more about this language and how to truly communicate with it. If your library subscribes to Transparent Language, you already have a tool at your fingertips to help with this. 

While you work toward fluency, you can still share Sign Language in your storytimes. My favorite book to use with signing is Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See? By Bill Martin, Jr. and illustrated by Eric Carle. 

I printed these notes and made an adapted book with the signs taped right on the pages. Do remember you will need multiple copies so you can repeat each animal. To save myself from having to fit the refrains, “What do you see?,” and “I see a …,” into each page, I made fold-out flaps attached to the front and back covers of my book.

For those of you who are advanced signers, or want more authenticity, I suggest using this video from the Marie Katzenbach School for the Deaf.

Using Signs in Online Programs

 I subscribe to the email list for Edutopia, which in their words " is a trusted source shining a spotlight on what works in education. We show people how they can adopt or adapt best practices, and we tell stories of innovation and continuous learning in the real world." Many best practices and articles translate to the library world, too.

This article How Using a Little Sign Language Can Improve Online Classes emphasizes the importance of visual communication and connection via distanced and virtual experiences. Useful for online programs, but perhaps something to incorporate into virtual meetings also.

I've seen your storytime videos that incorporate ASL (American Sign Language) into songs and storytime activities. I used some signs in in-person programs and am encouraged to use more virtually or to share videos with patrons like the fantabulous "Silly Storytimes in English and ASL" from Aram Public Library and the Wisconsin School for the Deaf.

We'd love to hear how you use visual communication or ASL in your library life.