A peek into language acquisition: Under the scientific microscope
When we think of literacy, the first thoughts that come to mind might be the shapes of letters or characters or the hand movements used to write those letters or characters (see Do we need to teach handwriting these days?). There is, however, more to…
Reading to a child is a great way to set the foundations for future literacy in a fun way! For example, it can be an opportunity to connect written language with signed or oral language. When reading to a Deaf child, it is important to…
Reading storybooks to a child is a great way to build vocabulary. Our everyday conversations are often about the same activities, toys, and environments. Books open the window to the kinds of things we do not see in our backyards, like tigers and spaceships. And…
When someone is in another room, behind a closed door, you wouldn’t just start talking to them from where you are. You would, instead, go over to them. You would get into their ‘auditory field’ before starting to talk. An ‘auditory field’ is the area…
When we think about languages, we often think about spoken languages, and overlook the linguistic diversity and complexity of sign languages. They have words and grammar, as well as complex ‘sign forms’. Sign forms are determined by the shape, location and movement of the hand.…