Sign language is such a beautiful language and one of the most useful languages to learn and know! Before I had children and became a homeschool mom, I had the opportunity to learn basic American Sign Language when I worked with special needs children as a teacher and behavior therapist. Learning how to communicate using ASL was such a gift and wonderful experience that I knew when I had children, I wanted them to learn sign language more in-depth.
When my children were babies, I introduced them to the same basic ASL that I learned so they could communicate with me before they learned how to talk. Now that they are a little older, incorporating sign language into their day continues to be beneficial.
Adding ASL to your homeschool is not far out of reach. In fact, your child can learn sign language at home easier than you think.
This post is sponsored by Mr. D Math. My time was compensated however all opinions or my own.
Learn Sign Language At Home
There are so many wonderful benefits to learning ASL as a second language. One of the top reasons is that it’s highly sought after and in demand. American Sign Language is actually one of the fastest-growing foreign languages in America coming in at third behind English (1st) and Spanish (2nd).
There are a number of different ways, both free and paid, that you can add sign language to your homeschool. Let’s take a look at all the wonderful ways that your child can learn sign language at home!
YouTube
YouTube is an excellent resource when looking for ways to learn sign language. Although there are many great ASL channels on YouTube land, one of my favorite channels for ASL is Learn How To Sign.
Books
Books are a fantastic visual aid when learning ASL. I always had ASL books on hand available for the children.
Online Courses
When you hear about Mr. D Math, you may automatically think about his book on independent learning or think that he only offers homeschool math courses. You will be amazed to learn that he offers so much more!
He offers a wide variety of online homeschool courses from math, test prep, life skills, and more!
My favorite course offerings are the Mr. D Math ASL courses. With four incredible self-paced ASL courses to choose from, your child can learn sign language at home as a second language with ease. You can choose:
- ASL 1 for elementary: Students will learn signs that will allow them to participate in basic signing conversations.
- ASL 1 for beginners: In addition to learning signs, students will learn the correct grammar and signing etiquette for ASL.
- ASL 2 for intermediate: Students will build upon the skills they learned in ASL 1 by increasing their signing vocabulary; practicing their perceptive skills, and using their receptive skills with more “hands up” assignments.
- ASL 3 for advanced: This course is designed for students who have an interest in ASL, either as a possible future career or just out of the love of learning.
These self-paced ASL classes are taught by Thia, who is a former Mr. D Math student. She graduated from Gallaudet University which is the only Deaf college in the world.
Thia does such a great job explaining everything as she is teaching the lessons. For assignments, she offers feedback in a timely manner and offers monthly live help sessions which is also a way to meet other ASL students.
This is a great video of her using sign language to give a tour of a baseball game.
These ASL classes are offered on a year-round basis so you can start at any time. At a one-time cost of $217 per course, students have a full year to complete the course.
DVDs
When I first introduced my kids to signing, I used a DVD called Baby Signing Time then moved on to Signing Time with Alex and Leah. I absolutely loved these DVDs! Although these are not available to purchase on DVD anymore, they can be purchased as a digital copy.
This visual dictionary by Signing Time is wonderful as well. There are also several videos available on YouTube.
Flashcards And Posters
Flashcards and posters are great for having consistent visuals to see throughout the day. I had several posters hanging on my walls as well as flashcards the kids could grab at any time.
Activity Work Books
Activity workbooks are great to add to homeschool assignments or even have them available to do freely. I like keeping a few workbooks with the kids’ coloring books as well.
Will You Add ASL As A Second Language?
Mr. D Math ASL has been a fantastic addition to our homeschool! Be sure to check out his ASL courses.
If you’re looking to help your child learn sign language at home, let me know down in the comments! Also, let me know which ASL resource you enjoy.
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