In recent years, researchers have turned their attention to the cognitive impact of bilingualism, and the benefits of using two languages have become increasingly apparent. Children raised in bilingual families exhibit stronger awareness of the style and tone of language, stronger cognitive development, and higher levels of reading skill than…

Postsecondary American Sign Language (ASL) students are capable of teaching short lessons related to sign language and Deaf culture to gifted students in elementary school. College students who work as "interest-area mentors" benefit gifted students while building their own academic discipline and professional skills. In Part 1 of a 2-part series…

States that ASL (American Sign Language) has recently gained the interest of theater educators as a teaching tool, and that Gallaudet University is the leader in deaf theater education. Discusses sign language interpreting for the theater as a growing field. Explores programs in the New York School for the Deaf and the Cleveland SignStage. (PA)

Describes fingerspelling as it is used within the American deaf community and the development of fingerspelling skills in deaf (and hearing) children, suggesting that fingerspelling is largely discounted despite its potential for linkage to English orthography and literacy development. Strategies for increasing the use of fingerspelling by…

Communication Challenge Softball is a developmentally appropriate game for middle school students. The game allows them to develop new communication skills using American Sign Language (signing). Traditional softball has been a part of physical education for years, and remains a popular sport played by children in community leagues throughout the…

This paper and the accompanying CD-ROM disks are the outcome of a federally funded project to research and develop an interactive multimedia sign language training system for educational interpreters for students with deafness. The program consists of four 20- to 30-minute lessons on the use of non-manual grammatical markers in American Sign…

The Deaf Adult Literacy program was created to meet the educational needs of deaf and hearing-impaired adult learners. The program was structured by an advisory committee of learners and teachers and was based on a model of bilingual education. All instruction was provided in American Sign Language (ASL) by teachers who were themselves deaf-native…