If You Teach A Child ASL
It's SUMMER! I hope everyone has been having an amazing summer, staying hydrated and cool! This heat is not friendly to the body when on the roads.
We've been quiet for a while, but come August, weekly blog posts will resume and more content will be shared. However, today's post is one update I've been eager to share: ARTWORK! This isn't just any artwork, it's the foundation as to why I am making IYGAGAM a dual language book.
When I was approached with making "If You Give A Girl A Motorcycle" a dual language book, I circled back to the saying "write what you know". When you hear dual language, people automatically assume English/Spanish.
However, much like writing a book about learning to ride a motorcycle, for girls, I wanted the language to be different but relevant. So, "write what you know" turned into "draw what you know".
Dual language is needed now more than ever in young children. Children that grow up in dual language households, or even learning another language in school, are more apt to communicate and be more attentive of the world around them when moving through their day-to-day lives.
American Sign Language (ASL) is highly beneficial, especially in small children. When teaching children ASL, teachers are more able to assist students in literacy development of phonics, reading, and spelling, as well as assist students in speech and language development. ASL also promotes positive peer to peer communication and interactions.
Fun Fact: of the 48 million people in the United States with hearing loss, less than 500,000 — or about 1% — use sign language.
With that being said, I am excited to show some of the sketches that will be featured in IYGAGAM.
Eleven words/concepts will be signed throughout the book for readers (kids, parents, teachers, etc.) to learn together.
With the help of SigningSavvy and DawnSignPress, Jack and I are bringing these concepts to life with a groovy girl signing them for you.
We hope you enjoy these small but important sketches, and stay tuned for more updates in the next coming weeks! Keep the shiny sides up and the rubber down! And don't forget, heat exhaustion is real. Don't forget to HYDRATE!