Dancing with Words Signing for Hearing Children's Literacy

Subjects:

• Education » Childhood & Elementary Education
• Education » Curriculum & Instruction
• Literature » Children's & Young Adult Literature
• Education » Teacher Education

Reviews:

• Dancing With Words not only constitutes an important addition to this existing literature, but also opens the door for very different kinds of discussions about sign language....Highly recommended for researchers, faculty, practitioners, and professionals.
  —Choice
• Daniels, in current descriptiveness, is a user-friendly writer, down-to-earth. Her ideas are accessible with ease, but also stirring in thought and conceptualization for teachers and parents.
  —Child & Adolescent Services

• Endorsement From Cynthia Bowen
  Principal Berkshire Elementary School
  Assistant Professor College of Notre Dame: Dancing with Words is an extremely powerful publication. Dr. Daniels provides the reader with the benefits of and basic procedures for incorporating signing into the instructional program. This reader friendly text highlights how signing helps students retain sight words, extend their vocabulary, and improve spelling. As an elementary school principal and part time assistant professor I am thrilled that Dr. Daniels wrote such an informative, meaningful document. I am eager to share Dancing with Words with current and future teachers.
• Endorsement From W. Winfield McChord, Jr.
  Executive Director
  American School for the Deaf: Dr. Marilyn Daniels, the most prolific researcher in this field, has methodically and painstakingly molded an effective argument for enabling children with normal hearing to become full participants in language and communication with their families and peers at a younger age through the use of sign language, citing benefits in reading, spelling, self-esteem, and expression of emotions. I heartily recommend Dancing with Words: Signing for Hearing Children's Literacy, a fresh innovative perspective on a communication modality that can extend most effectively beyond the traditional educational realm of its deaf and hearing impaired beneficiaries.
• Endorsement From Hannah Merker
  author of Listening: Ways of Hearing in a Silent World: From an entirely original perspective, based on ten years of solid research, Daniels presents an exciting adventure into the dynamics of language acquisition. Teaching sign language to hearing students brings into focus the visual and spatial components of communication and conceptual thinking, creating at the same time a spontaneity of fun in learning. Teachers who have introduced even minimal skills in ASL into their classrooms are reluctant to return to former methods of teaching. There is an enchantment, too, in Daniels' descriptions of classroom situations where various forms of comprehension are brought into play. One wants to observe the richness added to these classes where young mental activity is fermenting, acuity sharpened, self-confidence abloom, unself-conscious emotional expression evident--an inherent element of the language of ASL.
• Endorsement From Jan C. Hafer, Ed.D
  Associate Professor
  Department of Education
  Gallaudet University: Dancing with Words is a valuable contribution to the literature on the use of signing with hearing children. This carefully documented text explains how to implement signing in the home and school and why every parent and teacher should consider it. Dr. Daniels has brought this unique and highly effective teaching technique to the next evolutionary level. Every teacher training program in the country should have a copy of this on their shelf.
• Endorsement From Robert M. Wilson
  Professor Emeritus
  University of Maryland, College Park: Dancing with Words will become the basic text for teachers and parents interested in teaching sign language to their hearing children. The well written text and thoroughly documented contents will be pleasing to parents and teachers. Readers can select chapters to read and chapters to ignore since each chapter stands alone. I am sure that sooner or later all will want to read all of it. This is a book I wish I had written.
• Endorsement From Anthony J. Coletta
  Professor of Early Childhood Education
  William Paterson University: Marilyn Daniels's book helps teachers and parents develop yet another pathway to increasing children's literacy: the use of sign language. She provides solid evidence that training children in sign language contributes to their ability to visually focus and attend when reading. This book is essential reading for early childhood educators.
• Endorsement From Joan Lundeen, M.D.: Dancing with Words: Signing for Hearing Children's Literacy is an excellent contribution to the field of enhancing learning. As a physician, I was impressed with the clear understanding and presentation of the way the brain is organized to process and store languages. The heightened cerebral activity sparked by the involvement of the visual cortex when sign language becomes part of the communication signal is so impressive that one feels that by NOT being able to sign, one is handicapped. Dr. Daniels' enthusiasm and knowledge is expertly put forth and is a convincing argument to learn and to teach sign language.

Table of Contents:

• Getting Started
• Introduction
• Sign Language
• Reading
• Research
• My Studies with Typical Students
• Reactions of the Participants
• Other Researchers' Studies with Typical Students
• Children with Special Needs
• Inclusive Programs
• Theory
• Why It Works
• Doing It
• In the School
• In the Home
• Index