How to Teach Preschoolers to Sing a Song in ASL

You can teach preschoolers various ASL signs in order to improve their communication skills.

Although preschool teachers often teach their young charges songs, teaching a song in American Sign Language (ASL) requires different skills. Preschoolers can benefit from learning songs in ASL, both from a cultural and a linguistic standpoint. They will learn the importance of communicating with people who are not like them, and using ASL signs can help kinesthetic learners to communicate more easily. Choose a fun song to teach, and your students will enjoy learning it.

Instructions

1. Choose which signs you think the preschoolers can master. Do not overload them with too many signs. Instead, pick out the most important words in the song and teach only those signs.

2. Teach preschoolers the sign for each word separately, before you sing them the song. Have them repeat the signs after you, and make sure they are signing them accurately.

3. Sing the song a few times extremely slowly, signing each of the words as you go. Encourage children to sign along with you as much as they can.

4. Sing the song a few more times at a faster pace, encouraging children to sign along with you. Applaud children when they do so successfully.

5. Put on a tape or video of the song, and encourage children to sign along with it. This will teach them how to sign at a faster pace.

Tips & Warnings

• Throughout the day, use the signs when interacting with preschoolers. For example, if you taught them the song "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," you could sign the word "wonder" whenever you are telling children about a question you are wondering about.

• Do not teach children the song until you are confident that you can sign it fluently.

References

• We Sign: Songs and Signs
• Babies and Sign Language: The Benefits of Using American Sign Language with Preschoolers