Caring for Little Ones: Using Sign Language as a Tool to Communicate

What's In This Kit?
This training kit is designed to introduce infant and toddler teachers to using sign language with children to support communication. It contains:

• Expected training outcomes
• Preparation instructions
• Training strategies and tips
• Implementation steps
• Follow-up activities for teachers
• Follow-up activities for administrators/directors
• A learning assessment
• A training evaluation/further needs assessment
• A resource list
• The article “Using Sign Language as a Tool to Communicate” by Carolyn Riley, Sarah Merrill, and Erin O’Brian
• A training certificate to award to teachers for attendance and participation
• A certificate for the trainer and other presenters

Who's the Target Audience?
The target audience for this kit is beginning, intermediate, and advanced teachers working with children from birth to age 3. This kit will introduce teachers to using sign language to support and expand communication among and between children under age 3.

Teacher Skill Level

beginning intermediate advanced

Children's Age Level

infants toddlers preschoolers school-agers birth to 8

Kit Timeline:
Preparation time for this kit is 1.5 hours. Implementation time is estimated at 1.5 hours

Training Outcomes:

1. Teachers will identify sign language as a means of communication and a means of supporting self-esteem.
2. Teachers will demonstrate 8-10 signs for needs meeting words such as more, all done, mommy, daddy, stop, etc.
3. Teachers will create hand sign placards and pair them with the spoken words that match the signs.
4. Teachers will combine hand signs with words in the classroom setting.

These training outcomes address the following:

• B-3b and B-7d of the Accreditation Criteria and Procedures of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (naeyc, 1998).
• 1, 4b, and 4d of NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation, Initial Licensure Level (naeyc, 2003).
• 1304.21(a)(1)(ii) and 1304.21(b)(2)(ii) of Head Start Performance Standards (Federal Register, Nov. 5, 1996, Volume 61, Number 215).




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