First-Graders Learn Sign Language To Communicate With Their Deaf Classmate

by Guest Tue Feb 09, 2016 2:58 pm

This is Zejd. He is six years old and lives in Sarajevo in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He is also deaf.

image: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2016/02/0nc4w-deaf-student-1a.jpg
First-Graders Learn Sign Language To Communicate With Their Deaf Classmate 0nc4w-deaf-student-1a

First-Graders Learn Sign Language To Communicate With Their Deaf Classmate 0nc4w-deaf-student-1a

Photo: Amel Emric / AP

Last year, his mother Mirzana Coralic decided she wanted to sent Zejd to school.
Teacher Sanela Ljumanovic volunteered to help despite no one at the school, including Zejd, knowing any sign language.

image: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2016/02/sl475-deaf-student-1b.jpg
First-Graders Learn Sign Language To Communicate With Their Deaf Classmate Sl475-deaf-student-1b

First-Graders Learn Sign Language To Communicate With Their Deaf Classmate Sl475-deaf-student-1b

Photo: Amel Emric / AP

Ljumanovic developed her own tricks and signs to communicate with Zejd but after a while decided this wasn’t enough.
So Zejd, his teachers and his entire class started learning sign-language so they could all communicate together.

image: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2016/02/tnbh6-deaf-student-1c.jpg
First-Graders Learn Sign Language To Communicate With Their Deaf Classmate Tnbh6-deaf-student-1c

First-Graders Learn Sign Language To Communicate With Their Deaf Classmate Tnbh6-deaf-student-1c

Photo: Amel Emric / AP

Now, three-months on, the first-graders at Osman Nakas primary school have all mastered the basics of sign language.
Since the class learned sign language, Zejd has been much happier and confident at school.
"[Zejd] looks forward to going to school ... now he is happy and motivated," his mother told the Associated Press.

image: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2016/02/bpl0v-deaf-student-1.jpg
First-Graders Learn Sign Language To Communicate With Their Deaf Classmate Bpl0v-deaf-student-1

First-Graders Learn Sign Language To Communicate With Their Deaf Classmate Bpl0v-deaf-student-1

Photo: Amel Emric / AP

The other children love using sign language so much that some of them have begun teaching their parents at home.

Read more at http://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/1512/First-Graders-Learn-Sign-Language-To-Communicate-With-Their-Deaf-Classmate#G27sGmm5zcD5bWeC.99

by eddie Tue Feb 09, 2016 7:15 pm

I'm a massive fan of sign language and think children like learning these sorts of skills as they're visual and practical and made fun, like a game.

I taught my son the alphabet in sign when he was young. Must teach my daughter too, now I've been reminded.

by Major Tue Feb 09, 2016 7:21 pm

From the heart it sounds a brilliant idea but how many people do you really know who would benefit from yourself learning sign language?

by Guest Tue Feb 09, 2016 7:29 pm

Stormee wrote:From the heart it sounds a brilliant idea but how many people do you really know who would benefit from yourself learning sign language?

Well ask yourself a simple question.

What does it cost to not try to learn, which can help make others life easier?

Nothing really just some time out to do something good and helpful

by eddie Tue Feb 09, 2016 7:36 pm

Also if children are taught in school - you only need about ten minutes a day at a young age - it's a "fun" thing to do and it's teaching a basic skill ie communication whether it gets used or not.

I think it's a great idea.

by Major Tue Feb 09, 2016 8:10 pm

I am NOT decrying learning it at all, read my point.

by Original Quill Tue Feb 09, 2016 8:14 pm

The City of Berkeley also has the California Institute for Blind and Deaf school, next door to the University. A lot of kids would volunteer to help at the school, and they were required to learn sign if they worked with the deaf students.

As Berkeley High School students, in our own classes, we all could sign...and it was crazy to see all the conversations going on when the whole room was silent. A new teacher would take about a year to catch on.

by Sponsored content

First-Graders Learn Sign Language To Communicate With Their Deaf Classmate

First-Graders Learn Sign Language To Communicate With Their Deaf Classmate

Re: First-Graders Learn Sign Language To Communicate With Their Deaf Classmate

Re: First-Graders Learn Sign Language To Communicate With Their Deaf Classmate

Re: First-Graders Learn Sign Language To Communicate With Their Deaf Classmate

Re: First-Graders Learn Sign Language To Communicate With Their Deaf Classmate

Re: First-Graders Learn Sign Language To Communicate With Their Deaf Classmate

Re: First-Graders Learn Sign Language To Communicate With Their Deaf Classmate

Re: First-Graders Learn Sign Language To Communicate With Their Deaf Classmate