[sw-l] Reading Skills Improve with SignWriting?

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
November 10, 2004

A List Member asked me:
>>> Your webpage is interesting and contains useful information about
>>> sign
>>> writing. I would like to ask you a question. I am wondering if Deaf
>>> students can
>>> benefit from sign writing systems when they want to improve their
>>> second
>>> language (English, Greek, etc). When I look at some lessons about
>>> sign writing,
>>> they look like chinese to me! However, I am interested in learning
>>> sign writing...


Dear SW List...
Thanks for these questions ;-))

There are some really wonderful teachers on our List who teach
SignWriting to their young Deaf students. For example, classrooms in
Germany, Belgium, Brazil, Switzerland, Nicaragua and in Albuquerque,
New Mexico, are some of the places...

So perhaps you can read some information on the web?...Why not start
with Germany?

Teacher and List member Stefan Woehrmann from Germany has an excellent
web site that shows his Deaf students learning SignWriting:

German Teacher Web Site
http://www.gebaerdenschrift.de

or visit this web page:

Who uses SignWriting?
http://www.SignWriting.org/about/who

Regarding improving spoken language reading skills, it appears the
answer is YES. Teachers tell us in several countries that Deaf
children's spoken language reading skills are improving with
SignWriting...although those are not scientific studies...

So if you want to try it in your classroom, why not try? Can't hurt,
and some of your students might fall in love with it, and become
inspired...Even if it is only one student, it is worth it!!!  But it
usually is the whole class that loves it....;-)

Val ;-)

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Valerie Sutton
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