How do parents of Deaf read books to and with their children?
On Friday, January 3, 2025 at 07:55:12 PM PST, ████ █████ wrote:
Hi Dr. Bill,
I have 4 total children. My youngest is 5 months old and was diagnosed hard of
hearing at one month old. We got our baby hearing-aids but I am also trying to
learn as much ASL as I can and a friend of mine recommended your site.
One thing that is hard for me is trying to sign while I am doing other things
with my hands. For example, I am having trouble reading books to my baby. How do
you hold the book in one hand, the baby in the other arm, and still sign? Also,
all the picture books I have are written in English. A lot of English books for
young children rhyme when read aloud. Is there an equivalent to rhyme in ASL?
Also, when I do manage to sign a book, usually putting the baby on the floor and
holding the book with my feet, the baby is looking at the pictures in the book
and not my hands. Do you have any recommendations?
...
Thank you!
████
Dear ████,
Hello and thank you for your dedication to learning ASL for your baby!
Your questions are excellent and very common among parents learning to sign with
their little ones.
For reading books, here are some approaches that many Deaf parents use:
• Sit with your baby in your lap, with them facing the same direction as you.
This way, both of you can see the book when you prop it up on a pillow or table
in front of you, leaving your hands free to sign.
• It's perfectly fine to sign the story first, then show the pictures,
alternating between the two. Young children are quite adaptable to this rhythm.
• For babies who are more mobile, story time can happen on the floor with both
of you facing each other and the book propped up to the side.
• Check to see if there is a print or copy shop still functioning in your area
and you may be able to get your children's books converted to spiral binding. Do
an online search for "spiral binding near me."
• Use e-books. They are flat.
Regarding rhyming - while ASL doesn't have sound-based rhymes exactly like
English does, it has its own beautiful patterns! ASL stories often use
repetition or patterns of handshapes, movements, or locations (and even facial
expressions) to create rhythm and poetry. When signing stories, focus on
bringing the characters and actions to life through expressive signing rather
than trying to translate English rhymes directly.
Don't worry if your baby isn't always watching your hands - they're absorbing
language even when glancing between you, the book, and their surroundings. This
is natural! Over time, they'll learn to coordinate their attention between
visual inputs.
Remember that what is important is providing a massive amount of interactive
communication, experiences, and exposure to language, ideas, and concepts!
Building up your child's cognitive resources now helps ensure that as they grow
they will be able to continue developing their ability to succeed in the world
as an adult.
You've referred to your child as having been diagnosed as "hard of hearing"
(HOH). If your child is primarily a visual communicator and has a moderate to
significant amount of hearing loss do not hesitate to adopt and use the term
Deaf. It is okay to be Deaf and still straddle both worlds. Most Deaf people
have some amount of residual hearing. Many Deaf speak. The range of hearing loss
among Deaf individuals varies widely, with only 20.2% reported to have profound
hearing loss. Other levels of hearing loss include moderate (18.5%), moderately
severe (15.3%), mild (13.3%), and severe (10.2%). (Source: National Center on
Deafblindness, 2019 National Deaf-Blind Child Count Report, Documented Hearing
and Vision Loss, on the web at: https://www.nationaldb.org/products/national-child-count/report-2019/hearing-vision-loss/
).
Every family develops their own strategies over time. The key is consistency and
making signing a natural part of your daily interactions.
Warm regards,
Bill
____________
William G. Vicars, EdD.
Notes: