“ Hopefully in years to come it will be run of the mill. It should be really. ”
Signs for Success parent
What is Signs for Success?
Signs for Success is a pioneering programme that can train any teacher to use Sign
Language in the classroom in order to raise language and literacy levels for every
child. Signs for Success employs time-
To see the Signs for Success programme in action, view the Transforming Lives DVD.
Mainstream teachers signing?
Yes, teachers in regular classrooms. Not one of the teachers or classroom assistants involved in the Signs for Success pilot projects had previous Sign Language experience. Now they are unanimous in their support. Using Signs for Success methodology in the classroom works.
“I would never not use signs. I use them all the time.” -
“I tell the children that we are learning the signs together. Children like the idea
that the learning experience is teamwork.” -
But I can’t sign…
That’s what all the teachers in the pilot programme thought at first, but the basics are easy and using them has an immediate effect on children’s concentration and motivation. Why not try it? You only need to see the children’s reactions for yourself and you’ll never turn back.
How does Signs for Success work in the classroom?
Teachers use signs with the spoken word. You will do the same, adding more and more signs to the English sentence as your knowledge and practise grows.
The Signs for Success programme is now used with thousands of children. The success rate? Phenomenal.
How does Signs for Success help behaviour?
When testing Signs for Success, teachers did not expect that, in addition to literacy development, signing would have a powerful and immediate effect on children’s behaviour. The change in demeanour, therefore, was a huge bonus. Sign Language encourages children to look, listen, think and learn. By ‘switching off’ the voice and ‘switching on’ to signing, classrooms that may be noisy and confused become calm and peaceful, providing an atmosphere where children can concentrate and feel ready to learn. Try it and see!
“Each morning the entire staff learned one sign or phrase from the SIGNING DVD, then
used it with the children throughout the day. Within two weeks, the atmosphere of
the whole school had changed… Unbelievable!” -
“I hated coming to school. It was completely chaotic and I didn’t like the children.
Now the classes are quiet and the children are learning so much and they’re polite.
I absolutely love coming to school and I love the children.” -
The answers to the questions below, are on the TRANSFORMING LIVES DVD
What is fingerspelling?
The fingerspelling alphabet can be learned in less than an hour with the WOW fingerspelling poster and ABC book (see page 4 of the catalogue). WOW fingerspelling has replaced other phonic schemes in Signs for Success schools and it makes perfect common sense for spelling. Why not start fingerspelling initial letters of children’s names? They will recognise ‘their letter’ in moments.
“We put up the WOW posters, and 1,500 children learned the alphabet overnight.”
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How does fingerspelling help phonics?
Fingerspelling is the “spelling out” of letters or words on the hands. Here are some quotes obtained from the Signs for Success pilot study and research…
“I was trying to get over the difference between where and were to Year 2. The class teacher had struggled for ages, but as soon as I fingerspelled the words, the children SAW the difference immediately. Their teacher was amazed.”
“Photo sounds like foto. But the children can see it’s a ‘ph’ and not an ‘f’ with fingerspelling.”
“I was doing their initial letter formation assessments. The children didn’t recognise the written letter formation, but when I fingerspelled the word, then they knew the sound and the letter.”
How does fingerspelling help spelling?
When children fingerspell the letters of a word on their fingers, and say “alligator,” they simultaneously spell “alligator”. Fingerspelling gives a clear pattern of word formation. There is no ambiguity. A ‘b’ cannot be mistaken for a ‘d’. With fingerspelling children remember letters better and retain them longer.
“Certainly a big improvement in spelling, particularly with children aged 4-
“Fingerspelling gives access to different types of learners. The kinaesthetic learning style is the preferred style. Instead of using the old flashcard system, the children are fingerspelling words on their fingers which allows them to visualise what the letters look like. If you’re teaching phonics in the usual way, you’re only accessing visual or auditory learners whereas with fingerspelling you are also adding kinaesthetic learners as they physically form the letter which is then transferred to the written word on paper. The biggest difference is that they come back to school after the summer and they’ve remembered everything.”
How does Signs for Success help reading?
Signs are actions which provide clues to the written word. These actions often look like the meaning of the word, eg. the sign for house is an outline of a roof. Once the sign and word become linked in a child’s mind, the sign prompts recall of the written word.
“Comparing the Year 1s that I’ve got this year with the class from last year, they
just seem far more able. Literacy skills are far superior to what we would have expected.
And their predicted SAT results are far higher.” -
How does fingerspelling help writing?
Fingerspelling accelerates children’s writing because they move easily from fingerspelling the letter ‘t’, for example, to writing the letter ‘t’. Fingerspelling is writing in the air! Children transfer it easily from the air to the page. Try it and see.
“The children have become much more independent writers. If they get stuck and the teacher signs the letter, they can write it immediately.”
Do hearing children like signing?
They love signing. It is motivating and playful and has movement and meaning which all children love. Just as it is human nature to like music or dance or song, so it is human nature to like sign. It’s language in motion.
“Sign language makes you happy… I like it when we sign songs.” -
“Sign motivates the children and their self-
Which children benefit from Signs for Success?
Hearing children. Deaf children. Children with special or additional learning needs. Children for whom English is an additional language. Signs for Success is inclusion in the broadest sense. ALL children are learning to read and write through the programme.
“We had to have a special assistant for one boy because his autism made him so disruptive. Now he makes eye contact and uses speech and is learning in the same way as other children because of the signing. It’s a miracle.”
“One of our children had very poor speech and no-
Does signing limit children’s language development?
A teacher from the pilot project had a great response to this question…
“No, signing expands children’s language. Yesterday, I used the word ‘dialogue’ instead
of ‘speech’. Children learned the word ‘dialogue’ immediately because the sign for
the two words is the same. I think it’s brilliant for that.” -
What do parents think of Signs for Success?
Parents have become the driving force of the Signs for Success programme’s expansion to both older and younger children.
“I positively believe this is a wonderful idea which I encourage, especially as my
child has enjoyed it so much.” – Parent of a six-
“It’s been a real success. Schools should include signing as a foreign language.”
– Parent of an eight-
“The majority of children share their knowledge of sign with their family and friends.”
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