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American Sign Language Analysis

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American Sign Language (ASL) is a visual and natural language and used widely by the members of the deaf community in the United States (Valli & Lucas, 2000; Andrews, Leigh, & Weiner, 2004). About 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2015; Nover et al, 1998). The other 10% are born to one or both deaf parents (Mitchell & Karchmer, 2002). Deaf children who have deaf parents have full access to ASL whereas most deaf children with hearing parents have limited access to ASL. Deaf children with hearing parents are typically not given the same early opportunity (Baker, 2010). Deaf families who use ASL understand the importance of having early language access to develop …show more content…
English is a spoken and written language, whereas ASL is a visual language that is neither spoken nor written. Research has shown that there is a relationship between ASL and English literacy skills (Strong & Prinz, 1997; Prinz & Strong, 1998; Padden & Ramsey, 1998; Singleton, Supalla, Litchfield & Schley, 1998). The unique aspect of the relationship between English and ASL is related to ASL fingerspelling (Allen, 1986; Goldin-Meadow & Mayberry, 2001; Morere & Allen, 2012; Traxler, 2000; Trybus & Karchmer, 1977). Previous research indicated a relationship between ASL skills and English literacy (reading and writing) when deaf students develop a strong foundation of their native language (L1), ASL at an early age will enable them to develop a strong foundation of their reading and writing skills in English (L2) (Cummins, 2006; Padden, 2006; Padden & Ramsey, 2000; Strong & Prinz, 1997). Most deaf children have hearing parents who have limited knowledge and skills in using the visual language, such as sign language (Mitchell & Karchmer, 2004; Newport & Sapulla, 1987). Hence, most deaf children may not have full access to language from home to transfer to school (Grosjean, 1992; Newport & Sapulla, 1987), unfortunately many come from homes whose families do not use sign language or have successful communication with them. Deaf children …show more content…
RQ1: How do teachers use fingerspelling with deaf children during classroom instruction?
RQ2: What is the prevalence of the use of fingerspelling with deaf children during classroom instruction?
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
In particular, the study will be able to provide information to improve the usages and applications of how ASL fingerspelling can be used via ASL fingerspelling strategies during classroom instruction. Deaf education teachers in a public ECE setting may not know how or to incorporate ASL fingerspelling strategies during classroom instruction for several reasons. Teachers of young deaf children fingerspell less than the teachers of the older deaf children (Akamatsu & Stewart, 1989; Haptonstall-Nykaza & Schick, 2007). Teachers of young deaf children in a public school setting sometimes avoid fingerspelling a great deal due to the fact that they assume that the children are not capable of understanding the words and may not make connections between the fingerspelled handshapes to the print. (Padden, 2006). Deaf parents and deaf teachers embed ASL fingerspelling early so these children are not

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