2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
Helping Families Maximize Language Acquisition with ASL Rhymes, Rhythm and Repetition
Helping Families Maximize Language Acquisition with
ASL Rhymes, Rhythm and Repetition
Track: Language Acquisition and Development, EHDI Program Enhancement
Author: Laura B Blum
Affiliations: Founder of About Love and Language 501c3
Presenter: Laura B Blum
This presentation will provide research, practical strategies and introduce resources that can help parents and professionals maximize language acquisition with DHH children using ASL rhymes, rhythm and repetition.
The developing human brain is captivated by repetitive patterns of rhymes and rhythm. Hearing children are immersed daily with catchy children's songs, video programs, nursery rhymes, lullabies and stories that incorporate rhythm and rhyming. Deaf children on the other hand cannot fully access or benefit from spoken rhymes. Rhymes in English are often lost when translated in American Sign Language. Since 90% of DHH children are born to hearing parents who have little to no experience with hearing loss, these parents need extra support and resources to help provide an equally rich linguistic environment for their child at risk for language delays. Rhyming in ASL has been around for centuries. The use of rhyme and rhythm in American Sign Language remains understudied yet Laura-Ann Petitto a Cognitive Neuroscientist discovered, “Whether the modality is spoken or signed, the brain responds in the same way in its search for phonological patterning.” (Visual sign phonology: insights into human reading and language from a natural soundless phonology - PubMed (nih.gov)
Recently Deaf educators and researchers have begun to create ASL rhyming and rhythmic resources in response to the demands from teachers and families. There are many fun new resources, techniques and methods that can aid parents not only learn ASL themselves but help them provide a language rich environment for their DHH children.
Key words: language acquisition, rhyme, rhythm, sign language
Contact Information:
Laura Blum
aboutloveandlanguage@gmail.com
801-636-9945
- The participant will be able to identify a rhyme in American Sign Language.
- The participant will be able to create a rhyme in ASL.
- The participant will be able to list three ASL Rhyme/ Rhythm resources discussed in this presentation.
Poster:
This presentation has not yet been uploaded.
Presenter: Laura Blum
Author and Founder of About Love and Language, Laura Blum is a National Certified ASL interpreter with a degree in Family Science, emphasis in Early Childhood Education. Laura’s passion for ASL and her background in ECE fuels her creativity. She has partnered with the Deaf community to create language delay resources to support parent’s efforts to provide a language rich environment for their children who are at risk for language delays.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -