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Teaching children sign language in primary school
Learning sign language in primary school is a great way to introduce children to a different language while also helping them understand more about inclusion, diversity and the deaf community.
Cambridgeshire Deaf Association has launched Sign Language Days, an innovative new educational programme that primary schools can buy into to teach pupils British Sign Language (BSL). The sessions support Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 learning and help schools meet Ofsted expectations around inclusion and understanding different communities.
The idea is really simple. A deaf tutor and authentic BSL user, Lauren, visits the school and teaches sign language in fun, half-hour sessions. The children learn useful signs, which can be linked to whatever topic they're currently studying in class, and they also learn part of a song in BSL. At the end of the day, the whole school comes together in an assembly to perform it.
There are so many reasons for children to learn sign language. It's a great way to help them understand that different communities use different languages. It gives them the opportunity to meet a deaf person, understand some of the challenges deaf people can face, but also see the beauty of sign language and how deaf people live and work in the UK. Most importantly, the children get to have a go themselves, making it a really engaging and enjoyable experience.
For schools, it's an easy way to cover a lot of curriculum area while giving pupils a memorable day that they'll genuinely enjoy. Every child also takes home a certificate and a sticker. The certificate includes a QR code so they can continue learning sign language with their families at home.
Andrew Palmer, Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire Deaf Association, said: "These Sign Language Days are such a hit. We've already delivered them in a few different schools and we're now rolling them out across East Anglia and the counties surrounding Cambridgeshire. We've had such great feedback from teachers and pupils alike. It's a great way to really open children's minds to inclusion, diversity and the deaf community, while also teaching them a practical skill. You never know, it might even spark an interest that eventually leads to a career in sign language."