Deaf ESL Students - Gallaudet University

Reading to Children
Reading to children is the first step. As
new students learning both ASL and
English, ESL students are initially fascinated
by sign language and watch me
eagerly as I present the information
from their books in signs. Some students
quickly realize that the signing is
a transmission of the content of the
book. For others it takes longer. One
nine-year-old boy, who came to us two
months ago without ever having been
in school before, has yet to make the
connection between signs, story, and
book. But eventually he, like his classmates,
will understand the purpose of
books and the process of reading, and
embark on the next phase of his journey
in literacy.
As I read to the children, I help students
form connections, building links
between a book’s topic and the students’
experiences. Therefore, before,
during, and after our daily reading, I
make sure the students can make a connection
with the book, the topic, the
illustrations, or the feelings shown on its
pages. We talk about things unfamiliar
to them. For example, one of my students
from Africa had never seen snow
and the concept of precipitation falling
as cold white flakes had to be explained
to him. Some students, depending on
their culture and on how long they have
been in the United States, may have a
lot of questions about a topic. The more
we talk about a topic, share our ideas,
and make comparisons among books,
the more students feel they can add and
connect their experiences to the books
they are reading.
Reading to children daily increases
their knowledge about various subjects,
allows them to share their knowledge,
and gives them confidence in their
ability to contribute to the class.
Reading to my ESL students also helps
them in more specific ways. It exposes
them to signing, which helps their visual
acuity and increases their sign vocabulary.
It lets them know that print has
meaning. Further, students enjoy stories
and they learn from them. After I
read to my students, they feel confi-
dent to look through the book and
talk about its content. Occasionally, my
older students feel they should share
their knowledge and tell younger students
about the book we read in class.
They take pride in sharing the information
they learn and look forward to
the next book.
Shared Reading
The first time I read a book, I rely
heavily on the pictures. Because students
have various levels of signing, I
use visual/gestural communication to
make sure all of them understand what
is happening. Often we role-play a
scene during reading or the entire
book when we are finished. Whenever
possible, I use visual aides, which can
include objects that appear in the book
that my students may have never seen. I
read the book several times during the
same week. Every time I reread it, I
incorporate more ASL and fewer gestures,
but I am always going back and
forth between gesture and sign for
those who need it. Once everyone has
an understanding of the content of the
book, I start pointing out regularities in
print. We may begin by noticing where
TOP: I modify our school’s literacy practices for my ESL students. BOTTOM: I attempt to build
links between the book’s topic and the students’ experiences.
8 Spring 2000