22 guidelines for teaching language
Fitting activities into your family’s daily life
It is important to think about how to support your child’s development
in ways that make sense for your family. Some of the activities in this
book will take extra time to do or may change the way you usually
do things.
Your child will learn better when
teaching becomes a part of
everyday activities.
If we take good care of the
bean plants, they will grow
big and strong.
• Talk or sign to your child
while you do activities
together, like eating,
bathing, changing clothes,
and so on. These are good
times to talk and sign
because you are close to
your child and he is usually
paying attention to you.
Big!
Shirt.
To describe what you do, use the same
signs or words for the same things,
each time. This will help your child
learn the meaning of signs and words,
and help him to use signs and words
(see Chapter 4, pages 37 to 46).
Lihua’s mother is using
home signs to communicate.
• As much as possible, keep
your child nearby while you
work. Make many short
comments about what you
are doing.
Are you hungry?
Can you smell
the rice? Mmm!
Cesar’s mother is using sign
language to communicate.
Helping Children Who Are Deaf (2004)