When the homeschool teacher thinks of adding a language to the curriculum of the homeschool students, it usually turns out to be French, Spanish, German, or some other foreign language. Guess what? Here’s a language option that may offer many more benefits. Plus it won’t take a teacher to teach it. The homeschool family can learn it together. I’m reffering to ASL.
What is ASL?
ASL is the American Sign Language. It’s a very common misconception that only those who are deaf will learn and benefit from ASL. There is nothing further from the truth. People learn ASL to help family members who may be deaf. They may become teachers and counselors for those who are deaf. They may use it to help make deaf friends feel more included in their community. They learn it just as a hobby to expand their skill set. No matter why they learn ASL, there is a steady community of people with no hearing disability who are fluent in ASL.
Benefits for the Homeschool Students learning ASL
There are a few benefits associated with learning ASL for homeschool students. The first would be the excitement and satisfaction of learning a new language and being able to communicate with deaf people in their community. Plus as they learn new words to translate, they actually end up expanding their vocabulary. In fact for young children, ASL can be used to improve small motor skills as well. The intricate hand gestures that they learn will make it easier for them to move their fingers while doing other things like crafts and writing.
Benefits for them as Adults for knowing ASL
As workplaces strive to become more inclusive, they are opening up jobs for differently abled individuals. If your homeschool student has picked up ASL in the homeschool classroom, they will be able to help create a more inclusive environment for such people. They could also end up communicating with customers at the work place and help them. Not to mention that they can positively contribute to society by ensuring that the deaf are also “heard” instead of being ignored.