Once children have mastered a vocabulary in ASL, it's time to teach them how to put together phrases and conversations through games and activities.
Having a conversation in Sign Language can be an exciting experience for a child, once they realize that all the words they've been learning are useful. Set up games and activities for them to get used to stringing together signs and recalling words quickly.
If your group is just learning sign language, start out teaching them easy signs and games. Then move onto more advanced activities such as the ones listed below.
Game Ideas For Practicing Sentences
- Can I Have/I Want: Teach the children the signs for “Can I Have” and “I Want.” Sit the children in a circle and give each of them an object. It could be a different colored marker, or other different objects. Go around the circle and have each child take a turn asking for another child's object (finger spelling the name of the object if needed). Let the children figure out what it is they are asking for and who has it. Those children then switch objects. Another variation is to use color signs once you've taught the children them.
- On Monday I Ate: Teach the children the days of the week as well as food signs. Sit in a circle. The first person signs: “On Monday I ate...” and signs a noun. (It doesn't have to be a food noun, eating a pen or book can be silly but fun). The next person signs: “On Monday I ate...” and must list the signs from the people before them, as well as adding one. Once you've gotten all around the circle you can change it to “On Tuesday I ate...” and start over.
- What's in the Box?: Teach the children the signs for “What's in the Box?”; “Who knows?” and a handful of nouns. Animals signs work well. Sit in a circle and hold an empty box, the bigger the better. Everyone chants and signs: "What's in the box? What's in the box? Who knows...what's in the box?" Then call out a child's name and toss him the box. The child must shout out a noun that he knows the sign for (eg. monkey). Everyone then chants and signs: "A monkey, a monkey, a monkey in the box!" Then repeat the first chorus and throw the box to another child.
- All My Friends: Teach children descriptive words such as colors, as well as clothing, body parts etc. Children sit in a circle in chairs. Be sure there are only enough chairs for sitting children. One child stands in the center. That child must say “All my friends have...” and sign something such as “red shirts.” Pointing to your shirt if you don't know the signs is great! All the people that match the description must stand up and try to find a new seat. Because there is one less seat than children, one will be left in the middle and have to ask the next question.
- My Grandma: Teach the children descriptive words about their clothes and body. One person comes to the front of the room and signs, “My Grandma has” and then descriptive things about their “Grandma.” They are really describing someone sitting in the circle and everyone must guess who they are talking about.
Game Ideas for Practicing Conversations
- Introductions – The Bus Game: Teach the children how to say “My Name is:” and “What's your name?” as well as other intro sentences. (I am 8 years old. How old are you? I like ____). Sit the children in two rows of chairs set up like a bus. Each child must turn to the one beside them and do an introduction. When you blow a whistle or clap, all children must find a different seat with a different partner.
- Who Am I?: Have one child at the front think of an animal. The other children must take turns asking questions about them, such as "Are you green?"; "Are you big?" and the child at the front must answer the questions.
Copyright Crystal Smith. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
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