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Learning to spell with their fingers - NorthJersey.com
Jennifer Quigley is teaching sign language to students at Mine Hill's Canfield Avenue Elementary School, one finger gesture at a time.
American Sign Language (ASL), considered the dominant sign language of deaf Americans, was introduced last month as part of Canfield's foreign language curriculum, replacing Spanish.
Quigley, who taught ASL for four years at County College of Morris, now teaches five classes per day, reaching students from pre-kindergarten to sixth grade.
"ASL has its own grammar and is not English translated for the deaf. For example; in English you would say 'I'll go to the store.' In sign that becomes 'store I go'," she said.
Quigley's lesson plan includes learning the alphabet, known as finger spelling, word phrasing, vocabulary building and understanding the history, language and culture of the people who embrace these nonverbal skills, the deaf community.
According to research conducted at Gallaudet University, a leading institution for the deaf and hard of hearing based in Washington DC, ASL is the language of a sizeable minority estimated to range from 500,000 to two million speakers in the U.S. alone. Depending on the figures and data chosen, the university ranks ASL as the third most used language behind Spanish and Chinese.
Though Canfield Avenue School joins other school districts in the state to teach American Sign Language, according to Allison Kobus, media relations representative for New Jersey's Department of Education, Ernest Palestis, Mine Hill's interim school superintendent, is quick to point out that Mine Hill is the only elementary school in Morris County to teach ASL.
According to Palestis, the introduction of ASL to Canfield's curriculum helps the school remain on the cutting edge of education. "Using sign language in the hearing classroom clearly carries educational advantages for hearing children that go far beyond merely improving literacy, spelling and math skills," Quigley said.
Jennifer Quigley is teaching sign language to students at Mine Hill's Canfield Avenue Elementary School, one finger gesture at a time.
American Sign Language (ASL), considered the dominant sign language of deaf Americans, was introduced last month as part of Canfield's foreign language curriculum, replacing Spanish.
Quigley, who taught ASL for four years at County College of Morris, now teaches five classes per day, reaching students from pre-kindergarten to sixth grade.
"ASL has its own grammar and is not English translated for the deaf. For example; in English you would say 'I'll go to the store.' In sign that becomes 'store I go'," she said.
Quigley's lesson plan includes learning the alphabet, known as finger spelling, word phrasing, vocabulary building and understanding the history, language and culture of the people who embrace these nonverbal skills, the deaf community.
According to research conducted at Gallaudet University, a leading institution for the deaf and hard of hearing based in Washington DC, ASL is the language of a sizeable minority estimated to range from 500,000 to two million speakers in the U.S. alone. Depending on the figures and data chosen, the university ranks ASL as the third most used language behind Spanish and Chinese.
Though Canfield Avenue School joins other school districts in the state to teach American Sign Language, according to Allison Kobus, media relations representative for New Jersey's Department of Education, Ernest Palestis, Mine Hill's interim school superintendent, is quick to point out that Mine Hill is the only elementary school in Morris County to teach ASL.
According to Palestis, the introduction of ASL to Canfield's curriculum helps the school remain on the cutting edge of education. "Using sign language in the hearing classroom clearly carries educational advantages for hearing children that go far beyond merely improving literacy, spelling and math skills," Quigley said.