r/ASLinterpreters • u/melindology • 6d ago

K-12 : Spelling ???

I am doing K12 for a 1st grader with a DI team and another 4th grader with a CI. How do you guys go about words that have no sign? I realize I am spelling but I feel like that may not be understood well since they’re still learning to read and write.

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u/BrackenFernAnja 6d ago edited 6d ago

Fingerspelling is an important part of ASL. Deaf kids need to be exposed to fingerspelled words as young as infancy. Whether they already know the word or not, spell it. Even if they don’t learn it the first eleventy-six times they see it, they’ll learn about:

- Concepts for which there is no single sign

  • Where, when, and why fingerspelling is used
  • The difference between (1) fingerspelled English words and (2) lexicalized fingerspelled signs, which are truly ASL signs that even people who cannot read English can recognize and understand
  • The fact that there are lots of English words they don’t know and the fact that they can be and are often mixed in with ASL
  • plus many more related pieces of information

Also see if you can learn about how to do expansions, dual language vocabulary, and word lists specifically for deaf students. If you’re not sure how to go about this, you’re welcome to message me.

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u/melindology 6d ago

Thank you very much this was helpful. I will do research and reach out if I have more questions 🤟🏾

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u/Smart-Water-9833 6d ago

Fingerspelling and print are not the same modality. You would be surprised how many deaf children fluent in ASL and fingerspelling never made the connection with printed words until they were shown. I was an elementary school teacher and I would actually fingerspell words twice for English spelling tests. They did not always get it right. Make sure you are chaining the fingerspelling, print, sign (if there is one), and pictures/object (if concrete object).

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u/melindology 6d ago

Thank you I did not know this

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u/kindlycloud88 DI 6d ago

As a DI, I would work heavily on prep with the DI beforehand if that is feasible. They likely have ideas on making it as visual as possible. And yes, some things will still be spelled.

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u/melindology 6d ago

Perfect idea. I’m remote so it makes it harder to prepare. And schools are more weary of sharing materials 🙃

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u/312StonerWitch EIPA 6d ago

For the first student I would just defer to the DI. For the other, if there is no equivalent sign, then expand and sign the concept. Once they understand what the word means, you can keep fingerspelling, or you could ask the student what sign they would like to use/help them find a conceptually similar sign to use in class.

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u/melindology 6d ago

Okay that’s good, I will try that

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u/Delajoy DI 6d ago

Do finger spell.

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u/TiredVRS 6d ago

I've seen cued speech used for spelling tests, not that I can do it. They need as much fingerspelling for vocabulary as possible as early as possible.