Bel Air Day Care Uses Sign Language to Enhance Communication

A day care in Harford County, Maryland, is making strides in early childhood communication by teaching American Sign Language (ASL) to children as young as 6 weeks old. The Learning Experience, located in Bel Air, incorporates ASL throughout its curriculum, aiming to enhance communication skills and foster empathy among its young learners. This innovative approach has been part of the program since the facility opened six years ago.

Melissa Vandergriff, who leads the infant classes, has observed a significant reduction in emotional outbursts among her students. By enabling them to express their needs before they can articulate them verbally, ASL provides a valuable tool for early communication. Vandergriff stated, “We all have feelings, we all want to be heard and we use sign language to give another way of saying this is what I need, this is what I want.”

On a recent Friday morning, Vandergriff engaged her students by telling the story of Gibby Gibbon, a fictional monkey born deaf who uses a cochlear implant to hear. By using props and interactive singing, she demonstrated how the monkey experiences sound. The infants participated actively, signing along to “The Itsy Bitsy Spider,” demonstrating their growing understanding of ASL.

Empathy and Connection

Vandergriff’s experience over the past three years reveals that many former infants return to her classroom as preschoolers, continuing to use sign language to communicate with younger children. This continuity not only reinforces the lessons learned but also creates a supportive community among the children. Many parents express interest in continuing ASL lessons at home, emphasizing the importance of this skill beyond the classroom.

At The Learning Experience, children learn a variety of signs, including essential words and phrases such as “milk,” “dad,” “mom,” “please,” “thank you,” “more,” “bottle,” and “all done.” The school maintains a monthly calendar that outlines the “word of the month,” providing parents with guidance on how to reinforce these lessons at home.

Sarah List, the assistant director of operations, has witnessed the impact of ASL on her own children, who attend the program. She noted, “For my family, a big focus is manners, so seeing my children use their manners along with sign language is huge.” List has been with the day care since its inception and emphasizes how ASL has created a solid foundation for children’s communication skills.

Building a Strong Educational Framework

All educators at The Learning Experience possess a background in early childhood education but may not have formal training in ASL. The curriculum is designed to bridge this gap, providing clear instructions on how to effectively incorporate sign language into daily activities. Over their time at the center, students learn between 12 to 50 age-appropriate signs, covering essential communication tools.

Rachel Duncan, the director of family engagement and operations, described children under the age of five as highly receptive to new languages. “ASL is just like learning a foreign language. It teaches cognitive development and reasoning skills, and it also opens up different parts of the brain,” Duncan explained.

Through its commitment to teaching American Sign Language, The Learning Experience not only enhances communication among its students but also fosters an inclusive environment that values empathy and understanding. The innovative program serves as a model for early childhood education, demonstrating the profound benefits of introducing sign language from infancy.