Max Learns Sign Language

Max Learns Sign Language Written by: Adria Klein
Illustrated by: Mernie Gallagher-Cole
Published by: Picture Window Books 2007
Grades: K-1
Genre: People with Disabilities, Picture Book

Synopsis: A young boy named Max, wants to be able to talk with his friend, Susan, who can’t hear.  So he can talk to her, he takes a sign language class where he learns different words like hello so he can talk to Susan about things. 

Theme/Skill:  Sign Language, Deafness, Friendship.  It shows signs throughout the book that children could learn.

About the Author: Adria Klein

Adria has written books, book chapters, and articles dealing with emergent literacy.  She is the author of a series of children’s books about Max including: Max Learns Sign Language, Max Stays Overnight, Max Goes to the Library, Max Goes to the Zoo, and Max Goes to the Playground.  She is the co-editor of Literacy, Teaching, and Learning, a journal of the Reading Recovery Council of North America.  She is currently a professor at California State University in the Department of Educational Research and Policy.  There she teaches language arts and literacy courses in the graduate Reading Education program. 

Source used: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/adria-f-klein

Pre-Reading Activities:  Before the book is read, put a list of words that are found in the book.  Make a list of them on your writing board for children to see.  Words that should be included in this are friend, Max, sign, hello, learn , language.  For a warm up, say the word and then sound out the word with the children using the weightlifting technique.  All of the children lay on the rug and as the teacher says the letter, the children will “bench” the letter and repeat the letter after the teacher until the whole word is complete.  This will help to familiarize the kids with the words in the book they will listen to and eventually read independently. 

                                                                  

Throughout the book and after ask questions of the students including:  Why does Max want to learn sign language?  What can we use sign language for?  What happened in the story?

Post-Reading Activities:  Have the children draw a picture that creates a summary of the book.  Then have them write a sentence by sounding it out and using the board of the words from the book.  Then when they are done, teach them some simple signs to communicate with one another.  Have them practice the sign by making it to their partner who sits across or next to them. 

Writing Page: http://mrsjonesroom.com/pix/story_paper.jpg

                                       

Signs: http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/concepts.htm

Reflection:  I think that this book is for very beginning readers and must be used for very young children.  The book contains one sentence on the pages to go along with the pictures in the story.  It is meant for children to learn to start to read this book and be able to do it on their own.  I think that this book could be used in guided reading for children to practice on their own as well as in whole group where teachers can introduce sign language to them to use in their class.  I like how the book tries to show a few signs throughout the book, but it is difficult to see exactly how to make the sign just from the picture.  Additional research on signs would have to be done in order to make the sign correctly.