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.  

Moses Goes to a Concert

 

Moses Goes to a Concert
Written and Illustrated by: Isaac Millman
Published by: Farar, Straus, & Giroux 2002
Grades: K-3
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Disabilities

Synopsis: A young boy named Moses and his friends at school are deaf.  They attend a school field trip with their class and their teacher Mr. Samuels to a concert.  On the trip they meet, Marjorie Elwyn who plays the drums.  The class learns that she is deaf too.  At the concert they watch her perform and can feel the music through the balloons Mr. Samuels gives them.  At the end of the concert, the children find out that they get to play Marjorie’s instruments.  They learn from her that you can do anything if you set your mind to it, no matter who you are.  Throughout the book there are pictures of signs to go along with some words.  At the end of the book there are conversations in sign language and the sign alphabet. 

Theme/Skill:  Deaf, Instruments, Sign Language, Hearing, Disabilities, Values, Diversity.  It uses sign language throughout the book for children to learn.

About the Author: Isaac Millman
Isaac was born in France in 1933 and came to the United States when he was a teenager after his parents were killed from the German occupation in France.  In 1948, when he came to the United States, he was adopted by an American Jewish Family in Brooklyn, NY.  He later on became a United States citizen and served in the armed forces.  He attended college at Pratt Institute where he graded with a degree in fine arts in 1952.  He also worked as a senior art director for a large sales promotion agency.  Isaac is known as both an author and illustrator of several books including four Moses books, Hidden Child, and Arbeit macht Freit-Work Sets You Free.  He currently lives in New York City with his wife and has two sons. 

Source used: http://isaacmillman.com/Author/Bio.html

Pre-Reading Activities: As a whole-class, the students will make a list on the board of the field trips they have taken.  Ask questions such as:  What field trips have you taken?  Which one did you like best? What was so special about the trip?  After creating this list, add going to a concert.  Ask students: Why would they want to go to a concert?  What would you like about it? What do you see and hear at a concert?  Then lead into discussion about hearing.  What if you couldn’t hear but still wanted to go to a concert?  Would you go?  Explain that many people who are hearing impaired still go to concerts but rather listen for different things besides the words, they listen for the vibrations of sound to figure out the words.  Play a tape for them and have them wear earphones so they hear the vibrations rather than the words.  Ask them to make a chart about what they experienced.  Then read the book.

Post-Reading Activities: Have children learn some sign language.  Explain that although Moses and his friends are deaf, they can still communicate with others just like we do except they sign to communicate.  Teach them some signs such as please, thank you, I want, I need, colors, letters, etc.  Whichever signs would be most helpful in the classroom.  Give them pictures of these signs and have them go home and practice them.  Have them create a sentence at home that consists of five words.  Have them learn the signs and share it with the class the next day.  Continue using sign language in your class so students will pick up on it and may use to communicate with you and other students. 

Lesson Ideas: http://www.smbsd.org/uploaded/reading/files/Grade_2_Theme_6_Sel_2_Moses_Goes_Concert_headings.pdf
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/mdlamathssmusicartdeafnessandsignlanguageunit24-htm-2

Sign Language Game: http://www.funbrain.com/signs/index.html
Reflection:  Although this book is written a little over ten years ago, I loved this book more than recent ones that I found on the hearing impaired.  I think the story does a great job showing kids that those who are hearing impaired can do everything that we do like even go to music concerts.  It follows the children on a class field trip and portrays them to the audience like they have no disability.  They still communicate with one another and listen to the instruments but just in different ways through sign and through hearing the vibrations.  I love how the book illustrates the different signs that go with words on the page and show the audience how to do it.  I love this idea because then you can learn some sign language and maybe inspire people to go take a class on it to someday use.  I am absolutely in love with this book!