I Want to Learn Sign Language!, Vol. 1; Talking Hands: A Sign Language Video for Children

Based on American Sign Language and Signing Exact English, Talking Hands is apparently designed for very young children (some shown here are toddlers). Not to be confused with the Baby Sign system for teaching pre-verbal children to communicate, children who learn these gestures could eventually expand their repertoire to the point of being able to communicate with the deaf. Thirty simple signs are taught: mother, father, baby, boy, girl, potty, play, ball, etc. Although the tape uses each new word in a sample sentence (e.g. "Mother is home from work"), the sentence itself is not signed; rather we see Mother coming home and hugging her children--with no signing going on (the point of these illustrations eludes me, unless it's simply to hold visual interest). On the plus side, the multicultural cast also includes physically disabled as well as able-bodied children (however, the gender roles are depressingly stereotypical: while teaching the sign for "boy," we see a moppet in a ball cap playing with a train set; "girl" features a dressed-up little hostess of a tea-party). Still, the tape will find a welcome audience in public libraries, and this would be a good enrichment program for pre-schools and elementary schools. Recommended. Aud: K, E, P. Learning to sign "My sister makes me crazy," one of the sentences presented in I Want to Learn Sign Language, Vol. 1, will certainly get the attention of young viewers, as will "We can tell secrets in school without getting in trouble!" Children love kinesthetic activities, and combined with the "secret language" aspect, this educational tape will have natural appeal. Using a fictional framing device, the program revolves around a deaf cousin coming to visit two sisters who, together with a friend, want to learn sign language in order to communicate with him. Their mother (played by pre-school teacher Karen Green, who does a great job) offers to teach the girls how to sign, and goes on to explain the differences between Signing Exact English and American Sign Language, showing samples of each (unlike in Talking Hands, aimed at much younger audiences, full sentences are taught here). The phrases are fun and kid-friendly ("that's cool!" and "pizza," for example), finger spelling and counting to twenty are also demonstrated, and---a welcome touch--the program includes a brief history of ASL and the work of Thomas Gallaudet. Finally, a valuable section at the end, "Deaf People and Their Feelings," features interviews with people who discuss being differently-abled. A top-notch choice at a great price, this is highly recommended for both public and school libraries. Also available in the series is I Want to Learn Sign Language, Vol. 2 (series price: $40). Aud: E, I, P. (R. Reagan)