Today is International Day of Sign Languages

Today is International Day of Sign Languages, and according to the World Federation of the Deaf, there are 72 million deaf people in the world. and there are more than 300 sign languages out there. Let's take a few minutes to learn about sign language - did you know . . .

• In 300 BC, Plato's Cratylus has one of the oldest recorded accounts of sign language.
• Pidgin Signed English (PSE) or Signed English is the most widely used sign language among deaf people in the United States. The vocabulary is derived from American Sign Language (ASL), although it is presented in English word order.
• With the availability of new mobile keyboard apps, American Sign Language speakers no longer have to worry about their messages being lost in translation. Users can use these keyboards to send text messages and emails that include special American Sign Language (ASL) emoji.
• Over 125,000 adults in the United Kingdom use British Sign Language, and many more know how to communicate with it — British Sign Language is the primary language of 15,000 individuals in England and Wales.
• Despite the fact that both the United Kingdom and the United States speak English, their sign languages are extremely different — regional differences in sign language can also be discovered, similar to how accents and dialects are represented in speech.
• Many people who communicate using sign language use a single sign to indicate their name rather than signing out the separate letters — this 'name sign' is personal to the individual and is similar to a nickname.
• People who are fluent in sign language are frequently considerably better listeners. When utilizing sign language, one must maintain consistent eye contact with the person communicating. Unlike spoken language, sign languages do not allow a person to turn aside from the person speaking while still listening. 

You are able to learn more about International Day of Sign Languages at this link. If you are looking for something fun, useful, and educational which you could do with your grandchildren, consider teaching them American Sign Language. Sound interesting? It is really pretty simple to do if you just take one or two words or a sentence at at time. 

How do you do this, you ask? Well, there are some great web sites where you can type in a word you would like to learn and then you will be able to see a short video of how to make the sign for the word! Two of my favorites are Handspeak and  SigningSavvy. 

So . . . does this sound like something you might like to do with your grandchildren? And, if you are looking for some craft ideas which you could try with your grandchildren, look at this fun idea I found on Pinterest which works for any age of grandchild!

All you have to do is trace a hand and then roll two fingers down for the "I Love You" sign used in Sign Language. Include a simple message in a heart which you put on the hand and if your grandchild is old enough to write their name, have them sign it!

These "I Love You" hands would be fun to give on a stick or straw in a vase with flowers, or, if you can "shrink" the hand, you could make a pin by mounting it on cardstock or cardboard and adding a pin to the back. You might be able to coat the smaller handprint with a clear epoxy to make a pin or charm for a necklace. Have any of you ever used a clear epoxy which might work for something like this?

What do you think? What might you do with an, "I Love You" hand-print?