Family Network for Deaf Children

One of the current projects FNDC has been working on is the five Sign Language videotapes that are now being released:

Sign Language Videos

These three Sign Language videos were created to enhance communication between parents, siblings, extended family and their deaf family member.

This video is intended for ESL learners, who do not use English as their first language. This video has been created without spoken language or sign language, but instead uses gestures to model communication strategies that may be used to communicate with deaf and hard of hearing family members. This video is ideal for parents, as well as professionals that work with ESL families. This video is a great resource for ESL families that would like a jumpstart on their communication with their deaf family members. This videotape also includes a workbook.

This video is designed for deaf/hard of hearing teens, siblings, cousins, friends, classmates, etc. This videotape uses teen models (deaf, hard of hearing and hearing) to answer some common questions and teach "upbeat" signs that the teens themselves are using. This video shows some differences but many similarities between ALL teens whether they are deaf, hard of hearing or hearing. This video is closed captioned.

This video tape is taught primarily by a hearing person who will explain about sign language and the grammar of ASL. This tape includes clips of Deaf signers, and will give the viewer the opportunity to stop the tape and practice. This tape will be a great foundation to understanding how to make your signing make "visual sense".

Literacy Videos - that also teach ASL

The following series - Hit the Ceiling, Raise the Roof marks a first in the production of videotapes for teaching English grammar through ASL. Our primary objective is to present information to both parents and their children in the least restrictive environment possible - that being through "spoken language" for parents and "visually" in ASL for deaf children. In recognition of this uniqueness, our videotapes are narrated by a hearing person and by a Deaf person. These videotapes are suitable for parents and professionals who want to learn how to connect ASL grammar to English grammar. These videotapes are also suitable for older deaf children who use ASL and may be struggling with understanding English grammar.

This video demonstrates how to find the "to be" verb in ASL grammar. Most deaf students are surprised when they realize that they already use this verb in their daily signed conversation - yet don’t actually "sign" it. This understanding of how and when to use the verb "to be" is used, when combined with the memorization of the "am, is, are", enable deaf students to internalize the rule and improve their writing skills. This video includes a workbook.

This video is designed so that your deaf child/student has a firm grasp of how to internally understand verb tenses in ASL. This video shows how to draw from verb tenses in ASL and transfer that knowledge to English. This video includes a workbook. Closed Captioned.