American Sign Language for Beginners

This class is an introduction to the world of American Sign Language (also known as ASL)! By the end of this course, students will be able to sign all of the letters of the alphabet, family signs, color signs, and feelings/emotion signs. We will also go over the history of American Sign Language, how some of the first schools of the deaf were created, along with some common misconceptions about the Deaf/Hard of Hearing community. Each section is a quick 10 - 15 minute video that you can pause and view over and over again. Videos are especially helpful for learning sign language as it makes it easier to view signs and learn proper finger shapes. This course will teach you over 70 signs!

Here is the list of signs we will be learning in this course for reference -

Family Signs:

• Family

• Girl

• Boy

• Mom

• Dad

• Step mom

• Step dad

• Foster mom

• Foster dad

• Grandma (along with great-grandma, great-great grandma, etc.)

• Grandpa (along with great-grandpa, great-great grandpa, etc.)

• Cousin

• Cousin (girl)

• Cousin (boy)

• Son

• Daughter

• Aunt

• Uncle

• Brother

• Sister

• Baby

Colors:

• Red

• Orange

• Yellow

• Green

• Blue

• Purple

• Pink

• White

• Tan

• Brown

• Black

• Gold

• Silver

• Plus introduction to fingerspelling

Emotion/Feelings:

• Feeling

• Emotion

• Happy

• Sad

• Mad/Angry

• Excited

• Tired

• Grouchy/Grumpy

• Frustrated

• Sick

• Hurt

• Hungry

• Confused

Thank you and I hope to see you soon!

More about me:

Hey there! My name is Carisa and I am from Lincoln, Nebraska. I was first introduced to American Sign Language (ASL) when I was about 12 years old. My younger brother had a speech impediment and it was recommended that he learn ASL, so that when we were unable to understand what he was speaking, we could understand and know what he wanted through sign language. I had so much fun learning it that I continued, even after my brother know longer needed it to communicate. It has been proven that kids who practice American Sign Language have higher IQ scores overall, an increased vocabulary, and it helps to eliminate tantrums with little ones.