Talk on American Sign Language

Upper Elementary students attended a fantastic talk on the American Sign Language today. Um Tawfiq, who learned ASL, started off by asking children why they'd like to learn sign language. "To share secrets" was by far the most popular response!

Um Tawfiq started by teaching expressions - happy, excited, tearful, sad. She then taught the children how to sign the alphabets. They even tried spelling their names in ASL.  MashaAllah kids picked up fast. Then she taught them colour names.

By the end, children could construct basic sentences - "I want more orange juice", "I am happy.", "I don't want".

At the end of the talk., Um Tawfeeq talked about how we need to be sensitive to people who are differently abled and to admire the effort they take over things that come naturally to us. She also encouraged children to use their talents to make or do something that makes life easier for a differently challenged person.