[SENco-forum] Yr3 boys texts/Hand spelling

Now although I have only done this with one child - and about 6 letters to
go to complete the alphabet - I am amazed at how quickly this boy has picked
up - and remembered - and can use - groups of letters in a way that was
impossible to do 2 weeks ago.

Watching him "work out with his fingers" - is enabling him to work very
successfully with areas that before were obvious problems.

Regards

Ruth

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
[mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf Of
SEN at tringham.net
Sent: 23 March 2007 09:27
To: Peter Syme; Becta Senco
Subject: RE: [SENco-forum] Yr3 boys texts/Hand spelling

Guilty. I adapted, with permission, BSL fingerspelling and incorporated some
'Signed English' or other indicators of punctuation.
Signed English is to support BSL users in learning grammatical written
English.  It is not allowed to be used for 'conversation' outside the
teaching environment- so as not to lose BSL and deaf culture. I am not deaf
so I think that there is room for both forms, but understand the deaf
community concern that the two forms might intermingle.

In Hand spelling the vowels remain the same:
 Thumb=a Index=e  Middle=i  Ring= o  Little=u  as represented
on the left hand and 'touched' by right index finger (like a pencil)

As many BSL letters were kept as possible even if they are now signed on a
different finger to improve sequencing i.e. 'p' signed on the Ring finger
'o' rather than index finger 'a'.
So:
a - b (old sign that looks like a b) c  d (sign c onto the right hand palm)
e - f g h (BSL)
i - j  k ( BSL but sign onto middle i finger)    lmn (BSL)
o - p (BSL on ring finger)    q= new lowercase sign(BSL Q with 'tail'
 r= crook little finger	s=BSL	 t= new lowercase sign (bend last 2 fingers)
u - v (2fingers on 'u')   w (3fingers on 'u') x (BSL on little finger)
	y (BSL on little finger)   Z( BSL and open to suggestions

I can send a PowerPoint with photos if anyone them - (r is now signed in the
air rather than on the right palm.)

Uppercase is indicated by Left index finger pointing up & moving up.

Full stop - right index jabs onto left palm.  Comma - stroke the skin on the
left palm index to thumb & it looks like a comma!
Exclamation mark - run right index 'pencil' down left middle finger and add
a full stop.

What it gives is a way to express a sentence without having to put pencil to
paper.  Some dyslexic children are so turned of the whole process or have
such poor handwriting that trying to get through a multisensory programme
like Alpha to Omega or any other is difficult in the writing stages.  Hand
spelling means that word families can be worked through without the stress
of writing.  Sequencing in often an issue and this give portable more
sequential reminders ( 'q/r/s/t' being awkward exceptions)
The punctuation signs are movements that then remind the student to add
punctuation when it come to writing.

It is similar enough to BSL that it would be understood if you had to use it
in an emergency.

I have been using it with 4 students ( & parents) - 2 GLD & 2 SpLD.  I have
found SpLD children pick it up quickest - some in 10 minutes even if they
have sequencing issues.  The current group have been doing a gradual build
up of 1 finger per week & are remembering it.  We played 'I went shopping
and I bought..Apple...Ball etc
and we got to 'P' before they started to get bored.  This is staggering
considering they scored 1 -2 items in a visual test and 2-3 in their
auditory tests.  Didn't even bother trying to do a proper Digit Span as
reversing digits was beyond them.  Initially had difficulties sequencing 2
items correctly in a visual test using picture cards!

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