Teaching children the alphabet is one of the first steps toward developing strong literacy skills (it’s actually the second step, but that’s a conversation for another blog post!). Adding sign language into the mix can give your child even more advantages. Learning how to sign the alphabet not only helps with language development but also boosts memory, attention, and even empathy.

Let’s explore the many benefits of teaching your child sign language and how to teach your child the alphabet in ASL (American Sign Language). I also have a free printable sign language alphabet poster for you!

This blog post is geared toward teaching hearing children how to sign. There are lots of amazing resources available for families raising deaf or hard-of-hearing children. The American Society of Deaf Children has a wonderful comprehensive list of resources that you can access right here.

The Benefits of Teaching Children Sign Language

I mentioned a few of the benefits of teaching your child sign language at the start of this blog post, but there are so many—and they are so important!—it’s worth repeating. 

Teaching your child how to sign the alphabet helps to:

1. Enhance Language Development: Learning the alphabet in sign language engages multiple senses—visual, kinesthetic, and auditory—helping children retain information better. When children associate letters with hand movements and sounds, it strengthens their understanding of language and encourages them to become more engaged in the learning process.

2. Improve Fine Motor Skills: Signing the alphabet requires coordination of the fingers and hands, which helps young children refine their fine motor skills. These skills are not only important for signing but also benefit tasks like writing, drawing, and even playing!

3. Boost Memory and Retention: Teaching sign language reinforces letter recognition through physical movement. This multi-sensory approach strengthens the brain’s ability to remember letters and their corresponding sounds, making it easier for children to recall and identify letters as they learn to read.

4. Promote Empathy and Inclusivity: Introducing sign language at a young age fosters empathy and inclusivity by helping children understand and communicate with the Deaf community or those who are hard of hearing. It also promotes respect for diversity and teaches children that there are many different ways to communicate.

5. Encourage Focus and Patience: Learning and using sign language requires focus and patience, as children need to pay close attention to hand movements and details. This attention to detail can transfer to other areas of learning, helping children become more focused in their schoolwork and other activities.

Free Printable ASL Alphabet Poster

Before we get into how to teach your child the alphabet in sign language, you’ll also want to grab these FREE Printable ASL Alphabet Poster! After you enter your email address below, you’ll be emailed your free poster. You’ll also be redirected to the How Wee Learn shop where you can take a peek at The Everything Kindergarten Bundle (which includes the ASL cards shown in this post).

How to Teach Your Child the Alphabet in Sign Language

Now that we know the benefits, here’s how you can start teaching your child the ASL alphabet at home!

1. Start with Familiar Letters. Begin by teaching your child how to sign their name letters. Those letters hold a lot of meaning for your child, so starting with name letters will help your child to feel more connected and interested in the learning. In fact, I recommend starting with name letters when teaching your child letters and sounds, too!

2. Introduce One Letter at a Time. After your child has learned their name letters, you can start introducing more letters in small groupings. If you are also using How Wee Read, you can follow the same letter order with your child. Make sure your child knows each letter name, sound, and sign before introducing new letters. 

3. Practice Signing Three Letter Words. Similar to how we practice simple CVC words after each letter grouping in How Wee Read, you can also practice signing some simple three-letter words after each letter grouping. For example, after the first letter group, your child will be able to sign: S – A – T. Moving the hand from one letter into the next will really help to ensure your child has a solid grasp of each sign (especially with letters like S, A, and T where the signs are quite similar!). 

4. Make it Visual. Use videos and alphabet sign cards (like the ASL alphabet cards included with The Everything Kindergarten Bundle). Jack Hartmann also has a fun alphabet song that helps teach each letter’s name, sound, and sign. You can also simply sign along as you sing the alphabet after each letter has been introduced!

5. Make it a Game. Turn learning the alphabet in sign language into a game by playing Alphabet Scavenger Hunt! Sign a letter and ask your child to find something around the house that starts with that letter (or that letter sound). This will help them make connections between the letters, sounds, and signs in a meaningful context.

6. Practice Daily. As with learning any new skill, practice is key. You might set aside a few minutes each day at a specific time to practice, or simply sign letters as you encounter them throughout your day! This helps to reinforce learning naturally.

Last but not least, celebrate! Encourage and celebrate small milestones with your child, like signing their name for the first time, learning a new letter grouping, or signing the entire alphabet for the first time.

Will you give it a try? The alphabet is only the beginning—the journey of learning sign language can be a beautiful way to bond with your child while opening up new ways to communicate.

The sign language alphabet cards shown in this post are included with The Everything Kindergarten Bundle. If you have a little one between the ages of 4 and 6, I invite you to check it out right here:

The Everything Kindergarten Bundle

https://shop.howweelearn.com/collections/everything-kindergarten

Thank you so much for reading, my friend!

xo
Sarah