Miss-Delectable
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Herndon girl offers communication knowledge to peers - News - Republican Herald
Sharing what it's like to live in a non-hearing world at home has enabled a 5-year-old Herndon girl to open up a world of opportunities for her classmates.
In the case of Christine Horning, fellow pupils in Sara English's kindergarten class at Northern Dauphin Christian School in Millersburg have begun learning American Sign Language with her assistance.
English said she initially wanted to learn signing so that she could converse with Christine's parents, who are both deaf. From there, the kindergarten students' curiosity and interest sparked, and the entire class began studying and practicing ASL.
Christine signed that she finds it fun to teach ASL to her fellow students and said, "I like to correct the other kids while they're trying to learn."
"Birthday" is one of the first words Christine demonstrated, with a pencil-sharpener motion at the side of her ear.
English has integrated signing into her pupils' daily curriculum. While learning letters, numbers and colors, they also use sign language in those lessons. While singing songs and answering questions from their Bible story, they include words that they've learned in sign language, too.
During snack time, English occasionally uses the "Signing Time" DVDs that Christine's family has provided to teach students new signs.
Christine's peer, Chloe Mace, has put her new skill to practical use outside of the classroom. When she was at a Target store recently, Chloe said her mother met a store clerk who was deaf and called on Chloe to assist with communicating with her.
"I could talk to her. She asked me my name and how old I was," said Mace, 6, of Williamstown.
Mace said she enjoys learning new words in class. "Everybody wants to know it," she said.
Another classmate, Austin Hoover, 5, of Halifax, said the word, "Austin," is his favorite sign word. He shared that his favorite animal was the cow, because his dad liked them. In an instant, Austin looked to his buddy, Christine, and she showed him the sign for cow - demonstrating with her thumb and pinkie in a horn-like position at the side of her head.
During an e-mail interview, Christine's parents explained that they've never considered themselves handicapped.
"The only thing different about us is that our ears don't work and we use our hands to communicate," Paula and Curtis Horning wrote.
Both were born deaf, Paula shared, and the cause of their deafness is unknown.
Christine can hear and doesn't need any special assistance in school. She had speech therapy for a year beginning when she was 18 months old and successfully completed it. She needed the therapy since her parents cannot speak.
"She started to sign around 10 months old," her mother wrote. "I had her watching 'Signing Time' DVDs since birth and it helps her understand better. She just picks things up so fast by watching us signing. She can even catch what we are talking about when we aren't talking to her."
The Hornings use ASL while conversing with Christine as well as her teacher, English. When communicating with district staff, they use e-mail or written notes.
In addition to her classmates, a few of Christine's cousins are also learning sign language.
When people who are able to hear and don't know sign language approach them, Paula tries to read their lips or body language, she wrote. But most of the time she asks for a piece of paper so she can carry on a written conversation.
When asked the best way to get a deaf person's attention, Paula wrote that it's best to give a wave of the hand if the person is in front of you, or a slight tap on the arm if the person is approaching from the side.
Christine has helped bridge the communication gap, boosting fellow students' knowledge of deafness, while also assisting her parents.
"We are very proud of her. I don't know what we would do without her! She explains to us what we can't hear. She even interprets for people who try to talk to us!" Paula wrote.
Sharing what it's like to live in a non-hearing world at home has enabled a 5-year-old Herndon girl to open up a world of opportunities for her classmates.
In the case of Christine Horning, fellow pupils in Sara English's kindergarten class at Northern Dauphin Christian School in Millersburg have begun learning American Sign Language with her assistance.
English said she initially wanted to learn signing so that she could converse with Christine's parents, who are both deaf. From there, the kindergarten students' curiosity and interest sparked, and the entire class began studying and practicing ASL.
Christine signed that she finds it fun to teach ASL to her fellow students and said, "I like to correct the other kids while they're trying to learn."
"Birthday" is one of the first words Christine demonstrated, with a pencil-sharpener motion at the side of her ear.
English has integrated signing into her pupils' daily curriculum. While learning letters, numbers and colors, they also use sign language in those lessons. While singing songs and answering questions from their Bible story, they include words that they've learned in sign language, too.
During snack time, English occasionally uses the "Signing Time" DVDs that Christine's family has provided to teach students new signs.
Christine's peer, Chloe Mace, has put her new skill to practical use outside of the classroom. When she was at a Target store recently, Chloe said her mother met a store clerk who was deaf and called on Chloe to assist with communicating with her.
"I could talk to her. She asked me my name and how old I was," said Mace, 6, of Williamstown.
Mace said she enjoys learning new words in class. "Everybody wants to know it," she said.
Another classmate, Austin Hoover, 5, of Halifax, said the word, "Austin," is his favorite sign word. He shared that his favorite animal was the cow, because his dad liked them. In an instant, Austin looked to his buddy, Christine, and she showed him the sign for cow - demonstrating with her thumb and pinkie in a horn-like position at the side of her head.
During an e-mail interview, Christine's parents explained that they've never considered themselves handicapped.
"The only thing different about us is that our ears don't work and we use our hands to communicate," Paula and Curtis Horning wrote.
Both were born deaf, Paula shared, and the cause of their deafness is unknown.
Christine can hear and doesn't need any special assistance in school. She had speech therapy for a year beginning when she was 18 months old and successfully completed it. She needed the therapy since her parents cannot speak.
"She started to sign around 10 months old," her mother wrote. "I had her watching 'Signing Time' DVDs since birth and it helps her understand better. She just picks things up so fast by watching us signing. She can even catch what we are talking about when we aren't talking to her."
The Hornings use ASL while conversing with Christine as well as her teacher, English. When communicating with district staff, they use e-mail or written notes.
In addition to her classmates, a few of Christine's cousins are also learning sign language.
When people who are able to hear and don't know sign language approach them, Paula tries to read their lips or body language, she wrote. But most of the time she asks for a piece of paper so she can carry on a written conversation.
When asked the best way to get a deaf person's attention, Paula wrote that it's best to give a wave of the hand if the person is in front of you, or a slight tap on the arm if the person is approaching from the side.
Christine has helped bridge the communication gap, boosting fellow students' knowledge of deafness, while also assisting her parents.
"We are very proud of her. I don't know what we would do without her! She explains to us what we can't hear. She even interprets for people who try to talk to us!" Paula wrote.
This is really funny when the Republican Herald wrote that. You have to remember that she is hearing. I think she was speaking with her motion on using her pencil sharpener in her ear as a habit like twisting the hair or biting the fingernail. Something like that. But it sure is funny if newspaper editor think that is what the sign is about. 