Translating books to ASL to read to children

straddler

straddler

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Simple books, like Dr. Seuss, baby books, books with only one line per page, etc, are easy enough to translate into ASL on cue. Heck, most books that are actually specifically geared for kids under age 2 are no problem. But what about wordier books with a descriptive paragraph on each page? What about dinosaur books with words like Tyrannosaurus Rex and Peradactyl? Other fingerspelled words that can't be described away? Specific or scientific names for things? Picture books really meant for second-graders to read alone that toddlers ask you to read to them anyway?

I don't usually have a problem translating concepts right away (I will say "yellow car for pick-up people around to drive who they dont have car, similar tiny bus" for "taxi"--which is, as far as I know, a fingerspelled word.). But sometimes there are so many concepts or so many fingerspelled words crammed onto one page that it's just so hard to sign to a toddler. Any suggestions?

I do not have my own kids, but just took a nanny job and am teaching the kids (newborn and 22 mos) to sign.

Thanks!! :ty:
 
straddler said:
Simple books, like Dr. Seuss, baby books, books with only one line per page, etc, are easy enough to translate into ASL on cue. Heck, most books that are actually specifically geared for kids under age 2 are no problem. But what about wordier books with a descriptive paragraph on each page? What about dinosaur books with words like Tyrannosaurus Rex and Peradactyl? Other fingerspelled words that can't be described away? Specific or scientific names for things? Picture books really meant for second-graders to read alone that toddlers ask you to read to them anyway?

I don't usually have a problem translating concepts right away (I will say "yellow car for pick-up people around to drive who they dont have car, similar tiny bus" for "taxi"--which is, as far as I know, a fingerspelled word.). But sometimes there are so many concepts or so many fingerspelled words crammed onto one page that it's just so hard to sign to a toddler. Any suggestions?

I do not have my own kids, but just took a nanny job and am teaching the kids (newborn and 22 mos) to sign.

Thanks!! :ty:
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I can let you know what I did with my son. For words like Tyrannosauraus Rex that you used as an example, I would sign "dinosaur", then finger spell the technical term, followed with (name, this dinosaur.) Sometimes, at a younger age, it would be necessary to expand ont he concept with an explanation such as (Boy, you. Name, P.J. Same dinosaur.) Together, we would then create a name sign for the Tyrannosauraus Rex dinosaur discussed in the book. It takes a little more time when you are reading the book for the first time, but it pays off in the end, especially when the word is encountered in another book. As he got older, we dropped the created name signs and concentrated on finger spelling the unfamiliar terms to faccilitate word recognition in English writing. If I was uncertain that he was comprehending, I would point to the word and ask him, "This word. Know?" And he would confirm by using the sign we had created so that I knew he had the concept and the connection between the printed symbol and the word in English.
 
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