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Using American Sign Language to Help Kindergarten Learners Identify Sight Words
by
Teresa J. Bowers
A Research Paper
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Master of Science Degree
With a Major in
Education
Approved: (2) Semester Credits
The Graduate School
University of Wisconsin-Stout
December, 2011
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Author:
Bowers, Teresa .
Title:
Using American Sign Language to Help Kindergarten Learners Identify
Sight Words
Graduate Degree/ Major: MS Education
Research Adviser:
Judith Jax, Ph.D.
Month/Year:
December, 2011
Number of Pages:
47
Style Manual Used: American Psychological Association, 61h edition
ABSTRACT
The mral School District of Abbotsford has a large population of ELL (English Language
Learners) and students with special needs. This diverse population of students stmggles with
communication skills. The ELL students stmggle with learning English and some of the students
with special needs rely on ASL (American Sign Language) as their main form of
communication. Difficulties in the learning environment exist because of poor communication
skills between these students, their peers, and their teachers.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether using ASL helped kindergarten
students who are classified as special needs learners, English language learners, and non-English
language learners with identifying sight words. This study investigated whether or not using
ASL for all students in the regular education classroom enhanced students' sight word
identification skills. Specific objectives of this study included comparing the ability of
kindergarten level non-ELL special needs learners, ELL students without special needs, and nonELL students who are taught to identify sight words through the use of ASL with those who are
asked to identify sight words without the use of ASL.
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All students, regardless of leaming abilities, showed improved test scores. However, the
students who received the ASL instruction showed significantly higher improvement scores.
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Acknowledgments
I owe my appreciation first and foremost to my kindergarten students and their parents
for allowing their children to participate in this project and make it a success. Thank you so
much to my research advisor, Dr. Judith J ax, for her patience and endless hours of reading,
editing, and advice. Thank you so very much to my children, Dakota, Cheyanne, and Savanna
for their understanding when we had to put off the fun stuff so mommy could work on her paper.
Thanks to my husband, Steve, for his patience and help when I needed him to show me how to
work the computer when it was not cooperating. I could never have completed this without all
their loving support. Most importantly, thanks to my dad and mom for instilling the importance
of education in me. And thanks mom for always being there for me with encouragement,
strength and advice and for reminding me to "never give up"! Thanks for being proud of me .. .I
am proud to say that you are my mom!
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Table of Contents
................................................................................................................ Page
Abstract. ...................................................................................................... 2
List of Tables ................................................................................................. 7
Chapter I: Introduction ..................................................................................... 8
Background ......................................................................................... 8
Statement of the Problem .......................................................................... 9
Purpose of the Study ............................................................................... 9
Assumptions of the Study ......................................................................... 10
Definition of Terms ................................................................................ 10
Methodology ........................................................................................ 11
Chapter II: Review of Literature .......................................................................... 13
Introduction .......................................................................................... 13
A Description of American Sign Language (ASL) ............................................. 13
History of ASL .......................................................................... :........... 14
Uses of American Sign Language ................................................................ 15
Utilizing ASL ....................................................................................... 16
A Description of Sight Words .................................................................... 17
Importance of Sight Word Recognition ......................................................... 18
Uses of Sight Words ............................................................................... 18
Other Advantages of Using ASL. ................................................................ 19
Chapter III: Methodology ................................................................................. 23
Introduction .......................................................................................... 23
Subject Selection and Description ............................................................... 23
Instrumentation ..................................................................................... 25
Data Collection Procedures ........................................................................ 26
Data Analysis ........................................................................................ 26
Limitation ............................................................................................ 27
Chapter IV: Results ......................................................................................... 28
Introduction .......................................................................................... 28
Student Demographics ............................................................................. 28
Objectives for Comparing Different Types of Learners ........................................ 30
Chapter V: Discussion ...................................................................................... 37
Summary ............................................................................................. 37
Limitations ........................................................................................... 37
Discussion ........................................................................................... 38
Conclusions .......................................................................................... 40
Recommendations ................................................................................... 40
References ..................................................................................................... 42
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Appendix A: Sight Word Recognition Assessment with the use of ASL. .......................... .44
Appendix B: Sight Word Recognition Assessment without the use of ASL. ...................... .45
Appendix C: Sight Word Flashcards ..................................................................... .46
Appendix D: Sight Word Flashcards ..................................................................... 47
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List of Tables
Table 1: Student Demographics .................................................................. 27
Table 2: Non-ELL Students with Special Needs ............................................... 28
Table 3: Non-ELL Students without Special Needs ........................................... 29
Table 4: ELL Students ............................................................................. 30
Table 5: Sight Word Identification by Groups-Pre and Post-Sight Word Instructions ... 32
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
In order for all students in the small School District of Abbotsford to achieve their
educational goals they all need to be provided with a means of communication that can help
them to be successful. American Sign Language (ASL) has been used by students with a hearing
impairment for over 100 years. However, not much is known regarding its beneficial use for all
learners, including those without a hearing loss.
The use of ASLin the regular education classroom could possibly provide all students with
a better education by enhancing the learning environment with strengthened vocabulary
development. According to Penn State researcher, Dr. Marilyn Daniels (2001), "Teaching sign
language to hearing young children can improve their early communications with their parents
and later boost the children's learning of language," (p. 19). It is possible that using American
Sign Language with all learners may also help them to more successfully identify basic sight
words and improve their reading skills.
Background
With a growing population of diversity moving into the School District of Abbotsford
and the inclusion of students with special needs into the regular education classroom, some
teachers are becoming concerned about learning in their classroom. Many of the students with
specials needs, who are dependent upon ASL as their main form of communication, are unable to
communicate with other students because their peers are not familiar with using ASL. Teachers
have noticed that the students with special needs in our elementary school are having increased
difficulties in the learning environment because of poor communication skills between these
students, their peers, and their teachers.
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The teachers have also observed that many of these students are falling further behind
because of the lack of being able to successfully communicate with others. If this trend
continues, these students may continue to struggle and the lack of communication may continue
to slow their vocabulary development and success in school.
A few teachers at Abbotsford Elementary have used ASL within the regular classroom
setting to enhance the learning environment for students who are dependent on it as a means of
communication. However, some parents have expressed concern that academic areas may
possibly be shortened or lost because ASL is being taught in its place. Studying how ASL can
be used effectively in the regular education classroom may help to ease their concerns.
"Previous studies have found that teaching young children sign language has many
potential benefits" (Jitendra, Costa, Policare, & Wetherhold, 1997). Daniels (2001) states that
"there is a growing body of literature suggesting signed languages present distinctive advantages
for young language learners" (p. 53). This study evaluates kindergarten students'
communication skills with regard to sight word identification skills.
Statement of the Problem
There is little known specifically as to whether or not using ASL in the regular education
classroom is beneficial for all learners by improving student's memory skills for identifying sight
words. This study investigated whether or not using ASL for all students in the regular
education classroom would enhance students' sight word identification skills.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to determine whether using American Sign Language (ASL)
will help kindergarteners who are classified as special needs learners, English language learners,
and non-English language learners with identifying sight words. Specific objectives are:
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1. Compare the ability of kindergarten level non-ELL special needs learners who are
taught to identify sight words through the use of ASL with those non-ELL special needs learners
who are asked to identify sight words without the use of ASL.
2. Compare the ability of kindergarten level English language learners who are taught to
identify sight words through the use of ASL with those ELL students who are asked to identify
sight words without the use of ASL.
3. Compare the ability of kindergarten level non-English language learners who are
taught to identify sight words through the use of ASL with those non-ELL students who are
asked to identify sight words without the use of ASL.
4. Compare the ability of kindergarten level learners in group A who are taught to
identify sight words through the use of ASL with those learners in group B, who are asked to
identify sight words without the use of ASL.
Assumptions of the Study
This study assumed that kindergarten teachers have the ability to teach ASL and can use
it to improve learning for all students, no matter what type of learning abilities they have. It is
also assumed that kindergarten students of all learning types have the ability to learn ASL and
that ASL can improve student performance in the classroom for all learners.
Definition of Terms
American Sign Language. Otherwise known as ASL, this is a means of communication,
which is done by using hand shapes and movements.
Assessment. The term assessment refers to a test which is given to students to determine
the percentage of correct responses given on an initial testing date and compare those scores
when retested at a later testing date after instruction is completed.
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Diversity. The term diversity refers to the inclusion of all students into a classroom, no
matter what race, ethnicity, or learning ability they have.
Fry Word List. Beginning readers often learn to read some words by sight and these
words that they are able to read have been put into an organized list. The Fry Word List contains
the most used words. The words are divided into six different levels of difficulty, with each
level roughly corresponding to each grade level. For the purpose of this study the twenty words
in this study were chosen from the Fry Word List at the kindergarten level.
Hearing impairment. For the purpose of this study, a hearing impairment is the full or
partial decrease in one's ability to differentiate between sounds.
Regular education classroom. For the purpose of this study, a regular education
classroom is a classroom that includes all students, no matter what race, ethnicity, disability, or
learning style.
Sight words. Sight words are words that are frequently used in text that a child memorizes
rather than having to learn it through the use of decoding skills. They see the word as a whole
word rather than seeing the word as letters and sounds put together.
Supplement. This terms means adding to or including additional materials for
instructional purposes to help enhance the learning environment.
Methodology
This study used ASL instruction to teach sight words by using an assessment instrument
to collect data prior to and after ASL instruction. The 18 kindergarten students were divided into
two groups with an equal number of special needs learners, ELL learners, and non-ELL learners
in each group. Prior to sight word instruction beginning, all the students were given an
assessment regarding how many sight words could be identified out of 20 possible correct
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responses. Normal education teaching practices with both groups then began and continued for
four weeks. The students in group A also received ASL to supplement the instruction of sight
words. After instruction was completed the students were again given the same assessment for
sight word identification. The before and after assessment scores were then compared to find the
differences in student performance.
The students scores of the pre-assessments and post-assessments were calculated
individually, to compare the percentage of change within the four different groups, including
non-ELL learners with special needs, ELL learners, non-ELL learners and also comparing
changes between the learners in group A and group B. These four different areas were compared
to show whether a specific type of learner benefited most with the use of ASL. The scores were
also recorded as a total group score in the study to show if there was more improvement in scores
with group A, which received ASL instruction.
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CHAPTER2
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Introduction
There has been very little research focusing on the use of sign language in assisting learners
with sight word recognition. American Sign Language has been used for a long period of time
and much of the research that has been done regarding ASL shows evidence of having
advantages for all language learners. Most of the research focuses on the history of ASL, what it
is, and how it has evolved and developed over the years.
A Description of American Sign Language (ASL)
American Sign Language (ASL) is using the combination of both manual alphabet, which
is the twenty-six hand shapes for the letters of the alphabet, and hand shapes for different words
to communicate with your hands. Letters, ideas, and words have signs. Lowenstein (2004)
states that there are four parts to each sign and they are, "hand shape, hand movement, location,
and position of the palm" (p. 9). Facial expressions are also very important when signing. "The
degree of a feeling or word can often be shown through the intensity of your signing and
expression" (Kramer & Ovadia, 1999, p. 11).
Hand shape refers to the position of the hand with regard to whether or not the hand is bent
and where the fingers are. Hand movement is how you move your hand away from your body
and how many times you do this. Location refers to what part of your body you are signing by
because the location of your hand can change the meaning of the sign. This is dependent upon
whether you are signing by your neck, head, and stomach or chest level. Your signing space
"reaches from the top of your head to your waist and from one shoulder to the other" (Kramer &
Ovadia, 1999, p. 4). The position of your palm can also change the meaning of your sign. Your
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palm can be left or right, up or down. "Each direction changes the meaning" (Lowenstein, 2004,
p. 13).
History of ASL
Lowenstein (2004) states, "no one really knows when or where sign language started" (p.
18). It may have been started as early as the year 530 by a group of monks. They used signs as a
means of communication because they had promised not to talk. These signs have been passed
down for centuries.
According to Heller (2004), in 1815, a pastor by the name of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet
met a nine-year-old girl named Alice Cogswell who was deaf. He noticed her when she was
outside with other children and they would not play with her. It was reported by Lowenstein
(2004) that the other children said, "She was deaf and dumb" (p. 17). The girl's father asked the
pastor if he would be Alice's teacher. Gallaudet needed to learn how to teach a deaf student
before he could accept. He went to Paris where he studied with Sicard, who was the director of a
school for deaf children. When he completed his schooling, he returned to the United States with
Laurent Clerc, one of Sicard's teachers (Heller, 2004). They opened the American School for
the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut in 1817. "Even though deaf Americans were already using
some signs, Clerc taught his students combinations of French signs to really develop the
language called American Sign Language (ASL)" (Lowenstein, 2004, p. 5).
Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. became the first college for deaf students in 1864
and the college was run by Gallaudet's son. "President Abraham Lincoln and Congress created a
law for the college and deaf students could now earn college degrees" (Lowenstein, p. 23).
"Some of the students came from a place where there were a lot of deaf people. The place was
Martha's Vineyard. In this place, babies grew up learning sign language. It did not matter if
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people could hear or not. So many people were deaf in Martha's Vineyard that people had to
know how to sign" (Lowenstein, pgs. 20-21). People who lived there in the eighteenth century
had some children who were deaf. Nobody ever usually left the island and everyone married
each other. "In one part of the island, one in every four babies born was deaf' (Lowenstein, p.
22).
The people who were living on the island during this time had made up their own sign
language. When the students went to the mainland to attend school, they shared their signs with
others. The school they attended used French sign language. Eventually, the signs and language
they used and shared with others would later become American Sign Language (ASL), as
previously mentioned.
Uses of American Sign Language
Dr. Marilyn Daniels states, "Sign does not hinder language development in any way, in
fact, it fosters it" (p. 43). "Knowing a second language, such as ASL, also boosts self-esteem of
the children and their confidence in learning, as well as their awareness of the Deaf culture" (p.
71), she further states. Daniels' research began in 1991 and continued for over ten years
studying hearing children in the UK and the USA. She discovered that hearing children showed
improvement with spelling proficiency, reading skills, English vocabulary, hand/eye
coordination, and motor function when taught sign language. Her studies also showed that these
students had a boost in self-confidence and self-esteem and were more comfortable with
expressing emotions. Using sign language also increased the students' expressive and receptive
language skills and IQ scores (Daniels, 2001).
Besides sign language improving many skills for hearing children, it also helps with
communication skills for children with hearing impairments, Down syndrome, and autism.
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There is some evidence that using ASL programs for children with Down syndrome and autism
is beneficial for them, but these programs often focus on using the sign language as a basic
communication tool and not on the connection to literacy or receptive vocabulary (Goldstein,
2002). ASL is often used for younger students in four-year-old and five-year-old kindergarten
programs because their vocabulary and literacy skills are just emerging, but some programs
advocate using ASL with infants because they too can benefit (Garcia, 1999). There is also
evidence that older students who are at risk of academic failure or who may have learning
disabilities may also benefit from programs that include sign language in the cuniculum (Bruce
et al., 1999).
Utilizing ASL
There is evidence that both teachers and parents can benefit from using sign language to
communicate with young children. "There is a growing body of literature suggesting signed
languages present distinctive advantages for young language learners" (Daniels, 2003, p. 8).
During Daniels' research, classroom teachers commented that "the signing experience was great"
(p. 62). The children also expressed that they too enjoyed learning to sign and liked teaching
family members to sign. The parents asked if the signing program could continue (Daniels,
2003).
ASL is also one of the most commonly used languages in the United States. It is
considered to have great career value. "ASL/English users are considered bilingual in the job
market, and ASL meets the requirements for bilingual pay" (Daniels, 2003, p. 15). Due to the
increased need for sign language interpreters, many more people are learning ASL. According to
Daniels (2004), "other college students, not necessarily interested in using ASLin their career
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endeavors, are taking ASL courses to fulfill liberal studies foreign language requirements, as are
an increasing number of younger students who take sign language in high school" (p. 15).
In 1987, all high schools in California accepted ASL as a foreign language. Many other
states have done the same since then. "It is estimated that at any given time over one hundred
thousand people are engaged in learning ASL" (Daniels, 2003, p. 168). Sign language is the
native language for over one half million people in the United States. With ASL now considered
a foreign language, its usage has greatly increased in educational institutions. According to
Mulrooney, "American Sign Language (ASL) uses all the abilities required by any other
language. People who use it are able to express any idea, feeling, thought, or experience they
may have" (p. 1).
A Description of Sight Words
The concept of sight words is the reading instruction 'look and say' approach. The
purpose of sight words is to teach children to simply memorize the small words that are most
commonly used in written English rather than having to 'sound it out' or use decoding skills to
read the word. It is felt that this approach to memorizing sight words would enhance a student's
ability to read other connected text. This skill can help students become more fluent readers.
"Fluent readers are able to read words quickly, automatically, and accurately so that they can
focus on the meaning of text" (Vaughan & Linan-Thompson, 2004, p. 49). Sight word
recognition is a key skill for developing reading fluency.
Beginning readers sound out words and learn to recognize whole words (sight words).
When they have the ability to identify sight words, this enables their reading to become more
fluent and gives the learners a better understanding of the content they are reading because they
no longer have to spend time sounding out every word on the page. There are 100 words that
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account for most of the words we write and read. "Ten words-the, of, and, a, to, in, is, you, that,
and it-account for almost one-quarter of all the words we read and write," (Cunningham, 2010,
p. 54).
Importance of Sight Word Recognition
Sight word recognition skills help learners read the irregular words that cannot be
sounded out or decoded. Learning skills to recognize sight words can also help the learner figure
out more difficult spelling rules that have not yet been taught. Lastly, recognizing sight words
can also help learners be interested in learning more complex words, such as McDonalds,
Spiderman, and Hannah Montana. "Sight words often form the core words from basal reading
series that are used in elementary classrooms" (Fleming, 2006). Fleming says that "many of the
older students who struggle with reading have difficulty with basic sight words". It was reported
by the National Reading Panel (NRP) that "fluent readers can read text with speed, accuracy, and
proper expression. Fluency depends upon well developed word recognition skills" (p. 3-1 ). The
National Assessment of Educational Progress conducted a large study of status of fluency
achievement in American education (Fountas & Pinnnell, 1996). Reading fluency was studied to
examine a nationally representative sample of fourth grade students and it was discovered that
44% of the students were not fluent readers, even with grade-level stories and even though the
students were given supportive testing conditions. "Students who are low in fluency may have
difficulty getting the meaning of what they read" (NRP, p. 3-5).
Uses of Sight Words
Light & McNaughton explain that "not all written words are regular ones that can be
decoded easily" (p. 67). There are many irregular words, such as 'the' and 'said', that do not
sound like the letter sounds learners are taught, thus making them difficult to decode. These
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types of words must be memorized and students have to recognize them by sight. In learning to
read, sight word instruction is utilized to improve reading fluency. Fluency is an essential
element of comprehension reading. Students need to understand the information they are reading
in text. "If children do not acquire good word reading skills early in elementary school, they will
be cut off from the rich knowledge sources available in print, and this may be particularly
unfortunate for children who are already weak in general verbal knowledge and ability"
(Torgesen, 2000, p. 58). Daniels (2001) states, "sign language supplies enticingly attractive
comprehension support" (p. 23). Students need to comprehend what they read in order to
understand what they have read. Based on Daniels previously mentioned statement, could the
incorporation of sign language with sight word instruction enhance and benefit all learners in a
classroom with reading fluency and comprehension?
Other Advantages of Using ASL
Sign language can "teach children several key concepts reading instructors are striving to
convey" (Daniels, 2001, p. 23). Signs can functions as pictures for students. When choosing
which books to read to young children the illustrations need to be taken into consideration. The
pictures need to be quality images because these visual images help to support the text within
each book. When using sign language, this too provides young learners with visual images to
support the text. "Adding sign language to reading instruction provides significant opportunity
for enhancing children's visual acuity" (Daniels, 2001, p. 25). Daniels states that, "children
exposed to sign language are more readily able to translate letters and words to written language
and reading" (p. 25). It is also suggested that the use of ASL will also strengthen students'
interest in learning. According to Daniels, "heightening a child's interest in learning to read may
be the strongest contribution sign language will make to the reading process" (p. 18).
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In kindergarten classes, "using sign for reading instruction is an easy transition for both
the teacher and the students" (Daniels, 2001, p. 152). One of the challenges that teachers face
everyday in the classroom is keeping the students engaged in the learning activities. Sign
language can be an advantage for the teacher with regard to student engagement and interest.
"Children demonstrate a natural curiosity and interest in learning sign without any pushing or
prodding. As they sign, they become active participants in learning" (p. 133). Daniels also
states that "young people express a great deal of pleasure as they create visual symbols that
represent words" (p. 133). The students look forward to using and learning ASL and enjoy it.
Teachers do not have to struggle with getting students to pay attention and focus because the
language itself forces the students to keep their eyes on the teacher during the lesson.
Daniels (200 1) also states that "using sign language may increase some students' selfesteem" (p. 134). She discovered that ASL benefits all students, but states that "it tends to
provide a larger boost to the more needy students" (p 134). Another advantage of signing is that
students tend to be more engaged and interested in the learning activities. The students feel that
they know something that many "big people" do not know and they find this exciting. Using
ASL can also change the classroom climate because it is quieter in the room. The teacher can
sign directions, such as, 'sit down' and 'line up' without having to do so verbally. Daniels states
that teachers "have found there to be less conflict in the classroom as children use their signs to
express their feelings and rarely resort to pushing or hitting classmates" (p. 135). A final
advantage of using ASL in the classroom is for parent communication. As stated by Hafer &
Wilson, "Teachers are often looking for a program that communicates to parents what is going
on in school. A demonstration of signing learned in school suits that purpose very well" (p.
118). Students are able to sign the alphabet, songs, days of the week, sight words currently being
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learned, and many other activities they have been working on in school.
"Sign language teaches us to use our eyes, bodies, faces, hands, and emotions to express
ourselves. A natural human language, it is the key that unlocks the power and beauty of visual
communication" (Chambers, p. 150). Sign language is a visual way of communicating and many
young learners need that visual picture to enhance their learning. When learning sight words,
using ASL can provide that visual image so that many of the young learners get that additional
support to make progress in recognizing the sight words. For example, when learning the sight
word 'sit', "because it is a verb and there is nothing concrete to display on a word chart to spur a
child's memory" (Daniels, 2001, p. 21) the students see three letters, 's', 'i', and 't'. They can
practice reciting the letters, talk about the first two letters being short letters (they only touch the
middle/dashed line when handwriting the letters) and the last letter is a tall letter (it touches the
top line when handwriting the letter), and practice reading the sight word in text.
With ASL, they learn the before mentioned examples, but they can also visually see the
teacher, their peers, and themselves extending the pointer and middle fingers together, on both
hands, with the other fingers touching the palms of their hands and visualize the right hand
fingers tapping on top of the left hand fingers. This is their visual symbol for the word 'sit'.
They are no longer seeing three letters, but visualizing hand shapes. They can see the position of
the hands and fingers. They are able to visualize the hand movement and the position of the
palms. These finger and hand placements, along with the position of the palm, "symbolize a
person sitting" (Daniels, 2001, p. 21). They now have a visual picture of the word 'sit'. ASL
can provide this type of picture for all the sight words learned in the kindergarten classroom and
so much more. As Daniels (2001) states, "Signs function as pictures" (p. 23) and these pictures
provide the students with supplemental materials for recognizing and learning the sight words.
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Daniels wrote that students in rural areas who were exposed to a gradual increase in the amount
of ASLin the classroom showed a significant increase in receptive vocabulary (p. 24).
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CHAPTER3
METHODOLOGY
Introduction
American Sign Language is a method for visually communicating with people. "ASL is a
language that paints pictures. Just as spoken and written English depends on an alphabet of
letters and sounds, ASL' s alphabet depends on movement and expression" (Chambers, 1998, p.
20). This study addressed kindergarten students' experience and knowledge of American Sign
Language and investigated whether or not implementing ASL improves their ability to learn
sight words.
Subject Selection and Description
The population for this study included 18 kindergarten students at Abbotsford Elementary
School between the ages of five and six. Ten of these students were non-ELL students and the
other eight were ELL students with half of the students being males and the other half females.
Out of these 18 students two of them were non-ELL learners with special needs.
Each of the students were given an assessment of twenty sight words (Appendix A & B)
and the assessments were scored to find the total percentage of correct responses for each student
both before and after a four week period of sight word instruction. The normal educational
teaching practices for learning sight words began after the pre-teaching assessment was given
and began at the same time for all students. The students were given a total of four weeks of
sight word instructional time. Each group received 20 minutes of sight word instruction every
day, Monday through Friday. One new sight word was introduced each day and reviewed each
day thereafter for a total of twenty days. The students were retested after the four week
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instructional period using the same sight word assessment that was administered prior to
instruction.
The students were divided into group A and group B, with nine students in each group.
Each group contained one non-ELL learner with special needs, four ELL learners, and four nonELL learners. The students in group A received a regular 20 minute sight word instructional
time, which included being introduced to the sight word, talking about the letters used to spell
the sight word (the letter shapes, such as tall letters and short letters), writing the sight word, and
reading the sight words in text. Along with the sight word instruction, the students in group A
also received ASL instruction. The teacher demonstrated the sign for the sight words and had
the students sign it back to the teacher and peers. The students in group B received the same 20
minutes sight word instruction, but no ASL instruction was included during this time, unlike the
students in group A. At the end of the four week instructional time and post-assessment
administration, the students' scores were totaled and compared.
Group A and group B both contained one non-ELL student with special needs, four ELL
students, and four non-ELL students. The pre-assessment and post-assessment test scores for all
three different types of learners in both groups were recorded and compared. The scores were
also recorded as a group score in the study to show if there was an overall improvement in scores
with group A (using ASL) or group B (not using ASL). The researcher compared group A's
non-ELL student progress with group B's non-ELL student progress. These score differences
were compared with the other learner types of ELL students and non-ELL students. The
researcher wanted to discover from these comparisons whether or not using ASL with the nonELL students with special needs, ELL students, non-ELL students and the students in group A or
group B helped to improve their test scores or made no difference.
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Instrumentation
The instrument in this study was an assessment (Appendix A & B) that the researcher used
to record student performance of test scores. The same assessment was used for both preinstructional and post-instructional testing. This was administered to every student in order to
collect data regarding their individual achievement skills on sight word recognition. The
students in group A were shown twenty sight word flash cards (Fry word list), one at a time, and
given up to five seconds to respond. The sight words shown on flash cards (Appendix C & D)
were consistent with 'The Kindergarten Assessment' given every quarter, so kindergarten
students were familiar with the testing procedure. The sight words were shown in random order
and the students in group A were also shown the 'sign' for each of the twenty sight words. The
students in group B were tested the same way, but were not shown the 'sign' for each of the
twenty sight words, as they did not receive ASL instruction. The students received one point for
each correct response and zero points for each incorrect response. The student had five seconds
to respond or it was considered incorrect. Scores were totaled at the bottom of the assessment to
show each student's individual percentage of correct responses.
The internet website: www.aslpro.net was used for learning, supporting and implementing
the twenty sight words into the study. This website is a free educational resource, which
provides a short video clip of licensed ASL interpreters demonstrating over 11,000 ASL signs.
Online users just click on the specific word they want to see demonstrated and the viewer can
watch the video clip as many times as needed. Prior to teaching, the researcher utilized this
online website to practice and better prepare for students' instructional time.
26
Data Collection Procedures
The students were given an assessment prior to and after four weeks of sight word
instruction. During the four weeks, one group of students (group A) studied the sight words and
the 'sign' for each of the twenty words while the other group (group B) learned the sight words
with no ASL support. During the pre-instructional assessment administration every student was
tested randomly one at a time. They were each shown twenty flash cards, one at a time, and
given up to five seconds to respond. The sight words were shown in random order. During the
post-instructional assessment administration the student were tested the same with exception to
the students in group A, who were also shown the 'sign' for each of the twenty sight words,
along with the flash cards.
After the post-instructional assessment was administered the students' test scores were
compared to study whether or not the non-ELL student (in group A) with special needs
progressed more or less when compared to the non-ELL student with special needs in group B
who did not received ASL instruction. The researcher also compared test scores for the ELL
students in both groups and the non-ELL students in both groups.
Data Analysis
The data was analyzed based on test scores. The tests were scored based on the correct
number of responses (percentage correct) out of twenty. During the administration of the test,
the students were given five seconds to respond to each flash card. If they did not respond
during the five second time allowance, their answer was considered incorrect. The test scores
were compared between the different types of learners, including non-ELL learners with special
needs, ELL learners, and non-ELL learners. The results of test scores from Group A were
compared to the scores from Group B to determine if using ASL teaching methods may or may
27
not have influenced or improved sight word recognition skills between the different types of
learners.
Limitations
The class size was very small, having only 18 students to study. The timeframe for doing
this research was very limited, allowing for only four weeks of instructional time. This in tum
only allows for twenty sight words to be included in this study. This study took place at the end
of the school year and the researcher was unable to measure whether or not students' prior
knowledge of sight words affected their test scores pre and post-instructional time.
28
CHAPTER4
RESULTS
Introduction
The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not using American Sign Language
(ASL) will help kindergarten students who are classified as special needs learners, English
language learners (ELL), and non-English language learners with identifying sight words.
Specific objectives were to:
1. Compare the ability of kindergarten level non-ELL special needs learners who are
taught to identify sight words through the use of ASL with those non-ELL special needs learners
who were asked to identify sight words without the use of ASL.
2. Compare the ability of kindergarten level English language learners who are taught to
identify sight words through the use of ASL with those ELL students who were asked to identify
sight words without the use of ASL.
3. Compare the ability of kindergarten level non-English language learners who are taught
to identify sight words through the use of ASL with those non-ELL students who were asked to
identify sight words without the use of ASL.
4. Compare the ability of kindergarten level learners in group A who are taught to identify
sight words through the use of ASL with those learners in group B, who were asked to identify
sight words without the use of ASL.
Student Demographics
The participants in this study were kindergarten students enrolled in a regular education
classroom at Abbotsford Elementary School in Abbotsford, Wisconsin. A total of 18 students
were assessed on sight word identification during the months of April and May, 2011. The
assessment was administered one student at a time and they were chosen in random order for
29
who was assessed first, second, third, etc. The administration of the test was done similar to the
'kindergarten assessment', an assessment the students were already familiar with. All students in
group A and group B were administered the same test.
The researcher assessed al118 students on the twenty sight words listed in 'Table 5'.
Before the assessment began each student was given an identical testing prompt. The researcher
stated to each participant (just prior to beginning the testing), "I am going to show you twenty
flash cards. Each flash card has a word on it. These are words that we see in the stories and
books that we read and practice everyday. I want you to tell me what the word on each flash
card is. If you don't know the word, just ask me to 'skip it' or tell me 'I don't know'. Do you
have any questions?" Each student was given 5 seconds to respond to each flash card. If there
was no response or the student asked to 'skip it' or responded with, "I don't know", it was
considered an incorrect answer.
30
Table 1
Student Demographics
Type of
Leamer
Number
of
Students
Non-ELL Students
ELL Students
9
9
Total Students
18
Non-ELL with Special Needs
Non-ELL without Special Needs
ELL with Special
Needs
ELL without Special Needs
2
8
0
8
Total Students
18
Only two students have special needs and neither of them are ELL students. There are no
ELL students with specials needs in this study. Eight out the 18 students studied are ELL
students with the other ten students being non-ELL students.
Objectives for Comparing Different Types of Learners
The first objective this study addressed was to compare the ability of the non-ELL
students with special needs who are taught to identify sight words through the use of ASL
support with those non-ELL special needs learners who are asked to identify sight words without
the use of ASL. There were only two of these types of learners in the researchers classroom, so
one student randomly was placed in each group.
31
Table 2
Non-ELL Students with Special Needs Scores
Student
Number
Group A-using ASL
Group B-not using
ASL
1a
Pre-Test
03/28/11
Total
Correct
0
%
Correct
0
Post-Test
05/03/11
Total
Correct
17
2
2a
0
0
75% difference between group A & group B
%
Correct
%gained
85
85%
10
10%
Both students showed gains in sight word identification skills, but the student in group A
that receive additional support using ASL instruction showed more significant improvements,
making 75% more gains. The student that did not receive ASL instruction only made a 10% gain
in the post-test assessment while the student that did receive ASL instruction made an 85% gain
in the post-test assessment.
The second objective of this study was to compare the ability of kindergarten level
English Language Learners (ELL) without special needs who are taught to identify sight words
through the use of ASL with those who are asked to identify sight words without the use of ASL
instruction. There were eight of these learners, so four were placed into each group.
32
Table 3
Non-ELL Students without Special Needs Scores
Student Pre-Test
Number 03/28/11
Group A-using
ASL
Group B-not
using ASL
1b
1c
1d
1e
2b
2c
2d
2e
4
0
%
Correct
1
20
0
55
5
2
1
1
0
10
5
5
0
11
Correct
%
gained
90
65
100
90
70%
65%
45%
85%
%
Post-Test
05/03111
18
13
20
18
66.25% average total
improvement
10
50
2
10
50
10
13
65
38.75% average total
improvement
Average difference between group A and group B is 27.5%
40%
5%
45%
65%
All students in both groups of non-ELL students without special needs improved their
number of correct responses for sight word recognition. However, the students in group A
(receiving ASL instruction) made much higher gains. Overall, they improved their sight word
recognition scores by 66.25% and the students in group B (not receiving ASL instruction)
improved by approximately half that, only showing a 38.75% improvement.
The third objective of this study was to compare the ability of kindergarten level nonEnglish language learners with and without the use of ASL instruction. There were also eight of
these types of learners, so four of these learners were also placed into each group.
33
Table 4
ELL Students
Student Pre-Test
Number 03/28111
Group A-using
ASL
Group B-not
using ASL
1f
1h
1i
0
8
6
8
2f
2g
2h
2i
1
1
0
1
%
Correct
0
40
30
40
65% average total
improvement
PostTest
05/03111
%
Correct
%
gained
15
20
20
19
75
100
100
95
75%
60%
70%
55%
45
30
15
45
40%
25%
15%
40%
9
5
6
5
3
0
5
9
30% average total
improvement
average difference between grouE A and group B
is 35%
Once again, all the students in both groups made progress with sight word recognition
skills, but the students in group A showed much more progress than the students in group B. The
students in group A scored an overall 27.5% accuracy during the pre-test, but improved in the
post-test scores with a 92.5% accuracy rate. While the students in group B did show
improvements, scoring an overall 3.75% accuracy during the pre-test, their gains were not as
significant with only a 33.75% accuracy rate for the post-test scores. Group A improved their
test scores by 65% while group B only improved test scores by 30%.
The last objective was comparing the ability of kindergarten level learners in group A
who were taught to identify sight words through the use of ASL with those learners in group B
who were asked to identify sight words without the use of ASL instruction. After all 18
34
students' assessments were complete they were randomly placed into one of two groups.
Students' ability levels were not used to determine which group they were placed into. There
were nine students placed in group A and nine students placed in group B. Both groups had one
non-ELL student with special needs, four non-ELL students without special needs and four ELL
students without special needs.
35
Table 5
Comparing Different Types of Learners
Number of correct responses from 18 students (9 students per group)
DATES
3/28/2011
3/28/2011
5/3/2011
5/3/2011
Sight
Word
List
my
sit
and
to
m
on
you
no
see
go
can
said
get
with
up
out
more
day
make
like
TOTALS
Group A
Flashcards
&ASL
4
1
6
5
4
3
3
0
2
4
2
0
0
0
3
0
0
1
0
0
38 out of 180
% correct-21
Group B
Flashcards
ONLY
0
0
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
6 out of 180
% correct-3.3
Improvement for
Group A-68%
Improvement for
GroupB-33%
Group A
Flashcards
&ASL
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
4
7
7
9
9
6
6
5
8
160 out of 180
% correct-89
Group B
Flashcards
ONLY
5
3
9
4
6
6
3
7
5
8
3
0
0
0
2
1
2
0
0
0
64 out of 180
% correct-36
36
The students in group A showed higher test scores in the pre-instructional assessment
scoring 21.1% correct responses, unlike the students in group B, who only scored 3.3%
responses. In the post-instructional testing, the students in group A scored 88.8% accuracy in
sight word recognition while the students in group B scored only 35.5% accuracy. There was an
improvement in group scores for both groups, but the students in group A, who received ASL
instruction, made an overall group improvement score of 67.7% while the students in group B,
who did not receive ASL instruction, made an overall group improvement score of 32.2%.
The students in each group received similar teaching methods for leaming or memorizing
the sight words. Group A students were shown the flash cards, discussed the letters and sounds
in each word, and practiced saying and writing each word. The researcher also implemented ASL
and the students practiced signing each word. The researcher demonstrated the sign several
times and the students were expected to sign the word back to the researcher and peers. The
students in group B were given the same teaching method, but ASL was not included during
their instructional time.
The words are listed on the tables (Appendix A & B) in the order that they were taught.
For example, the word my was taught on day one of week one, the word on was taught on day
one of week two, and the word like was taught on day 20 of week four, so it was the last word
that was taught. The researcher did notice that the words that were taught during the third and
fourth week were in fact words that the students were not as successful with identifying. This
factor could have made a difference in student improvement scores and also indicates that the
more students practice and review the sight words the more they remember them.
37
CHAPTERS
DISCUSSION
Summary
The purpose of the study was to investigate whether or not it was beneficial to use sign
language as an additional teaching method in order to supplement students' learning of sight
word recognition. This study considered student performance on a sight word assessment prior
to sight word and ASL instmction and student performance after instmctional time ..
The research design for this study was quantitative using an experimental teaching method
in which all learners were tested before and after instmctional time. The students were tested on
whether or not they could identify a given set of twenty sight words they received instmction on.
The researchers' methodology for this study included randomly dividing two non-ELL students
with special needs, eight ELL students without special needs, and eight non-ELL students
without special needs into two different groups of nine and using a similar teaching method for
both groups. Students in group A were given sight word instmction along with ASL instmction
for a teaching method and students in group B were only give sight word instmction and not
ASL instmction for a teaching method.
Limitations
The class size was very small, having only 18 students to study. The timeframe for doing
this research was very limited, allowing for only four weeks of instmctional time. The limited
timeframe for instmction in tum only allowed for twenty sight words to be included and taught
during this study. This study was done at the end of the school year and the researcher does not
know if students' prior knowledge of sight words could have affected the data. With one sight
word being introduced and taught each day for a four week time period, it is also unknown how
38
the data would have been changed with student performance on the last words taught. The
researcher noticed that students were not as successful with identifying the words that were
taught during the last week of the study. This factor could have changed the data outcome on
student scores.
Discussion
The purpose of this study was to determine whether using ASL (American Sign
Language) would help kindergarten students of varying leaming types who are classified as nonELL special needs leamers, non- English language leamers (ELL), and English language leamers
with identifying sight words.
The first objective the researcher considered was comparing the ability of a kindergarten
level non-ELL special needs leamer who was taught to identify sight words with regular teaching
methods and also with the use of ASL instruction with another kindergarten level non-ELL
special needs leamer who did not receive any ASL instruction to supplement the sight word
instruction. The non-ELL student with special needs, who received ASL instruction showed a
75% higher improvement score during the post-instructional assessment when comparing the
testing results with the non-ELL special needs leamer who was not given any ASL instruction.
The second objective of this study was for the researcher to compare the ability of
kindergarten level non-English language leamers (ELL) without special needs who are taught to
identify sight words through the use of ASL instruction with those non-ELL students who do not
receive the supplemental ASL instruction. When comparing these two groups of leamers the
researcher found that all students in both groups did have improved scores on the postinstructional assessment, but the students that received the additional ASL instruction made more
significant gains with an overall group improvement score of 66.25% as compared to the
39
students that did not received the ASL instruction. Their scores improved by only 38.75%, less
than half of the improvement shown by the students in group A, who did receive ASL
instruction.
The third objective of this study was to compare the ability of kindergarten level ELL
students who are given ASL instruction along with regular sight word instruction with those ELL
students who are not given the ASL instruction along with the regular sight word instruction. In
comparing the post-instructional test score of these two groups of students, the students who
received the ASL instruction once again showed much higher improvement scores than the
students who did not receive the ASL instruction. The students in group A, who received the
ASL instruction, improved their scores by 65% while the student in group B, who did not receive
the ASL instruction improved their scores by only 30%, less than half of how much students in
group A performed.
The last objective of this study was for the researcher to compare the ability of kindergarten
level learners in group A who are taught to identify sight words with additional support of ASL
instruction with those learners in group B who are not given the ASL instruction. Both groups of
students showed improvements on the post-instructional sight word assessment, but the students
who were using ASL as an additional teaching method scored higher and had a significantly
higher percentage of improvement when compared to the test score results of the group of
students who were not exposed to the ASL instruction. The students in group A that received the
ASL instruction made twice the gains, improving by 68%, while the students in group B that
received no ASL instruction improved by only 33%.
40
Conclusions
The conclusion, there was evidence in this study to show that using American Sign
Language (ASL) in the regular education classroom for all students with different learning
abilities could have a positive effect on the students' success with recognizing sight words.
There was a connection between these results and the results of a study done by Daniels (2001).
It was found that Abbotsford kindergarten teachers can use ASL to improve learning for all
students, no matter what type of learning abilities they have. In identifying sight words
American Sign Language was found to improve student performance in the classroom for all
learners, as was shown in the data for this study. The following conclusions have become
evident to the researcher as a result of this study:
1. The non-ELL student with special needs, who received ASL instruction, made
significantly higher improvements with sight word recognition skills.
2. The four non-ELL students without special needs, who received ASL instruction, made
significantly higher improvements with sight word recognition skills.
3. The four ELL students, who received ASL instruction, also made significantly higher
improvements with sight word recognition skills.
4. According to the data, all 18 kindergarten students made gains with sight word
recognition skills, but the nine kindergarten students that did not receive the additional
ASL instruction showed much lower improvement scores.
Recommendations
The quantitative data was collected and conclusions were drawn from the findings. The
following recommendations suggest a plan of action or further research to be done:
41
1. Repeat this study with a larger sample of students, extending the timeframe of the
study to allow for more sight words to be included in the study.
2. Repeat this study at the beginning of the school year, so the sight words are new to all
the learners. The student test scores would not be affected by students' prior knowledge of sight
words.
3. Share this data with classroom teachers to encourage them to consider incorporating
ASL into the classroom instruction to enhance the learning environment.
42
REFERENCES
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Project Read and Guided Reading to improve at-risk students' literacy skills. Paper
presented at the annual meeting of the Mid-Western Educational Research Association,
Chicago, IL.
Chambers, Diane P. (1998). Communication in sign: creative ways to learn american sign
language. New York, New York: Fireside.
Cunningham, Patricia M. (2010). Phonics they use: words for reading and writing. New York,
NY: Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers, Inc.
Daniels, Dr. Marilyn. (2001). Dancing with words: signing for hearing children's literacy.
Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey
Daniels, Marilyn. (2003). Using a signed language as a second language for kindergarten
students: Child Study Journal, (33)1, 53-67.
Fountas, Irene C., & Pinnell, Gay Su. (1996). Guided reading: good first teaching for all
children. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann
Garcia, J. (1999). Sign with your baby. Bellingham, WA: Stratton Kehl Publications, Inc.
Goldstein, H. (2002). Communication intervention for hearing children with autism: A review of
treatment efficacy. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, (32), 375-397.
Hafer, Jan C. & Wilson, Robert M. (1990). Come sign with us. Washington, DC: Gallaudet
University Press.
Heller, Lora. (2004). Sign language for kids. New York, New York: Sterling Publishing Co.,
Inc.
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Jitendra, A., Costa, J.D., Policare, E., & Wetherhold, B. (1997). Teaching sign language to
children with behavior disorders: A direct instruction approach. Preventing School
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Kramer, Jackie & Ovadia, Tali. (1999). You can learn sign language!. Kirkland, Washington:
Troll Communications L.L.C.
Lowenstein, Felicia. (2004). All about sign language: talking with your hands. Berkeley
Heights, NJ: Enslow Publisher, Inc.
Mulrooney, Ph.D., Kristin. (2010). American sign language demystified. New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Torgesen, J. (2000). Individual differences in response to early interventions in reading: The
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Vaughan, Sharon & Linan-Thompson, Sylvia. (2004 ). Research-based methods of reading
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Curriculum Development (ASCD).
44
APPENDIX A
Sight Word Recognition Assessment
with the use of sign language
Type of Learner:
(circle one)
1. non-ELL w/s.n.
Group A
2. non-ELL
0
3.ELL
Date
Date
*Pre-
*Post-
instructional
instructional
=unable to identify sight word
1 =correctlv identified sight word
Date
Date
Sight
*Pre-
*Post-
Sight
Words
instructional
instructional
Words
my
can
get
said
and
sit
to
day
m
up
on
out
you
more
no
see
with
make
go
like
*To ensure student confidentiality the researcher documented
Pre-Test Score
individual student scores on separate sheets (18 total sheets-
Post-Test Score
one score sheet per student). The researcher indicated which
l'o of Difference
type learner the score sheet was for by circling which learning
type (out of the three listed in the top-left column) the student
was.
l'o Correct
45
APPENDIXB
Sight Word Recognition Assessment
without the use of sign language
Type of Learner:
(circle one)
Date
Date
*Pre-
*Post-
instructional
instructional
1. non-ELL w/s.n.
Group B
2. non-ELL
0
3.ELL
1 = correctly identified sight word
= unable to identify sight word
Date
Date
Sight
*Pre-
*Post-
Sight
Words
instructional
instructional
Words
my
can
get
said
and
sit
to
day
rn
up
on
out
you
more
no
see
with
make
go
like
*To ensure student confidentiality the researcher documented
Pre-Test Score
individual student scores on separate sheets (18 total sheets-
Post-Test Score
one score sheet per student). The researcher indicated which
io of Difference
type learner the score sheet was for by circling which learning
io Correct
type (out of the three listed in the top-left column) the student was.
46
APPENDIXC
flashcards
my
get
and
to
•
1n
can
said
sit
day
up
47
APPENDIXD
flashcards
out
on
you more
see
no
with make
like
go