Sign learning of hearing children in inclusive day care centers-does iconicity matter?

An increasing number of experimental studies suggest that signs and gestures can scaffold vocabulary learning for children with and without special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, little research has been done on the extent to which iconicity plays a role in sign learning, particularly in inclusive day care centers. This current study investigated the role of iconicity in the sign learning of 145 hearing children (2;1 to 6;3 years) from inclusive day care centers with educators who started using sign-supported speech after a training module.

Sign learning and its use in a co-enrollment kindergarten setting.

Experimental studies report positive effects of signing for language acquisition and communication in children with and without language development delays. However, little data are available on natural kindergarten settings. Therefore, our study used questionnaire data to investigate the sign learning in hearing children (aged 3;7-5;9 years) with and without language development delays in an inclusive kindergarten group with a co-enrolled deaf child (aged 3;8  years) and a deaf signing educator.