Fingerspelling
02-05-13
Joyce L. Groode: Key Notes and Commentary
Lesson one * Numbers and fingerspelling are similar in hand shapes but will not be covered in this unit * Joyce did not learn to fingerspell until she was 9 years old * Overall goal- historical changes, variation of shapes, loan signs * Joyce strongly dislikes the ABC cards because it is not the proper way to learn how to fingerspell. * Her method is to unlearn the ABC’s and relearn them as whole units and not individual letters * Children with deaf parents learn fingerspelling as units not letters. They later learn the individual signs in school. * We have to change, and establish a new habit of reading fingerspelling as whole words based on the shape.
The three C’s * Children go through phases- see as whole units, omit letters when fingerspelling, after learning to read and write they can then spell correctly. * Word shape= configuration * Closure filling in the gaps by making educated guessed * Context- anticipated or predicts what might be coming in a finger spelled word that idea of expectation or anticipation is very much like using what you know of the English language or what you know of the situation or topic of conversation to provide a context.
Lesson Two * Research shows most deaf people look in the area of the thought to keep up with the whole conversation.to pick up the facial, body expression fingerspelling, and the overall space. * Practice sentence!!! “ The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dogs” * Stop or pause in between words to show separation. * Must concentrate to see the slight pause * Practice, practice, practice

Guidelines to follow * Pam faces out towards the person * Helpful to learn to read fingerspelling form different angles * Relax arm and wrist * Warm up before beginning *