Kids' Animated TV Series Promotes Sign Language As Fun Learning Tool

"Sign In With Sally" developed in anticipation of Deaf Awareness Week 2008. Preschool, half hour animated series, , in pre production. Featuring a sister and brother on imaginary adventures with their deaf teddy bear who comes to life in Imaginary Land.

I feel that bringing ASL to preschool television will not only enhance learning for hearing children, but also satisfy deaf children in a profound way

Orlando, FL (PRWEB) June 4, 2008 -- Taking proactive steps to build greater awareness, sensitivity, and communication toward the more than 3 million children with permanent hearing loss and their families, Lockhart Entertainment has developed an animated television series that features sign language in a fun, entertaining format for all preschool age children.

Deaf Awareness Week is the last full week of September. The National Association of the Deaf participates with 120 other international organizations from the World Federation of the Deaf to celebrate the culture, heritage and language unique to deaf people of the world.

TV series creator Leah Lockhart sees the international focus of this event as the perfect opportunity to promote and sustain deaf issues for a U.S. audience through an entertaining, mass appeal children's program.

Sign in with Sally features an adventurous kindergarten-age Sally in her tree fort; overly-impulsive preschool brother, Billy; and a teddy bear, Buttons, who is deaf. When Sally's imagination brings Buttons to life every week, the children must interact with their beloved teddy bear using sign language and body language to succeed in their adventures.

American Sign Language (ASL) is the 3rd most used language in the United States. Signing with children has more recently become a national phenomenon in the development of skills for reading, memorization and the ability to learn foreign languages. Child psychologists suggest these enhanced skills are due to the fact that signing uses both sides of the brain; both visual/creative and rational. ASL has been added as an elective to high school and college curricula as a foreign language in more than 40 states.

"I feel that bringing ASL to preschool television will not only enhance learning for hearing children, but also satisfy deaf children in a profound way," Lockhart explains. "Deaf children are left out of TV culture. Opening the awareness of the deaf community and bringing this fun language to children will bring them great joy when they are able to communicate in ASL." Lockhart herself grew up as the daughter of two deaf parents.

Every day, 33 babies are born in the United States with permanent hearing loss. More than 2 million people in the United States use ASL as their primary language; including the deaf, autistic and other special needs children.

Deaf Awareness Week begins Sunday, September 21 and runs through Saturday, the 27th.

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