Certificate in American Sign Language and English Bilingual Early Childhood Deaf Education: Birth to 5

This course is designed to educate candidates about state and federal education policies, particularly as they pertain to bilingualism. In addition, the course will addresses a basic working knowledge of regulations essential to the role and as bilingual early childhood professionals. Candidates will implement policies and regulations using the language planning framework in their work in homes, schools and agencies, and the community. It elaborates and builds upon knowledge and dispositions learned in foundation courses.

This course introduces the candidates theoretical perspectives and current research of bilingualism. It is designed for the candidates to acquire an understanding of the concepts related to the development of bilingual language abilities (signacy, oracy, and literacy) for children 0-5 years of age. This course examines bilingual communities, bilingual deaf and hearing children and their language development and use, the bilingual brain, language maintenance and shift, transference, code switching and language attitudes. The course will also address historical and cultural aspects of bilingualism in early childhood deaf education

ASL and English Bilingualism at home and in school promotes healthy language development and communication, and creates positive self esteem among deaf/hard of hearing children from diverse backgrounds. This course/seminar is designed for professionals to acquire the knowledge and skills to work collaboratively with diverse families and other professionals to support the bilingual development and education of young deaf and hard of hearing children. Participants will discuss a working model of bilingual language acquisition (American Sign Language and English), approaches to providing support and encouragement to families, ways to promote positive communication with families , ways to promote positive communication with families, and the creation of culturally responsive and inclusively early childhood educational communities for all families. In addition, participants will apply a basic working knowledge of Part C and Part B of the IDEA regulations as members of an early childhood education team.

This course describes the early development of ASL and English in young deaf and hard of hearing children and their impact on cognitive development. The course examines how deaf and hard of hearing children go through developmental stages of acquiring and learning American Sign Language, which is similar to how hearing children go through developmental stages of acquiring a spoken language and how this development is tied to cognitive functions that are the precursors for further linguistic and academic growth (sign babbling, sign jargon, first words, ASL grammatical development and vocabulary expansion). In addition, the course will address factors intrinsic to the bilingual child as well as to the environment that promote and/or prevent their linguistic and cognitive development.

This course will address individualized planning for language and emergent literacy development that can be used as a guide for teaching and learning interventions to support a child's linguistic competence in American Sign Language (ASL) and English. Candidates will apply various American Sign Language (ASL) and English assessment tools to explore ways of assessing diverse deaf and hard-of-hearing candidates' language and literacy acquisition and learning at home and at school. Based on the results of these assessments, the Candidates will reflect on and identify the bilingual methodology approaches to meet the ASL and English language and literacy needs of candidates. They will apply these strategies to home plan, lesson and unit planning, and within their settings.

This course is designed to prepare the candidates to apply an ASL/English Bilingual Framework in Early Childhood Education for deaf and hard of hearing children. This framework describes how the acquisition and learning of ASL and English (written and spoken) are being facilitated. This course reflects upon bilingual models and concepts and discusses the language planning process required to establish an environment that demonstrates value for both languages. Also, it focuses on meeting the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing children and families that it serves. Use of bilingual methodologies, assessment, effective strategies, and language teaching including signacy, oracy and literacy and critical pedagogy will be addressed.

This capstone project course provides the opportunity for candidates in the ASL/English Bilingual Early Childhood Education: Birth to Five Certificate Program to apply and demonstrate skills, knowledge, and dispositions developed throughout the courses in the program through completing a self-designed capstone project. Candidates will complete their proposal plan for the capstone project by the end of the fall semester.

This capstone project course provides the opportunity for candidates in the ASL/English Bilingual Early Childhood Education: Birth to Five Certificate Program to apply and demonstrate skills, knowledge, and dispositions developed throughout the courses in the program through completing a self-designed capstone project. Candidates will show evidences of making progress with the capstone project by the end of the fall semester.