According to the American Society of Deaf Children (ASDC), “Research shows that reading and signing stories together helps promote essential literacy skills for ALL children: deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing.” This page highlights some favorites! Just click on a book cover to enjoy the video read alouds in American Sign Language. To keep up-to-date on new releases and see a more complete listing, The ASDC maintains a running list of signed stories in their ASL Stories Directory. Use it to quickly find stories by a child’s age or by the book’s title. Also, join us for in-person storytimes with ASL interpretation!
In-Person Programs for Kids with ASL Interpretation
- Event: Foodie Friends
- Date & Time: Wednesday, February 05, 2:00pm
- Location: Beech Grove Branch
- Description: Read, play, learn, and make snacks! Children ages 3-5 will join Nutrition Services from the Marion County Public Health Department to explore colors found in healthy foods. This program will have ASL interpretation.
- Register Here
- Event: Healing Through Nature for Kids
- Date & Time: Friday, February 07, 4:00pm
- Location: College Avenue Branch
- Description: Learn about the greenhouse effect and enjoy making chemical reactions. Let’s use household items to learn how the atmosphere works! For kids ages 6-12. *Includes ASL interpretation
- Register Here
- Event: Play & Learn with Gymboree
- Date & Time: Wednesday, March 12, 10:30am
- Location: Franklin Road Branch
- Description: Walking, running, or exploring: calling all “big kids!” More adventures come to life through imaginary play in this multi-age program with an expert from Gymboree! This program is intended for mobile children up to age 5! This program will have ASL interpretation.
- Register Here
Online Stories that are both Read Aloud and Signed (ASL):
Online Stories Signed (ASL) Only:
Where to Find More Video Read Alouds in American Sign Language:
- American Society for Deaf Children: ASL Stories Directory
- California School for the Deaf Video Sign Alouds for Children
- Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind: Video Storytelling for Families
- Rocky Mountain Deaf School: ASL Video Storytelling
- Rochester School for the Deaf: Video Storytimes
- Washington School for the Deaf: ASL Storytime
- Washington Reading Corps: Books in ASL
- Rocky Mountain Deaf School: ASL Video Storytelling for Toddlers
- Foundations for Literacy: ASL Stories
- ASL Stories Directory Hundreds of free videos of ASL retellings of favorite children’s books.
- #OperationASLStorytime on Youtube, Instagram and Twitter is a collection of children’s stories translated into American Sign Language (ASL).
Online and @Home Activities:
- Printable: ASL Activities Packet for Younger Children
- Printable: ASL Activities Packet for Older Children
- Art Lessons in ASL: How to Draw a Bear
- Art Lessons in ASL: How to Draw a Bat
- Art Lessons in ASL: How to Draw a Giraffe
- Art Lessons in ASL: How to Draw a Bacon
Sign with Me! Learn Basic Sign Language Together
Learning a second language is not only good for your brain, it also lets you communicate with a new group of people. American Sign Language (ASL) is spoken by around 1,000,000 people in the United States. Introduce your children to the world of signing with the books in this collection.