Developing Communication in a Bilingual Setting
March 28, 2013 by blennzict | 0 comments
Figure 1 Nevaeh is pointing to a cat in the book
Nevaeh is a 3 year old girl with a history of bilateral congenital nasolachrymal duct obstruction, nystagmus, and refractive error. She also has Down Syndrome.
Nevaeh is learning how to communicate within a bilingual setting at her local Kohanga Reo. She is beginning to use the Makaton sign system, gestures and some speech to support the development of her communication skills (figure 1) in English and Maori.
Gina Robinson, BLENNZ Resource Teacher Vision describes how she has introduced Nevaeh to signing as a communication tool which gives meaning to her language. Continue Reading →