INTERVENTION PROJECT: INTRODUCING SIGN LANGUAGE INTO CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CLASSROOMS

Abstract

This End of Degree Project aims to develop an intervention proposal based on the introduction and use of Spanish Sign Language (LSE) in the classrooms of the second cycle of Early Childhood Education, in order to promote communication through the use of visual and gestural resources complementary to oral language. To this end, a literature review was carried out on language development in childhood, the characteristics of the LSE and the benefits associated with its use in educational contexts. Based on this theoretical analysis, an intervention project was designed aimed at students aged 3 to 4 years, structured in activities integrated into the daily routines of the classroom and focused on the learning of functional vocabulary related to greetings, emotions, colours, family, routines and temporal organisation. The proposal is based on an active, participatory methodology based on meaningful learning, using the bimodal system to combine oral and signed communication. The results obtained through the literature review show that the incorporation of LSE in Early Childhood Education can favour the expression of needs and emotions, visual attention, participation in classroom dynamics and the development of communication skills from an early age. Likewise, possible benefits in classroom management are identified through the use of visual communication strategies. As a result, the work allows us to verify that the LSE is an educational resource with the potential to enrich communication in Early Childhood Education and that its integration into school routines can be carried out through proposals adapted to the evolutionary characteristics of the students, although its practical implementation would be necessary to verify its effectiveness in real contexts.