Time to Sign

by Kathryn Clay, Margeaux Lucas (Illustrator), Kathryn Clay

This helpful kid-friendly guide teaches the basics of American Sign Language (ASL). Kids will learn hundreds of words and phrases to help them communicate in everyday situations. A great introduction and instructions on how to fingerspell the alphabet provide a good base to get started. It's time to sign!

Genres: Nonfiction

112 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2013

About the author

Freelance writer and editor for Capstone Publishers.

Reviews

[Margaret Boling · Rating 4 out of 5]

6/11/2023 ~ A clearly illustrated introduction to basic signs from the American Sign Language system. This book is a compilation of the series Sign Language for Kids. Incidentally, nearly all the signs in the various volumes of this series are for nouns. There is no discussion of action words or how to convey emotion or degree. However, the photos of the concepts and the cartoon-like characters demonstrating the signs make this an excellent book for primary-aged readers who may still have rudimentary reading skills.

If I were purchasing for a home, this volume is the most cost effective, since all the topics are in a single volume. However, for a school, the series is more effective, because more kids can pursue their interests at the same time.

[Natalie J DeStefano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good

[Mary Lea Lutz · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a great book

It is a great book for anyone to learn. I have learned a lot. My granddaughter is autistic and we will learn a lot from this book.

[AddictedToReadingRomance · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing

Perfect for my kid and his classroom mates. They have a new friend and all want to learn the language.

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok. Some of the illustrations were difficult to understand, especially for understanding the motion. You'd have to see a video to understand the sign, and then use the book as a reference. In the fingerspelling section, the letter G is not shown correctly - it looks like the thumb is resting on the bent fingers. For numbers, it shows the palm facing out for signing all numbers - should be facing in for 1-5. There were a few signs that were a little off. For example, it describes "excited" as "1. Bend middle fingers. 2. make small circles at chest". The sign for "surprised" is described as "Make fists and point index fingers".

[amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

great for EVERYONE, not just kids.

Working with the general public I am slowly learning more ASL to be able to make our regular customers feel welcomed and appreciated, little signs make all the difference. Knowing sugar, milk, tea, coffee etc. is great, but complimenting a shirt or asking about their dog is also something that makes the difference.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clear and informative introduction to American Sign Language that's perfect for elementary readers. The introduction gives a brief overview of ASL with some tips for signing. The book is grouped in themes and includes a wide variety of basic words. I found some of the illustrations difficult to interpret but simple phrases helped clarify these more difficult signs. Recommended for second through fourth graders interested in basic signing.