Lakota sign language students reaching out to learn from the hearing impaired

It’s a language that opens communication without saying a word and dozens of Lakota high school students are now increasingly fluent thanks to the district’s new learning program. Students at both Lakota East and Lakota West high schools participating in the district’s first American Sign Language (ASL) instructional track are telling school officials that becoming adept in the hand signing to communicate with the hearing impaired has been enlightening and rewarding. Some of the Lakota teens recently visited St. Rita’s School for the Deaf (pictured) for classroom interaction and ASL immersion. CONTRIBUTED

It’s a language that opens communication without saying a word and dozens of Lakota high school students are now increasingly fluent thanks to the district’s new learning program. Students at both Lakota East and Lakota West high schools participating in the district’s first American Sign Language (ASL) instructional track are telling school officials that becoming adept in the hand signing to communicate with the hearing impaired has been enlightening and rewarding. Some of the Lakota teens recently visited St. Rita’s School for the Deaf (pictured) for classroom interaction and ASL immersion. CONTRIBUTED
News
By Michael D. Clark – contributing writer
Updated Nov 10, 2023
X

It’s a language that opens communication without saying a word, and dozens of Lakota high school students are now increasingly fluent thanks to the district’s new learning program.

Students at both Lakota East and Lakota West high schools participating in an American Sign Language (ASL) instructional track are telling school officials that becoming adept in the hand signing to communicate with the hearing impaired has been enlightening and rewarding.

The program, which has been offered for years, sees students regularly take their lessons off campus, with their most recent field trip a short drive down Interstate 75 to St. Rita’s School for the Deaf in northern Hamilton County’s Evandale community.

“Everything about it just made me happy,” said Lakota West senior Josh Curry, recounting his class visit and signing interaction with the school’s hearing-impaired students.

“It was so cool to be completely immersed in the culture. I loved everything about it,” said Curry, who’s among the first cohort class to progress through Lakota’s ASL college credit program.

According to Lakota officials, for the ASL students enrolled in Lakota’s College Credit Plus (CCP) level course, such field trips are required by the district’s college partner — Cincinnati State — to meet credit standards.

The advanced college-level curriculum provided by the community college requires students to participate in at least 10 hours of deaf community outreach each semester to grant the college credits.

The real-life interactions are key to thorough learning, said Lakota West ASL teacher Jessica Frye.

“You can only go so far and experience so much in your classroom, adding St. Rita “is as authentic and real-world as it gets. They are finally getting experiences of total immersion.”

Lakota West senior Kate Dupler said afterward: “I learned a lot about deaf culture.”

Dupler’s teacher gave her a simple directive before visiting St. Rita: Play games and talk with the students she met.

“The best part was I was able to communicate with them about normal stuff like relationships, football and soccer. I wasn’t expecting to be that fluent.”

So far, the community outreach work has also extended to a special storytime coordinated with MidPointe Library, where ASL students sign the books they choose to read to patrons enjoying this regular program.

Students have already visited several other Lakota early childhood and elementary schools - with more scheduled during this school year.

“The students visited one of our kindergarten classrooms and I literally saw the students skipping out of our main entrance,” said Heritage Early Childhood School Principal Natalie Jimenez.

In Other News
1
JD Vance’s mother asks Middletown to recognize son’s victory with Trump
2
New Miami considering disbanding police department
3
Woman convicted in Lakota student’s death sentenced to jail, house...
4
Two new Middletown fire stations on schedule for end of year opening
5
Hamilton man indicted for murder and other felonies in beating death at...

About the Author

Michael D. Clark