Sign Language Buddies

My name is Robby, and this is my friend Zack. “ Hi! It’s nice to meet you. ” Zack moved here three years ago. I still remember his first day in our classroom. A woman was with him. “ I’m Mrs. Ray, ” the woman said. She explained that Zack is deaf. “ I’m an interpreter.

My job is to help Zack learn and communicate at school. ” I raised my hand. “ Does Zack read lips?” “ Yes, ” said Mrs. Ray. “ And he wears hearing aids. In the classroom he and I will use sign language to communicate. ” Soon our teacher began a math lesson. I watched Mrs. Ray explaining things to Zack.

They both moved their arms and hands fast. Their faces changed expression a lot. “ Wow, ” I thought. “ Sign language is cool! ” Zack and I sat together every day in the cafeteria. Zack got really good at reading my lips. I could tell because he always laughed at my jokes!

One day Mom and I started planning my sleepover party. I looked down at the guest list. “ What’s wrong, Robby?” asked Mom. “ I want to invite Zack. But it will be hard for him when everyone is talking or playing games. He’ll feel left out. I wish I could talk with him more easily. ”

“ Hmm, ” said Mom. “ I saw a poster about a sign language class at the library. Want to go?” “ Yes! ” Mom and I went to the sign language class together. We found out there are many different kinds of sign languages. All sign languages use hand, face, and body movements to communicate words and ideas.

Mom and I learned American Sign Language. First, we learned simple words. Hello. Good-bye. Thank you. Then we learned the alphabet. A, B, C. Soon we were signing sentences! How are you? It’s raining today.