VL2 Storybook Apps

Authors: Motion Light Lab
Updated: Thu 24 December 2020
Source: https://vl2storybookapps.com/digital-library
Type: iPad apps
Languages: ASL, English; Russian, RSL; Norwegian, NSL; British-English, NZSL; Dutch, NGT; Japanese, JSL; Turkish TID; Arabic, SSL; Thai, TSL; Spanish, LSP; Italian, LIS
Keywords: languageeducationbilingualAmerican-Sign-LanguageEnglish
Open Access: yes
License:
Citation: Motion Light Lab. VL2 Storybook Apps. Gallaudet University: Visual Language and Visual Learning. https://vl2storybookapps.com/
Summary:

Every child loves, and deserves, a great story. Great stories invite children into our vast world, encouraging new ways to imagine and then leading them down the path to reading and learning. The inspiration behind the VL2 Storybook Apps comes from the belief that there are many ways to tell a great story. Our way is to provide exciting and captivating stories in both American Sign Language (ASL) and English. Children can watch the story in ASL or start reading it in English. At any point throughout the story in English, children can tap the screen to watch that part of the story in ASL. Children can also touch specific English words to see them fingerspelled as well as being signed in ASL. Several major research studies on bilingualism and visual learning show that learning two languages leads to greater literacy skills in both languages, and the younger, the better. Young visual learners, deaf and hearing, do benefit tremendously from continued exposure to ASL and written English. We love stories. And we love sharing great stories—especially now that we have this new form of visual storytelling in ASL and English!