The technique, which is becoming popular across the U.S. and Europe, helps children improve their reading skills. It appears especially helpful for those who are having difficulty learning to read.
Signing helps children remember words.
Children using signing seem to pay better attention because they must watch the teacher when a reading lesson is being presented. The signing approach to reading uses isolated signs to aid the reading process. It is not a substitute for spoken word as is done when teaching children who are deaf to sign. Maryland has a center of signing to enhance reading skills in hearing children. In Baltimore County, signing is used to some degree among hearing children in at least 70 of the 95 elementary schools.