St Nicks celebrates Auslan Day and Deaf culture with activities and learning

The children and educators of St Nicholas Early Education Gillieston Heights recently celebrated Auslan Day, participating in various interactive experiences that involved learning basic Auslan phrases, fingerspelling and sign language. 

Auslan, which stands for Australian Sign Language, is the language of the Deaf community in Australia. It is a visual language that uses a combination of hand gestures, facial expressions and body language to convey meaning. As a language, Auslan is just as complex and expressive as any spoken language. It is used by Deaf people to communicate with each other and by some hearing people who work with the Deaf community or who have Deaf friends and family members.

The day was a great opportunity for the children to learn about Deaf culture and to appreciate the richness of sign language as a means of communication.

Children enjoyed a range of activities, including signing songs, playing games, and learning about Deaf culture. The children were enthusiastic and engaged, and many of them quickly picked up the signs and phrases they were taught.

The event was described as “a fantastic learning experience for the children and educators alike,” one which gave them an opportunity to learn about a different culture and to appreciate the richness and complexity of sign language as a means of communication. 

To learn more about Auslan in early childhood education and care (ECEC) services, please see here.