Workbook final

278 - Bilingual Storybook App, Gallaudet University, USA

ONTACT

Gallaudet University: National Science Foundation's Science of Learning Center on Visual Language and Visual Learning

(VL2)

Ms. Melissa Herzig

United States

+1 202 559 0422

VERALL GOAL

MISSION

The goal of this project, The VL2 Storybook App and VL2 Storybook Creator, is to provide access to printed materials for

people with hearing loss. This is accomplished through taking advantage of the tablet computer’s interactive capabilities

and presenting developmentally appropriate learning materials in both American Sign Language (ASL) and English. This

app can offer fiction and nonfiction texts and be utilized in a variety in learning environments, including families,

museums, libraries, medical clinics, and beyond. In addition to providing access to storybooks and other academic

materials, this app promotes bilingual language and reading development. It can serve as a tool for researchers

exploring optimal methods for improving reading and literacy for visual learners. This project includes Storybook Creator

program, which is a website portal that provides authoring tools for writers and developers to use in developing

additional apps.

HE SOLUTION THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED

VL2 Storybook Apps offer young children with hearing loss (and their parents and teachers) access to printed materials

in both English and ASL and promote both bilingual language development and reading skills. The apps can be used at

home, at school, or in other educational settings. Learners have access to full story narratives in both languages, ASL

and English. The key design features include the promotion of vocabulary learning and comprehension within context of

a whole story with support of video, fingerspelling, and vivid illustrations to help improve both decoding and reading

comprehension skills. The components incorporated in the design of the app are built using an evidence-based

approach to increase motivation for children to read. Additionally, we have developed formal lesson plans to support

teachers in using these apps in their classrooms to promote language and reading skill development.