St Thomas the Apostle PS in Action

AUSLAN LEGENDS

Unlocking Communication: The Power of AUSLAN in Schools

This year at St Thomas we have elected to teach AUSLAN, or Australian Sign Language. It is more than just a mode of communication for the deaf community. It's a valuable tool that offers numerous benefits for students of all abilities. 

Inclusivity: Learning AUSLAN fosters inclusivity by breaking down communication barriers for the deaf and hard of hearing community.

Cognitive Benefits: Studies show that learning sign language improves cognitive skills like memory and problem-solving, enhancing overall academic performance.

Empowered Communication: AUSLAN equips students to communicate effectively in various settings, promoting empathy and cultural appreciation.

To make AUSLAN accessible, our school is adopting a new evidenced based approach. 

TAC or Teachers as co-learners. Teachers dedicate 15 minutes a day to learning AUSLAN alongside their students. This approach offers several advantages:

Modeling Lifelong Learning: Teachers inspire students by embracing continuous learning themselves.

Building Rapport: AUSLAN sessions strengthen connections between teachers and students, fostering a supportive classroom environment.

Enhancing Instruction: Teachers refine their instructional strategies through firsthand experience, catering better to diverse learning styles.

Spaced Practice: Daily AUSLAN sessions follow the concept of spaced practice, maximizing learning efficiency and long-term retention.

We are looking forward to welcoming Emma Brady to our staff next week as our new languages assistant.  Emma will support teachers and ESOs with the implementation of the curriculum with her extensive deaf awareness and AUSLAN knowledge.