Tangible Manipulatives and Digital Content: The Transparent Link that Benefits Young Deaf Children

摘要

In this paper a prototype system called 'Language Acquisition Manipulatives Blending Early-childhood Research and Technology' (LAMBERT) is described. The system allows children, in particular Deaf pre-schoolers, to play with toys that trigger multimedia presentations designed to introduce and reinforce American Sign Language (ASL) nouns through the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). A pilot study has been conducted and initial results indicate positive perceptions of the system among educators. Advanced features of the system are currently under development and are delineated.