Hand Talk: Reni Goes to School

Hand Talk: Reni Goes to School is the story of a young boy who is apprehensive about going to school because of his difficulty communicating. Reni learns how to use sign language and discovers that school can be fun. He shows readers how to make signs to identify his teacher, his classes, the supplies he uses, and more. The story is illustrated with fun and colorful drawings. 


The second half of the book contains photographs of the author's students demonstrating how to make more than two dozen signs in American Sign Language, from “library,” “book,” and “recess” to “bus,” “calendar,” and “gym.” Reni Goes to School  includes videos of the author demonstrating each sign.


While the book is certainly helpful for deaf or hard-of-hearing children and those around them, it also teaches valuable nonverbal communication skills to special-needs children, minimally verbal children, and very young children, as well as their parents, teachers, caregivers, and anyone else who engages with a child who struggles with spoken language. It's also a fun way to learn the basics of sign language for those kids who would like to learn a new skill.