Education Argentina Project #63625

Open the world to Deaf children through Sign Tech

by Canales Asociacion Civil

Project Report | Mar 10, 2025
The Power of Bilingual Education in Early Childhood for Deaf Children

By Silvana Veinberg | Institutional development

In our recent reports, we shared the steps we’ve taken to ensure that deaf children have the opportunity to learn in their natural language. Today, we want to help you truly understand why this is so crucial. We know that when people like you are convinced of a meaningful solution to a problem, it becomes easier to take action and be part of the change.

So, let`s go into some facts that support our work in early childhood education for deaf children and highlights the importance of a bilingual education approach, which includes both Argentine Sign Language (LSA) and written Spanish.

The problem

In Argentina, as in many parts of the world, over 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents. This reality presents significant challenges in language acquisition and communication. Without access to a common language, these children face barriers to cognitive, emotional, and social development.
Language is the foundation of human communication, learning, and identity. For deaf children, LSA is their natural and primary language (L1), while written Spanish serves as their second language (L2). Deaf children who lack early exposure to a fully accessible language often experience delays in cognitive and linguistic development, which can affect their academic success and social interactions.

Since many hearing parents and teachers do not know LSA, deaf children’s access to meaningful communication is limited.

This leads to challenges such as family communication barriers, obstacles in cognitive and social development and educational limitations.

The solution

Early childhood is a critical period for language acquisition. We want deaf children to be immersed in a rich LSA environment, to acquire the language naturally, just as hearing children acquire spoken language. Schools play a key role in this process, as they often become the first place where deaf children have access to fluent LSA users.

What does Bilingual Education mean for deaf children?
+ Full language accessibility by giving Deaf children the opportunity to acquire LSA naturally through visual exposure, just as hearing children acquire spoken language through sound exposure.

+ Proficiency in a first language which facilitates learning a second language and enhances overall intellectual growth.

+ Cultural and Identity Development since LSA allows deaf children to connect with their cultural and linguistic community, fostering self-esteem and a strong sense of identity.

Canales’ initiative in Early Childhood Education focuses on creating immersive linguistic environments where deaf children can develop LSA from an early age.

This is why our projects intend to:

Provide Early Exposure to LSA ensuring that children interact with fluent LSA users, including teachers and peers.
Develop Educational Resources in LSA and Spanish, creating materials that support bilingual learning.
Train Educators in Bilingual Teaching Methods to empower teachers to use LSA effectively.
Educate parents about the importance of learning and using LSA at home.

We truly hope this brief explanation helps you better understand our project and feel inspired to join us on this journey.

Remember, your support has the power to open doors to education, connection, and a brighter future for these children.

Photos:

A teacher in the classroom uses Canales educational materials.
More than 100 teachers in the province of Tucumán are trained with Canales to teach their deaf students to read and write in Spanish.
In the film studio, deaf educational content creators and leaders are trained by experts from Gallaudet University.

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Nov 15, 2024
We are providing Deaf children with early childhood tools

By Silvana Veinberg | Institutional development

At the heart of a child’s growth lies communication, and for deaf children, developing a language from the very beginning is crucial for their educational, social, and emotional development. Recognizing this, we have embarked on a journey to immerse young deaf children in their natural language—sign language—starting from early infancy.

Our project introduces a unique character, led by a young Deaf woman, who engages children through video and interactive activities. These videos bring deaf children closer to their first signs and vocabulary, while also involving families to help them support their child’s language journey. This initiative aims to promote early literacy for deaf children aged 0 to 5, laying a foundation that has already been recognized and awarded by two esteemed organizations, enabling us to begin the production of these videos.

Each video covers a theme central to a child’s world—colors, animals, identity, and more. Before producing these videos, we consulted families to understand which topics were most needed. This process revealed a deep concern among parents who feel unable to fully communicate with their children’s emotions and experiences—whether they’re expressing joy, frustration, or sadness.

These insights have not only shaped our videos but are also shared through a training course we offer in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture. This course supports educators, families, and anyone interested in the education of deaf children, providing essential resources in both sign language and literacy.

By rallying support from people who believe in this cause, we can produce more videos and reach more young deaf children. Together, we can ensure no child is left behind in discovering their world through language.

Links:

Argentine Sign Language (LSA) for deaf children

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Jul 19, 2024
Let's create solutions

By Silvana Veinberg | Founder and Institutional Developer

Enjoying and creating SL videos

Hello! We are thrilled to announce an exciting new project. After years of dedication and creating numerous educational materials, we’re ready to take a giant leap forward. How does a bilingual platform for deaf children and adolescents sound to you? Join us on this incredible journey!

Let’s start with why we need a platform specifically for deaf children. Why can’t they use the same materials as everyone else? The answer is both simple and profound. The educational materials in Argentina are primarily in Spanish, but the first language of deaf children is sign language (SL). To dive deeper, 95% of deaf children are born into hearing families that don’t know SL. Without developing a language early on and lacking communication with their families, these children start school with an underdeveloped language. How can they access school content and use Spanish materials effectively?

In mainstream schools where everyone speaks Spanish, deaf children often feel isolated. The educational materials are not tailored for them, making the school environment hostile and exclusionary. In deaf schools, children can naturally acquire sign language and learn alongside their peers. However, when it comes to accessing literature, school texts, and educational videos, they are still left out.

At Canales, we’ve been dedicated to breaking these barriers by developing bilingual materials (in sign language and Spanish) for over 20 years. We’ve created more than 130 materials, including literary texts, Spanish teaching manuals, educational videos, and stories narrated by deaf elders. Our Videolibros platform already features nearly 90 titles in 4 sign languages from different Spanish-speaking countries, boasts 8600 registered users, and receives over 3800 visits each month.

Now, we’re embarking on our most ambitious project yet – a new platform that needs your support to become a reality. We’re inviting you to be a part of this groundbreaking initiative. We’ll keep you updated on our progress and share samples of the incredible materials that will be included in this project.

Together, we can create a more inclusive and empowering educational environment for deaf children. Will you join us and help make this vision come true?

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