The Signing Naturally curriculum is one of the most respected & widely used programs for teaching American Sign Language (ASL).
The series is designed to develop students’ language skills and deepen their understanding of Deaf culture through multiple levels and units covering progressively complex aspects of ASL.
Signing Naturally Units 1-6 PDF with Answers
Units 1–6 form the foundation of the Level 1 course, covering essential communication skills, basic grammar, and cultural insights.
These initial units are designed to introduce beginners to ASL in a clear and accessible way, emphasizing practical usage and interaction.
Unit 1: Introducing Oneself
The journey begins with Unit 1, which introduces students to the fundamental building blocks of ASL.
This unit focuses on basic skills such as fingerspelling, learning how to introduce oneself, and holding simple conversations.
Students become familiar with ASL grammar, which differs significantly from English, and begin to grasp the importance of non-manual signals (such as facial expressions) that convey tone and emotion in ASL.
Additionally, Unit 1 emphasizes cultural aspects like how to appropriately get someone’s attention in the Deaf community and the etiquette involved in visual communication.
The key takeaway from this unit is the ability to engage in polite, everyday exchanges using ASL, setting the stage for more complex conversations.
Unit 2: Exchanging Personal Information
Signing Naturally Unit 2 focuses on the crucial skill of exchanging personal information in American Sign Language (ASL).
This unit is designed for beginner ASL learners and builds on the foundational skills introduced in Unit 1.
It emphasizes the importance of clear and accurate communication when sharing details such as names, where you’re from, and other personal data.
The unit also introduces more cultural aspects of communication within the Deaf community, helping students understand the social norms & expectations when meeting new people.
Unit 3: Talking about Where You Live
Unit 3 shifts the focus to giving directions and discussing locations, a critical skill in ASL that relies heavily on spatial reasoning and visual mapping.
ASL is a highly spatial language, and Unit 4 introduces students to the directional nature of ASL verbs and how they can be modified to indicate the movement or location of objects or people.
In this unit, learners practice guiding others through directions especially where they live, describing landmarks, and pointing out specific locations.
Through these activities, students become more comfortable using the space around them to convey meaning, a skill that is essential for fluency in ASL.
Unit 4: Talking about family
Family is an essential topic in any language, and Unit 4 introduces students to the signs necessary for discussing their relatives and familial relationships.
This unit teaches the vocabulary for family members, as well as the structure for asking questions and making statements about family dynamics.
Additionally, learners explore how to describe age and relationships between family members using appropriate classifiers and spatial positioning.
Unit 4 reinforces many of the descriptive and directional skills from previous units while expanding the student’s vocabulary and ability to communicate about personal topics.
Unit 5: Talking about everyday activities
Unit 5, focuses on discussing activities, hobbies, and daily routines.
In this unit, learners develop the ability to talk about what they do, when they do it, and how they feel about it.
This unit introduces temporal aspects of ASL, such as how to discuss events that happen in the past, present, or future.
Students also learn how to sequence events, allowing them to describe a day’s activities or a series of actions in order.
By the end of Unit 5, students are equipped with the skills needed to describe their routines, talk about their interests, and discuss activities with others in more detail.
Unit 6: Storytelling
In the final unit of the Signing Naturally Level 1 series, Unit 6, students are introduced to the foundational techniques of ASL storytelling.
The emphasis is on creating vivid narratives using classifiers, role-shifting, and eye-gaze to depict different characters and actions.
This unit encourages learners to think beyond individual signs and instead use their whole body to tell stories visually.
For instance, they learn how to transition smoothly between characters by shifting their body orientation or using specific facial expressions to represent different emotions or reactions.
Conclusion
Signing Naturally Units 1–6 answer key PDF lays the groundwork for anyone beginning their journey to learning American Sign Language.
These units cover essential skills, from basic communication and introducing oneself to describing people, places, and activities.
The curriculum is immersive, engaging, and effective in building not only the language skills necessary for conversation but also the cultural competence needed to interact respectfully and knowledgeably within the Deaf community.
By the end of these six units, students are equipped with the foundational tools they need to communicate in ASL and to continue their learning journey through more advanced levels.