Our First CODA VBS. So much fun!

 This was the first time I did a VBS for Hearing children  who have Deaf parents.  I included the two 4-year old deaf children that i teach and their sibs.  We had lots of help:  Kristel came to help with the babies. Angelica came to help in many ways but especially as a signing model for the hearing brothers and sisters. I asked all of the mothers to participate because I wanted the Deaf Moms to practice signing with their children...(they tend not to) and I wanted the Hearing moms of the two deaf children to learn some signs.  So we were a big mix of hearing and deaf learning about God and learning ASL at the same time.  I praise God for all the ideas and the way all the helpers made it run so smoothly.

 This adorable guy is Glenford.  He's 4.

 We began with a very short singing/worship time and an introduction to the theme for the day. 

The themes were Who is God? (He made the world.)  God made you.  God loves you.  God wants us to love each other.

 God made the world and all of the animals.  Here I am teaching Glenford's older sister the sign for tiger.

 Every day we played games.

 This is Selena's littlest (Jenay) playing with Joshue.

 Everyday we made a craft related to the theme.

Kristel was invaluable as baby holder.  Here she is with Alva's 8 month old Joshue.

 And because they are little we had a "free play time".  It was a good time to try and teach them a few signs while they played.  This is Glenford and his little brother Rennick.

 Lejandro, hearing neighbor of Selena (Deaf Mom).  He was an angel and so quick at picking up sign vocabulary.

 Morine (in pink) and her sister Adriena.  Morine is one of the 4 year old Deaf preschoolers that I teach.  Both are so cooperative and so smart.

 This is Glenford's mom reading to her daughter.  She can sign many words and was SOOOOO helpful. 

 Whenever we did anything (craft, game, worship, play) Angelica jumped in and taught ASL vocab. Here she is signing "flower".

Here Angelica is teaching Selena's oldest (named Selena) the sign for ambulance while they play with the transportation blocks for threading.