Curriculum
Rocky Mountain Deaf School staff regularly uses Gallaudet’s VL2 lab and website as a curriculum resource.
VL2 stands for Visual Language, Visual Learning. It is funded by the National Science Foundation and has a wealth of information about how the brain learns and functions when using a visual language.
There are research briefs supporting the importance of gesture, fingerspelling, bilingualism, and a visual language for the development of the brain, including the benefits of this approach for learning to read.
The site offers many other resources including storybook apps that are in both American Sign Language (ASL) and English. There is also a parent toolkit on the VL2 Family Information Center website that shares stories, answers questions, and offers many different resources.
Resources
Elementary School Curriculum
RMDS’ elementary school program is based on maximizing the learning of every student through a rigorous standards-based curriculum.
Middle School Curriculum
Middle school students receive direct instruction in ASL in small classes and will begin learning crucial skills such as academic preparation.
High School Curriculum
Small class sizes and a block schedule allow for rich interactions among RMDS teachers and students, as well as more structured time for instruction.