An Inspiring Educator
Meet Daniel Nicholson, an educator who’s teaching sign language to preschoolers.
BY HEJIRA CONVERY, KINDICARE
Daniel Nicholson is an educator at Haileybury Rendall ELC in Darwin, and he’s someone who truly loves working with little learners.
After being a Centre Director at another service, Daniel chose to step back into an educator role, bringing his passion for Australian sign language (aka ‘Auslan’) with him!
Daniel first learnt Auslan to communicate with a hearing impaired friend at high school, and he’s now dedicated to sharing the language with as many people as possible.
He’s introduced Auslan to more than 500 Darwin families, and at Haileybury Rendall ELC, Auslan is part of the daily program.
Daniel says, “I do Auslan with the children all day, through their normal lessons and everyday use. We use it through transitions, mealtimes and other activities, and I also do specialised lessons with children, focused on sign language.”
He’s found that the children are ready, willing and very able Auslan students.
In just six months, Daniel’s Reception room kids have become aware of more than 250 signs, and this is helping them to understand a language other than Auslan.
At Haileybury Rendall ELC, ages three and older learn Mandarin, and sign language has been woven into these weekly classes.
Daniel says, “We’ve found that me signing Auslan has helped the children to understand the Chinese names of animals, like ‘dog,’ ‘cat’ and ‘dragon.’”
“Children have been able to connect multiple languages, using hand signals to solidify the knowledge they have, and our Mandarin teacher has learnt some Auslan, too!”
In fact, everyone in Daniel’s orbit is learning some sign language.
He says, “It’s my passion project to introduce Auslan to as many people as possible, and the more people who know about Auslan, the better it is for society.”
“I offer training to whoever is interested, using whatever resources I can find, and I love sharing my knowledge with the children, staff and families at Haileybury Rendall ELC and the wider community.”
“I’m thrilled to have shared Auslan with hundreds of people so far and it’s my dream that every child in Australia gets some exposure to Auslan.”
Daniel believes, “It’s really important that hearing impaired people are heard and understood, and learning Auslan is a positive thing for young children, on both a cognitive and social-emotional level.”
“Auslan teaches them to use their brains – and hands – in new ways, with a focus on collaboration and community-mindedness.”
Daniel says, “Children usually find it easier to pick up a new language than grown-ups do, and I hope they take these early Auslan lessons with them through life.”
“It’s a real thrill to see preschoolers showing off their signing skills to their parents and siblings, and we’ve come a long way since I first thought to use Auslan actions for ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’ at the start of my childcare career!”
At Haileybury Rendall ELC, Daniel’s special skillset is an incredible asset.
Head of the Early Learning Centre, Michelle Shaw says, “The children are eager to learn more and more signs, and Daniel is an exceptional educator. He understands that young children learn through play, and always goes the extra mile to make learning accessible and fun for every child.”
“We’re proud to offer a rich early learning curriculum at Haileybury Rendall ELC, including specialist subjects like Physical Education, Music, Library, Phonics, Science and Mandarin – and Auslan is a really wonderful way to round out our children’s early education.”
If you’d like to introduce your own child to Auslan, then Daniel suggests you start with the basics and build from there.
He says, “The best way to learn and teach sign language is through nursery rhymes and songs that make it fun and engaging.”
“Together, you can expand your Auslan vocabulary, and even if you don’t remember all the signs a year from now, you will have opened up your family’s understanding of the world and the importance of all-inclusive communication.”
Back at Haileybury Rendall ELC, the centre’s incredible early learning program and great culture hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Haileybury Rendall ELC is a KindiCare Excellence Awards Finalist for the Northern Territory, with a KindiCare Rating of 9.6, and we congratulate Michelle, Daniel and the whole team on this very well-deserved result!
