ASL Classes

Class schedules will be announced soon!

ADULT CLASSES
In-Person Options

RSD Family ASL 1: Tuesdays, 6:15 pm- 7:15 pm, in-person
Teacher: TBA
Dates: 

RSD Family ASL 2: Wednesday, 6:15 pm- 7:15 pm
Teacher: TBA
Dates: 
The RSD family must complete ASL 1 at the beginner level. 

RSD Family ASL 3: Thursday, 6:15 pm to 7:15 pmTeacher: TBA
Dates: 
The RSD family must complete ASL 2 at the intermediate level.

RSD Family ASL 4: Expanding ASL Skill, Thursdays 6:15 pm to 7:15 pm
Teacher: TBA
Dates:  
The RSD family must complete ASL 3 at the level

Virtual Options

RSD Family ASL 2: Wednesdays, 6:15 pm to 7:15 pm on virtual class
Teacher: TBA
Dates: 
The RSD family must complete ASL 1 at the beginner level. 

RSD Family ASL 1: Tuesdays 6:15 pm- 7:15 pm on virtual class
Teacher: TBA
Dates: 

SIBLING CLASSES

All Sibling Classes will be held on Tuesdays, 6:15 p.m.- 7:15 p.m. in person 
Dates: 
 
Class for Ages: 4-6 years old
Teacher: TBA 
 
ASL Group 1 (ages 7-11) - geared toward children who have older deaf siblings or are CODA
Teacher: TBA

ASL Group 2 (ages 7-11) - geared toward children whose siblings are in the ECC program or are generally new to RSD.
Teacher: TBA

CLASS LEVELS

Family Level 1

This is a beginner’s level class designed for family participants age 12 and up with little or no previous knowledge of ASL. This level focuses on the development of communicative skills involving signing comprehension and production that includes: fingerspelling, vocabulary, basic ASL sentence structure, common phrases, and two-way dialogue conversations. Awareness of Deaf culture and community is also included.
Book: Signing Fun by Penny Warner ($20)
 
Units include the following topics:

Family Level 2

A continuation of Family Level 1, this class focuses more on fingerspelling fluency and reception, vocabulary expansion, extended sentence structure, common everyday phrases, and increased class participation dialogues. Additional topics will be shaped by family requests, as well as ASL rhythm and awareness and class discussion on Deaf culture. Age 12 and up. 
Book: Signing Fun by Penny Warner ($20)
 
Units include ASL grammar including adjectives, adverbs, nouns, and verb as well as the following topics:

Family Level 3
In ASL Level 3, families will move beyond basic and intermediate signs to develop more natural, expressive, and grammatically accurate ASL. Emphasis is placed on storytelling, detailed conversations, emotions, problem-solving, and everyday family interactions. Parents and family members will learn how to support their Deaf child’s language development while building stronger connections through meaningful communication.
 

• In this class, families will learn to:
• Use more advanced ASL vocabulary and sentence structures
• Improve conversational flow and comprehension.
• Express emotions, opinions, and explanations clearly.
• Understand and use ASL grammar, facial expressions, and body language more effectively.
• Communicate confidently in real-life family and social situations.
• Support their Deaf child’s language growth at home.e

ASL Level 3 is ideal for families committed to creating an accessible, supportive, and language-rich environment for their Deaf child.  The RSD family must complete ASL 1 and 2

 Family Level 4
 ASL Level 4 is an advanced course designed for families and learners who have completed ASL Levels 1, 2, and 3.

Parents will build stronger communication skills by learning verb/noun pairs, improving handshapes and classifiers, using ASL grammar, and practicing real-life conversations in each lesson.
 
In this class, families will learn to:

• Use a wide range of ASL handshapes accurately
• Apply classifiers to describe people, objects, and environments.
• Show movement, direction, and placement in space
• Improve storytelling and descriptive skills.
• Increase fluency through visual-spatial communication.
• Understand how classifiers support Deaf children’s language development.

 
Siblings Class
We are thrilled to offer sibling classes for all children under 12.  The design for the siblings class is to focus on basic development of communicative skills and vocabulary, including favorite hobbies, colors, food, outdoor activities, and much more.  We will offer in-person classes that coincide with the family classes.
 

Books may be purchased when registering for pickup at RSD or ordered online directly through Amazon or the vendor of your choice.

Immediate Family of Currently Enrolled RSD Students

Registration is free for immediate family members of currently enrolled RSD students (including parents, legal guardians, grandparents, and siblings aged 12 and up). RSD is pleased to cover these costs on your behalf.

Extended Family of Currently Enrolled RSD Students

For extended family (including aunts, uncles, and cousins) aged 12 and up, there is a registration fee of $135 per person.

Our good friends at RSD's Early Childhood Resource Center have created a beautiful series of storytime videos to share in the joy of reading and ASL with your family.

See More Videos

Books may be picked up on campus. The location and date for pickup are in the registration section. The book must be paid for in advance with registration.

Rochester School for the Deaf is located at 1545 St. Paul Street, Rochester, NY.

Directions and Campus Map

Please bring or have available a pen/pencil, pocket folder, writing pad, and the textbook.

No refunds will be issued after the first class.  Up until the second class, the enrollment fee may be credited and applied to a future SFA class within the year. No credits or refunds will be issued after the second class.

Yes. All classes are contingent upon sufficient enrollment.  These classes are provided as a service to families and the community.