A Sign of Things to Come?

M  of this journal are likely to be aware of accounts of the use of signs to foster communication in such diverse populations as children with autistic disorder (Layton ) and hearing infants (Acredolo and Goodwyn ). What is probably less well known is the use of signs to enhance the education of hearing preschool and school-age children. This latter topic is the focus of Marilyn Daniels’s recently published book, Dancing with Words. In this volume Daniels makes the case for adding sign language training to the educational programs for normally developing hearing children. The book appears to be intended primarily for teachers of preschool and school-age children and these children’s parents. With this audience in mind, the author provides background information on sign language for readers with little knowledge in this area. Moreover, she crafts a text that is largely devoid of academic jargon. Dancing with Words differs from many other academic books in that the author often seems to be exhorting teachers to adopt a particular program. That is, rather than presenting a dry and dispassionate review of findings, the author becomes an ardent advocate of increased sign training programs in schools. Along with advancing the case for initiating school-based sign language programs, Daniels describes how such programs might be implemented. She makes numerous observations about how signing