Most ASL courses start with A–Z.

Parents don't need the alphabet at 7pm when a kid is hungry, tired, or melting down.

If you're a hearing parent of a Deaf or hard-of-hearing child, start with the signs that run a household:

• MORE

• EAT / FOOD

• MILK

• ALL DONE

• WANT

• HELP

• PLEASE

• THANK YOU

• SLEEP

• HURT

That's a week of real communication. The alphabet can wait.

How to practice without a teacher in the room:

1. Pick three signs. Not ten.

2. Use them at the same moment every day — mealtime is the easiest.

3. Pair the sign with the spoken word. Your child needs both.

4. Film yourself once. Watch it. Fix the handshape. Repeat.

The goal is not pretty signing. The goal is your child knowing you understood them.

If you want a structured path for this, that's what SignLab is built for.