Signing Wh- Words
Now it's time to sign the wh- words with the appropriate facial expressions. Get ready, eyebrows down and furrowed, head tilted, and here you go!
Take a minute now and sign the alphabet in order to refresh these hand-shapes in your mind. Throughout this book, the directions on how to form signs will refer to handshapes, such as the “D” hand or “F” hand. These instructions are simply describing a handshape and generally, there is minimal association with the letter value.
WHO: Use the “L” hand and place your thumb in the cleft of your chin and flick the tip of your index finger. Variation: Use your index finger and circle your mouth.
WHAT/HUH?: Position both right and left “flat” hands, palms up, just above your waist in front of you. Next, move hands horizontally outward and back. Picture this as a double handed karate movement, this is the newest and natural variation of this sign. Variation (What): It is important for you to know and recognize the older variation for this sign as it is still used, though becoming infrequent. Extend the index finger of the right hand and draw the fingertip downward across the left “open” palm.
WHEN: Hold your left hand with the index finger pointing up, palm facing right. Move your extended right index finger in a clockwise circle around your left index finger. Variation: A natural way to sign “when” is to simply shrug the shoulders. Use both right and left hands in “flat” handshapes, palms up, just above the waist in front of you. Next move hands horizontally upward and out in a natural form that would accompany shrugged shoulders.
WHERE: Repeatedly shake your extended index finger right to left. Variation: Use both right and left hands in “flat” handshape, palms up, just above the waist in front of you, hands move back and forth several times displaying frustration.
WHY: Place the fingertips on your temple and pull down and out, forming into the letter “Y.”
WHY: Variation: This variation is commonly used; place the fingertips on the temple and pull down and out while wiggling the bent middle finger.
