The VL2 center publishes research briefs as a resource for educators and parents. The goal is to inform the education community of research findings, to summarize relevant scholarship, and, in the form of practice guides, to present recommendations that educators and parents can use when addressing the multifaceted challenges of educating deaf and hard of hearing children.
This research brief, written by So-One Hwang, Ph.D., Melissa Herzig, Ed.D., and Carol Padden, Ph.D., discusses the critical role that gesture plays in language acquisition. To cite this brief: Visual Language and Visual Learning Science of Learning Center. (2013, June). Different Ways of Thinking: The Importance of Gesture in Child Development. (Research Brief No. 10). Washington, DC: So-One Hwang, Melissa Herzig, and Carol Padden.