First graders at Osman Nakas primary school in Sarajevo, Bosnia, welcomed a new classmate last fall, 6-year-old Zejd Coralic. He's deaf, and nobody in the class knew sign language, not even him. So the teacher bent the curriculum slightly and let Zejd and his classmates learn sign language together. Parents paid for a special tutor. Three months later, classmate Uma Nadarevic, 6, crossed her arms to sign his name. "Please," she put her palms together, "can...you...show...me...our...homework...in...math?" Zejd grabbed his notebook and showed her the work he did at home. Uma signed, "thank you" and Zejd bowed a "you are welcome."
Photo by Amel Emric
Now Zejd can hardly wait for school each day, and his best friend, Tarik Sijaric, says "I like to learn Zejd's language so I can talk with him." Many others agree. Students teach their parents what they have learned, as sign language spreads beyond the classroom.
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