Free Signing For Dummies by Adan R. Penilla, Angela Lee Taylor

go and how to get there:
• Try to start with a point of reference that’s familiar to both of you, such as a store, restaurant, or bridge, then give the directions.
     
• Go from big to small; from general to specific.
     
For example, in the States, you go from state to city to neighborhood to street to house number.
     
Table 10-1 groups Signs for compass points and other directional signals. Notice that the handshapes you use for the compass points and for left and right are the first letters of the words.

The following examples show you how to sign directions in perfect order.
English: My house is west of the store.
Sign: STORE — MY HOUSE WEST

English: Turn right twice.
Sign: RIGHT — RIGHT

Notice that you don’t use once, twice, and so on; you simply sign right two times (twice).
To give directions, you often establish relationships — don’t worry; you don’t have to commit for very long. Table 10-2 lists the Signs for the situational relationships you use to give directions as well as some landmarks and distances that you might use.
To sign straight, use the B manual handshape; rest it on your nose while your index finger touches your forehead and then move it straight out in front of you, bending your wrist.
This Sign is also the Sign for “sober” — the sentence’s context tells you which one. This same B handshape is used to sign the direction to turn onto a street.

The following sentences put these Signs in action.
English: Go straight; don’t turn.
Sign: STRAIGHT — TURN — DON’T

English: The cross-street is Maple Drive.
Sign: CROSS STREET WHAT — M-A-P-L-E D-R

Signin’ the Sign
Buddy is going to the mall. Although he knows Pueblo, he isn’t sure how to get to the mall from where he’s located. He sees Linda — she knows the town well. Notice how she helps him while using a familiar reference point.
Buddy: How do I get to the mall?
Sign: M-A-L-L ARRIVE — HOW Q

Linda: Do you know where the museum is?
Sign: MUSEUM WHERE — KNOW YOU Q

Buddy: From this cross-street I go north.
Sign: HERE CROSS STREET — NORTH GO ME

Linda: Yes, but turn east after two miles.
Sign: YES — BUT TWO M-I-L-E-S FINISH — GO EAST

    Looking to Natural Landmarks
Most people find landmarks to be helpful when giving or receiving directions. After all, telling someone to turn right at the bottom of the hill is much easier than telling someone to turn right after traveling 1.3 miles. The Signs for natural landmarks in Table 10-3 are sure to help you.

Take a look at the following sentences to see how you can use these landmark Signs when giving directions.
English: My house is at the top of the big hill.
Sign: BIG HILL — MY HOUSE — TOP

English: Turn left after the field.
Sign: FIELD — LEFT

English: When you get to the lake, turn right.
Sign: LAKE ARRIVE — RIGHT TURN

In ASL, get to is signed as arrive.
English: At the base of the mountain is a small store.
Sign: MOUNTAIN BASE — SMALL STORE — THERE

    Searching in the City
Going through town can be overwhelming unless you know how to get where you’re going. Table 10-4 demonstrates the landmarks you may use to direct someone in the city.
Building is signed with both hands in the H handshape. Place one on top of the other four times; then with B handshapes, palms facing each other, go straight up — go high for a skyscraper.
A stop sign is signed by making the Sign for stop and then making a square-cut line with your index finger. It would be great to make the octagon shape, but who can?

You’ve no doubt given directions similar to the ones in the following examples. Now, see how to do it in Sign.
English: Pass the park and go three miles south.
Sign: P-A-R-K PASS — SOUTH THREE M-I-L-E-S GO

English: At the stop sign, go right.
Sign: STOP SIGN ARRIVE — RIGHT

English: Go across the bridge.
Sign: BRIDGE — GO OVER

English: The gas station is near the highway.
Sign: HIGHWAY — GAS STATION — NEAR

    Trotting Out Signs for