Baby See 'N Sign Classes

According to Dr. Marilyn Daniels, a professor of Speech Communication at Pennsylvania State University, "The motor areas of the body mature sooner than the mouth and other language articulators... which means it is easier for children to learn and remember signs that it is for them to aquire fluency in either spoken or written language." -- May 2000 issue of Magazine of the World Federation of the Deaf.

"The fact that ASL is a natural language that they may continue to use throughout their lives makes teaching ASL quite a powerful and important gift from parent to child." Johanna Larson, University of Oregon Educator and ASL Expert.

With patience, practice and repetition, your child can learn to make many signs. Baby See 'N Sign offers a braod ranges of signs that will interest both parents and babies. You can choose words and signs that you find useful. Because it is so personal, only the parents really know exactly what they want to communicate with their child about. How many signs you need or want to learn is up to you and your child.

Why Sign?
Babies can communicate physically before they can verbally. Signing allows babies, both hearing and non-hearing, to express their needs and thoughts before they're able to talk. This is a huge step toward eliminating frustration and gives babies a means to express themselves.

Does signing make my child smarter?
New studies indicate children exposed to signing actually score better on intelligence tests and seem to verbalize sooner than non-signing children. Signing does not hinder speaking, but actually helps to accelerate verbal communications. It seems sign language sparks a child's desire to talk and aides in alleviating the frustration all parents and babies feel when they can't effectively communicate. Signing is also especially helpful when trying to decipher between words that may sound alike when you child pronounces them. Signing helps your child be more specific, getting the correct word or need across to you without the frustration and guesswork that comes from words sounding alike in the beginning stages of speech development.

When to start?
You can begin signing with your child as early as 6 or 7 months. Some babies may attempt to sign back to you as early as 10 months. It's never too early or too late to begin signing, and Baby See 'N Sign has been created for anyone interested in sign language: children of all ages, adults, hearing, non-hearing, Down's or Autistic. It's easy to learn and easy to teach basic signs and develop a second language.

Signing not only becomes a means for babies to communicate needs, but a way to discuss observations, engage in conversations and to simply let you know what's on their little minds.

To begin your journey learning basic baby sign, please contact Kat Faber for a complete selection of offerings, times, and locations.

kathy-ceo@babyseensign.com