Baby Sign News-Week of Nov 3

Hello Signing Families,

Don’t forget to set your clocks back this weekend!

Local Happenings:

• Free Signing Storytime at World Eye Bookshop in Greenfield on Monday, November 4 (10am – get there early!).

• DVD Giveaway! I have an extra Vol. 2 of Baby Signing Time (includes clothes, vehicles, please-thank you-sorry, and more) that’s up for grabs. If you are interested in putting your name in the hat to win it, go to the Facebook page and hit “like” on the “I Love You” pumpkin photo. I’ll be drawing a winner this Tuesday, November 5.

Cool Stuff:

• Sign of the Week: MOON.

• Last week, I posted a link to an article by Signing Time instructor Melissa Mastrogiovanni. She wrote about how very significant ASL was for her son, since he could communicate ALL DONE early on for foods she’d later discover he was highly allergic to. It’s worth posting a second week if you missed it. (Also, last week I did not include the link to the sign for that all important phrase ALL DONE.) READ MORE…

Tip of the Week:

Confidence. We hear a lot about the potential for ASL to help lessen frustration levels in babies and pre-verbal children. But there is another benefit connected to the frustration piece that gets less press. A baby who is understood because they are able to communicate in sign, may not only lash out less and feel calmer, they gain a confidence boost as well. Every time what they have to say is validated, it tells them they are important and what they think makes sense, which in turn breeds a little person who stands firmly in who they are. Don’t fret, however, if as your baby adds new signs to what s/he knows, the signs they knew so well get a little blurred. There may be a short period of time when they are trying out new signs and everything gets a little mushy. They will come out the other side with a bigger, stronger sign vocabulary. Hang in there with them and keep communicating honestly with them about what you do and don’t understand.

This Week in Class:

Tuesday People:

• It’s our final meeting this week! Do you remember TREE, GRASS, FLOWER,LEAF?

• We’ll get in as much more outside vocabulary as we can manage, and we’ll sing the lullaby we learned last week again – perhaps a fitting close to our session. We’ll also be giving out certificates to your hard-working babies.

Thursday People:

• “Baby’s Day” continues with a review of things like GOOD MORNING, WAKE UP,DIAPER, NEW, DAY, FRIEND, SHARE & PLAY from last week, and continues with breakfast foods, getting dressed, lunch and nap.

• I think I’ll hold off on the playground words until week 3 so we can nail down a few more concrete words like hats and coats for those just starting out with the class.

• Can you sing all of “The More We Get Together?” We’ll sing it again. This week, because we are wild rock stars, we’ll add “Itsy Bitsy Spider” to mix.

Products:

If anyone wants to order Signing Time products for themselves or friends for the holidays (or anytime), please let me know. I offer them at a discount and without shipping costs that apply on the ST website. It’s easiest to order in a lump, so if there are folks interested, I’d like to gather orders and do it all at once. I am able to order anything on the site for you: all Baby Signing Time DVDs, books, flashcards etc., but also anything from the general Signing Time series (I have a few favorite DVDs I’d recommend). I do have a small number of things in stock already. Feel free to email with questions.

Sign on, Kitty

startwithsign.com

Come see what your child has been waiting to tell you!

Expectant parents welcome.

Older siblings welcome.

Start With Sign:

• Uses real American Sign Language
• Teaches vocabulary important to little minds, like food words and family members
• Includes music, movement & stories
• Allows children to communicate before they can speak
• Enhances cognitive development
• Reduces tantrums and frustration
• And so much more!