Sign of the Week

The Sign of the Week is "F"!

Sign of the Week

You'll need this sign to request a favorite topping for your pie after Christmas dinner!
Ice Cream
http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/12/sign-of-the-week-ice-cream/

Merry Christmas!

Here are some signed holiday greetings...

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Sign of the Week

Just in time for the family gatherings...
"Your turn" is the Sign of the Week!

http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/12/sign-of-the-week-your-turn/

Now if only I could get my toddler to take turns...

Interview with Rachel

Here is an interview with Rachel, the host of Signing Time.

http://bloom-parentingkidswithdisabilities.blogspot.com/2010/12/rachel-coleman-live-big-and-live-loud.html

Google Translate をつかえば日本語でも読める。

Sign of the Week

Cat is the Sign of the Week:
http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/12/sign-of-the-week-cat/

A 手話 Song

Recently we had a concert night at church which included a "sign along" section.  This is a kid's song about favorite colors of crayons and how those are the ones that get used up first.

This song is Japanese, with Japanses Sign Language (手話) and not ASL.  It is interesting to see what signs are similar and which ones are different.  Of course knowing Japanese helps greatly...

Sign of the Week

The Sign of the Week this week is "sad" http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/11/sign-of-the-week-sad/

Let it Snow! Sign of the Week

OK, so if you have too much snow at the moment you may not be excited about this... but I LOVE snow so I'll be using this sign a lot in the hopes that we can get some!
The Sign of Week is snow: http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/11/sign-of-the-week-snow/

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from Signing Time!


(and don't forget about the great sales this week!)

Baby Signing Hits Mainstream

Here is a translation of a recent Signing Time blog post.これは サイニング・タイムのブログから翻訳したた物です。

http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/11/baby-signing-hits-mainstream-aap-book-touts-benefits/

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – November 18, 2010 – When the concept of using sign language with hearing babies was first introduced to the American public, critics dismissed it as a “parlor trick.” Since that time, infant signing has become an accepted parenting practice and has been integrated into early childhood education programs. In the recently-released second edition of “Heading Home with your Newborn: From Birth to Reality,” published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, authors Laura Jana, MD, FAAP and Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP comment on this phenomenon:

ユタ州ソルトレークシティー―2010年11月18日―耳が聴こえる赤ちゃんと手話を使うという概念がアメリカ社会に初めて紹介されたとき、評論家たちはそれを"パーラートリック（簡単な手品のようなもの）"だとして退けました。その後、乳児の手話は子育ての実践において認められ、幼児教育プログラムに取り入れられてきています。最近リリースされた “Heading Home with your Newborn: From Birth to Reality (新生児と家に帰る：出産から現実まで)”〔第2版、米国小児科学会発行〕の中で、その著者ローラ・ジャナ医師（FAAP）とジェニファー・シュ医師（FAAP）は、この現象について次のようにコメントしています。

“Infant sign language really does deliver on its promise of improved communication…It’s easy to see why so many parents swear by it, and why childcare centers include it in their infant and toddler classrooms, and why it has become so commonplace as an activity of daily learning.” pp. 173-174

「乳児の手話は、確かによりレベルの高いコミュニケーションを可能にします。…なぜそれほど多くの親たちがそれを信じているのか、なぜ保育所が乳児と幼児の教育にそれを取り入れているのか、そしてなぜそれが毎日の学習活動として一般的になってきているのかという理由は分かりやすいことです。」（173-174ページ）

The popularity of baby sign language is no surprise. Parents who sign with their babies before they learn to talk see the immediate benefit: reduced frustration. Signing helps them know what their babies want, allowing them to respond to their needs quickly. It cuts down on the guesswork that is common to parenting a preverbal infant.

赤ちゃん手話（ベイビーサイン）の人気は驚くことではありません。自分の赤ちゃんが話し始める前に、赤ちゃんと手話をする親たちは、すぐに、いらいらすることが少なくてすむという恩恵にあずかります。手話は、親たちが自分の赤ちゃんのニーズにすぐに応えられるように、赤ちゃんが何を欲しているかを知る助けになります。これは、話し始める前の乳児とのかかわりにおいては当たり前となっている当てずっぽうを少なくします。

“Their hands give them a clear and powerful ‘voice’ – quite a contrast to the whining and pointing traditionally associated with toddlerhood,” said Rachel Coleman, co-creator and host of the popular series Baby Signing Time. “The truth is, that using ASL signs with hearing babies is revolutionizing early learning and parenting in America.”

「赤ちゃんの手は、彼らにとって明確で力強い“声”になります。―これは、 ぐずぐずしながら指さすという、伝統的に幼児期に関連づけられている様子とは実に対照的です。」と、ベビー・サイニング・タイム人気シリーズの共同制作者であり司会者のレイチェル・コールマンは述べています。「実際のところ、耳が聴こえる赤ちゃんにASL（アメリカ手話）を使うことは、アメリカにおいて、乳幼児の学習と育児に大きな変革をもたらしているのです。」

Early childhood educators have been quick to incorporate signing because it can reduce incidents of biting and other aggressive behaviors. In addition, when signs and words are used together in daily learning activities, teachers have a powerful tool for building vocabulary and teaching early reading skills. Signing allows young children to become physically engaged when learning a word, listening to a story or practicing the alphabet. In recent years, classes on baby signing have become standard fare at professional conferences for early childhood educators, both at the national and local levels.

乳幼児期の教育に携わる人たちは、咬み合いや他の攻撃的な行動による出来事を減らすことができるため、手話を組み込むことに迅速です。加えて、手話と言葉が日常の学習活動で一緒に使われるとき、教師たちは、語彙を構築したり早期に読解の方法を教えるための強力なツールを持つことになります。手話は、幼い子どもたちが単語を学んだり、物語を聞いたり、アルファベットを練習するときに、体を使って関連づけるようになる助けとなります。近年、ベビーサインのクラスは、国家および地方レベルの両方で、乳幼児教育のための専門的カンファレンスでは標準的な事柄となっています。

ABOUT BABY SIGNING TIME

Baby Signing Time is a captivating and entertaining series produced by Two Little Hands Productions. Baby Signing Time features Emmy-nominated host, Rachel Coleman and introduces ASL signs to infants, toddlers and preschool children of all abilities. Two Little Hands Productions also produces the popular Signing Time series, now showing on public television.

ベビー・サイニング・タイムについて

ベビー・サイニング・タイムは、Two Little Hands Productions（二つの小さな手 プロダクション）によって制作された、魅力的で楽しいシリーズです。ベビー・サイニング・タイムは、エミー賞にノミネートされたレイチェル・コールマンを司会者として採用し、すべての乳幼児にASLの手話を紹介しています。Two Little Hands Productions（二つの小さな手 プロダクション）はまた、現在アメリカのテレビで放映されている人気のサイニング・タイム・シリーズも提供しています。

Shopping deal!

Oh, boy, have I got the deals for you! 
Go to: http://signingtimeacademy.com/heidi and shop your heart out!!!
Let me know if you'd like a product reccomendation to get you started!

Friday, Nov. 26: 50% off purchases over $50 
Saturday, Nov. 27: $15 off purchases over $50 
Sunday, Nov. 28: FREE SHIPPING with purchases over $50 (*within the U.S. only)
Monday, Nov. 29: 20% off all collections, bundles, and sets


Please keep in mind that the sale dates are based on the date in the U.S.

Sign of the Week

Just in time for Thanksgiving...
The Sign of the week is "Thank You"!

Old but Moving Video

I was looking around on the Signing Time homepage this evening when I came across the page with the Introduction Video.  While that video is great the one that really caught my attention is the video below it.  It is an interview with Rachel (Signing Time host) from 2003 when everything was just getting started.  It is hard to believe how far Signing Time has come in a little less than 10 years!

今日Signing Timeのホームページでいろいろ見たときに、プロモーションビデオ(Introduction Video)のページが気になった。そこにあったIntroduction Videoはもちろんよかったけど、それより気になったのは、その下のRachel Coleman on the NBC Today Show in 2003というビデオ。これは有名な朝の番組で、Rachelがけっこういい話をしていた。Signing Timeは2003年に始まったばかりだから、そのときはまだ３本のビデオしか作られていなかったけど、今は30本以上のビデオが出ています！

Sign of the Week

Juice - It's the Sign of the Week!

At the Aquarium

We recently took a trip to an aquarium.  Like libraries and museums, aquariums are a place where kids are often asked to speak quietly.  In an effort not to hamper my son's excitement we went over common signs for things we would see.  

Did you know there is a song on the Zoo Train DVD that talks about things that live in the water? It is called "In the Water".  

 crab かに

 turtle かめ

shark さめ

Signing helped my son to tell me what he saw, the color, size, etc. without having to raise his voice.    It was also very helpful when he was across the room and I didn't want to yell to tell him something!

Sign of the Week

The sign for this week is the letter "e".
http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/11/sign-of-the-week-the-letter-e/

Why Sign? どうして手話（サイン）なの？

There are so many good reasons to teach a child sign language. Here are just a few:

子どもに手話（サイン）を教える良い理由はたくさんあります。そのいくつかを挙げてみます。

☆ Babies can sign before they can talk. A signing baby is able to communicate his/her needs without tears and tantrums.　赤ちゃんは話せるようになる前にサインを使うことができます。サインを使う赤ちゃんは、泣いたりわめいたりすることなく、自分のニーズを伝えることができます。

☆ Signing is very helpful when trying to understand a toddler's unclear pronounciation of spoken words.　サインを使うことは、小さい子どもが話すはっきりしない発音のことばを理解するのにとても助けになります。

☆ When learning English as a second language using signs can make it easier to remember new words and their meaning.　英語を学ぶときにサインをいっしょに使うと、新しい単語やその意味が覚えやすくなります。

☆ Sign language is a real language used by many people. The more langauges you know, the more people you can talk with!　手話（サイン・ランゲージ）は多くの人に使われている言語（ランゲージ）です。より多くの言語を知れば知るほど、より多くの人たちと話せるようになるでしょう！

In this blog you will find infomation and stories of our experience with signing. Please feel free to ask questions and leave comments!　このブログでは、私たちのサインを使った経験からの情報や体験談を紹介します。お気軽に質問やコメントを残してくださればと思います。どうぞよろしくお願いします。

Sign of the Week

♪ ♫ Can you feel it? ♪ ♫ This week's word is "feel". http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/10/sign-of-the-week-feel/

Newest Signer

I'd like to introducce you to the newest little signer in our family.

 She's not yet three months old but she already gets all smiley when she hears the Signing Time songs.

Hopkins is just the right size for baby hugs!

Big brother is sure that his little sister's hand movements are baby signs that we just haven't learned yet!

Sign of the Week

Such a very useful sign!  Rain!
http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/10/sign-of-the-week-rain/

Buzy Bee Learning

I found this homepage yesterday: http://www.busybeelearning.com/
In addition to selling Signing Time products, they also sell come very cute ASL puzzles!

Sign of the Week

What sign do you need to ask for a teddy bear?
http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/10/sign-of-the-week-bear/ 

Sign of the Week

Do you know how to sign the "magic word"?
Sign "Please"!

Sign of the Week

This is a favorite sign in our house... banana!

Master Signing Time Instructor

In July I completed the training to become a Master Signing Time Instructor.  I'm the first in Japan and one of the first Master level instructors teaching outside of the US!

Signing Time Academy サイニング・タイム・アカデミー

Hopkins Fan

Have you seen these in the Signing Time Academy store?

Now you can get your very own Hopkins shirt and plush toy!

Sign of the Week

The Sign of the Week this week is the letter "D"!

Learning Colors

One of the signing activities we've been doing recently is learning about colors. We're using the Signing Time Classroom Edition (CE) as a guide. While made for use in a variety of classrooms it is easy to adapt many of the activities to a home school situation.

The CE comes with lesson plans based on 16 popular topics from the Signing Time series. The included DVDs and CDs are arranged for use in each lesson. There are also black and white flashcards with key vocabulary.

Here is one way we've been using the flashcards...

On the left are colored pieces of paper which are cut out and laminated together. In the middle and to the right are the colored-in vocabulary cards, also laminated. (Since my son is 2 years old I left these 2 sets of cards uncut to make them easier to handle.) The object is to "read" the card with Rachel signing and match it to the color or vocabulary card.

I plan to continue using lessons from the Classroom Edition as the year goes on. Be sure to check back for aditional ideas!

Sign of the Week

C is for cookie... can you hear Cookie Monster singing that?

C is also the Sign of the Week!

Sign of the Week

"Nice" and "gentle" are two keys words at our house with the new baby. Here's how to sign nice!

Sign of the Week

Wouldn't it be nice to have a nice, cool wind?

http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/08/sign-of-the-week-wind/

Sign of the Week

One of my son's favorite words when he was about a year old was "bird". Do you know how to sign it?

Check this out: http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/08/sign-of-the-week-bird/

Sign of the Week

Here's a little bit of catch-up on the Sign of the Week:

Coat http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/08/sign-of-the-week-coat/

Cereal http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/07/sign-of-the-week-cereal/

Garlic Press Sign Books

In a recent box from Grandma and Grandpa my son found a couple of sign language books from Garlic Press. If you go to their homepage you can find a nice selection of ASL-based books with useful signs.

Of particular interest to us are the "Signing At Church" and "Signing At Sunday School" books. They include basic greetings which are commonly used at church as well as things like the Lord's Prayer.

I now have my eye on some of their other books including the signed songs books. My son loves to sign as he sings and has been known to make up his own signs for songs!

1st Hana House BST Graduates Play Group

Recently we had the first play group / reunion of Baby Signing Time graduates at Hana House. It was so great to see all the progress that everyone has been making!

To start out we reviewed an old, favorite song "Pets I Love" from Baby Signing Time DVD 1. Then, we learned a "new" song and the names of many colors. Here is a previous post about the song "Box of Crayons".

To tie together the pets theme with the colors we read the book "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?" by Jr. Bill Martin and Eric Carle. We used the bilingual edition called "英語でもよめる くまさんくまさんなにみてるの?".

For some help in remembering (or learning) the color signs you can go to http://www.squidoo.com/american-sign-language-colors!

Sign of the Week

The sign of the week this week is bread!

http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/07/sign-of-the-week-bread/

Summer Activities Page

Are you looking for some extra fun things to do this summer?

How about some activities that can travel with you?

Check out the Signing Time blog for ideas and resources!

http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/07/signing-time-summer-activities/

Sign Language ABC - a Sesame Street book

I have to admit that I am addicted to books. When I hear of a really good book I'll stop at almost nothing to hunt it down. Thanks to Amazon and the used books that are sold I can get my hands on just about any book within a month. This one though nearly escaped my grasp!

As you can see it's used but a good book is worth it even if it is a little beat up!

What I love is the simple layout, familiar characters and choice of useful vocabulary that is taught.

My 2.5 yr old took to the book right away. I may need to either hunt down another copy or laminate this one!!!
Sesame Street Sign Language ABC with Linda Bove by Sesame Street
ISBN-10: 0394975162
ISBN-13: 978-0394975160
ISBN-10: 0394875168
ISBN-13: 978-0394875163

Another Little Signer

This link was shared by another Signing Time Academy instructor. She posted on her blog a video of her son's experience riding in a car with the top down. Thanks to sign language He's able to "talk" about it with his parents in the next car!

Sign of the Week

"Look at me, I'm on a ______."

Can you complete the verse from the song "Here I Go" on Baby Signing Time DVD Vol. 2?

Here's your clue: http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/07/sign-of-the-week-bike/

4th of July

In just a few hours it will be the 4th of July so to help those of you who celebrate...

Sign of the Week

http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/06/sign-of-the-week-more/
Now you can ask for more pie on the 4th of July!

Box Of Crayons クレヨンの箱

Today the Signing Time video of choice was from Series 2, Vol. 12 "Box of Crayons".
At 2.5 years old my son is learning so many things - and so quickly! He is really enjoying not only learning the color signs but also the "new" (to him) format of the Series 2 DVDs with "Counting Time", "Story Time" etc.
As you can see, even Hopkins was able to join in the signing fun!
My son also got out his crayons to help "teach" Hopkins the color signs!

By now you may be wondering how the "Box of Crayons" song goes... take a look at this clip from the Signing Time Youtube page:

You can purchase both the "Box of Crayons" DVD and the Hopkins doll at http://www.signingtimeacademy.com/heidi

If you live in Japan and want a copy please e-mail me directly as we can save on shipping costs by combining orders. You can find my e-mail address in the left-hand column of the blog.

Sign of the Week

Last summer I saw this sign often as it became one of my son's favorite words!
http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/06/sign-of-the-week-outside/

Play Group

Before I have the new baby at the end of July we want to have a reunion/play group of sorts for all of the Baby Signing Time Academy graduates from the past year. It has been about 3/4 of a year since the first class finished the course!

Let's get together and catch-up on how the signing is going!

We'll also have Signing Time products avalible to look at for those of you who are ready to move to the next level.

Check out the Hana House homepage for the details...

http://www.hanahouse.jp/Babysign_Parenting.html

Sign of the Week

Can you sign "Happy Father's Day"?

Here's how to sign "happy"!
http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/06/sign-of-the-week-happy/

Sign of the Week

As rainy season hits we'll be digging out the that hats to go with rain coats and umbrellas. The Sign of the Week this week is hat!

Potty Training + Signing

Recently I've been asked by a few different people about using signs to help with potty training. From my own experience I can tell you it is possible for babies under 1 yr. old to tell you that they need to go potty - if they are given the word (sign) to use!

I love the Signing Time and Baby Signing Time product lines. They are my first choice for resources, however, there are also other places with helpful items too.

For potty training we've been using the Baby Signs produced "Potty Train" set. http://pottytrainwithbabysigns.com/ It's a bit corny but the signs used are from ASL and my son seems to like it. It uses only a few basic signs (6 maybe?) like "potty", "more" and "all done". It can be found on Amazon.co.jp here.

*Please keep in mind that not all Baby Signs products use ASL signs - some are made up - so the quality and usefulness of the products varies greatly.

Parents magazine has an online article with the basic potty signs pictured and described. Here it is:
http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/potty-training/tips/potty-train-with-sign-language/

Of course a post about potty training resources would not be complete unless it pointed you to the Baby Signing Time "Diaper Dance" song!

Sign of the Week

The sign of the week this week is....

(drum roll)

Cracker!

Signing Time on Mixi!

A Signing Time fan page has been started on Mixi (the Japanese anwer to Facebook). Please feel free to join!

MixiにSigning Time ファンのページをつくりました！ぜひ、見てください！http://mixi.jp/view_community.pl?id=5061344

Sign of the Week

The Sign of the Week for last week was the letter "b". I wonder what it will be this week?

Graduate T-Shirts

There are many special benefits to teaching your child to sign. So many in fact that extra perks really aren't needed...

but...

If you take a class from a Signing Time Academy certified teacher there is a chance you may be able to get this super cute shirt! We offer them to all the kids who complete our Baby Signing Time ☆ Sign and Play ☆ classes at Hana House.

On the front is says "Signing Time Academy Graduate" and on the back "I can talk with my hands... Can you?"

On iTunes

Did you know that Signing Time is on iTunes?

Just go to iTunes and do a search for "Signing Time" to see what is currently avalible! I don't have an iPhone but the applications from Signing Time look very useful! I would download them if I could...

Hopkins Deluxe Playtime Kit

The Signing Time Academy has a special limited time offer on a U-Play mat, flashcard and Signing Time products set in their store. When I saw it I instantly had so many ideas about how we could use it! Here is a post on my other blog about some ways to use the mat.

I'm really excited about the possibilies for using the mat with the Signing Time and Baby Signing Time flashcards.

The cards pictured here are from the U-Play company set but you can get the idea...

One thing I've noticed in the Baby Signing Time classes that I teach is that the babies love the flashcards - sometimes a little too much! I can see the teacher sitting in middle with the moms and babies on the outside. The clear pockets could help protect the cards from too much baby love as well as prevent the cards of disappearing during the lesson. :-)

One possibility would be to match objects to the cards while teaching the sign for each object. Another would be matching the "Rachel" signing side of the card to the picture side. Oh, and when it is time to sing a song like "Pet's I Love" having the cards in order in the pockets would make it easy to point at which sign is coming next!

As you can see I'm excited about the U-Play mat and especially think that the Signing Time Hopkins Deluxe Playtime Kit is a great deal for use at home as well as in class!

Sign of the Week

Wouldn't you like some cookies to snack on? Well, since it's the Sign of the Week you'll now know the sign you need to ask for cookies!

http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/05/sign-of-the-week-cookie/

Babbling in Sign

This would make a lot more sense if I had a video... please try to hang in there through the explanation!

Signing babies often "babble" with their hands in the same way that speaking ones make those adorable baby noises. My son did it too but now at 2.5 he can usually sign or gesture what he wishes to communicate. On Sunday though I caught him babbling again - and it was so cute!

At our current church the services are translated into JSL (Japanese Sign Language) for members who can't hear. In the past month my son has really picked up on the idea of signing as real communication for a whole group of people. One of the main interpreters is also his Sunday School teacher so he's been learning some JSL from her.

The picture here is from a special cemetary service last weekend. That's my son perched on a stone immitating the interpreter. One the surface the difference between ASL (American Sign Language) and JSL may not appear to be much but if you've studied one or the other then they are clearly different languages.

While my son knows they are different he doesn't know enough JSL signs yet to copy what is being said but he has caught on to the basic hand movements enough to babble!

Oh, and he was so proud of himself for being able to babble... :-)

Sign of the Week

B-A-L-L you can spell it but can you sign it?

http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/05/sign-of-the-week-ball/

ASL on Glee

Ok, so we are a few seasons behind in Japan for most US TV shows... but if you catch Glee on Fox Japan this week you'll be in for a treat. The episode features a signed version of the song "Imagine". You can see a clip here.

Just another reminder that people who use sign language may be closer than you realize!

Sign of the Week

I'd like to share a sign with you, it's the sign for "share".

http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/05/sign-of-the-week-share/

Sign of the Week

I'm thirsty. Here's how to sign "drink". It's the Sign of the Week!

http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/04/sign-of-the-week-drink/

ABCs on Sesame Street

We love the Sesame Street podcast and homepage. Recently my son has begun trying to sign the ABCs so in addition to Signing Time he's been enjoying the ASL used on Sesame Street!

Sign of the Week

The sign of the week this week is "new"!

You can combine it with signs that we already know to say things like "new shoes" or "new baby".

http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/04/sign-of-the-week-new/

Sign of the Week

We are almost settled after the move to our new house. I hope to get back to posting soon!

In the mean time, here is the Sign of the Week for this week and last week!

http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/04/sign-of-the-week-socks/

http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/04/sign-of-the-week-doll/

Sign of the Week

Yummy! Yummy! This week's sign is apple!

http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/03/sign-of-the-week-apple/

Sign of the Week

Can you sign "train"?

Check this out:

http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/03/sign-of-the-week-train/

A Signing Moment

I was going through pictures on my computer the other day when Icame across this "Signing Moment". Even at 18 months old my son loved to watch the Baby Signing Time and Signing Time DVDs and sign along!

Here he's signing "stop".

Sign of the Week

This week's Sign of the Week is WATER!

A Signing Moment

While we were getting ready to go to the park this morning my son was standing in the genkan talking and signing to himself. Here's the little bit I caught on video.

2 yrs. 5 months old

Signs used: restaurant, helicopter, firefighter, airplane, bye

Our Signing Time Top 3

My 2 yr. old has long mastered the Baby Signing Time DVDs. Since he comes to class with me every week now we rarely watch them at home. Instead, we've moved on to Series 1 of the Signing Time DVDs.

Here youtube clips from are our top 3 favorites:

3. Signing Time! Volume 11 : My Neighborhood

If you ask my son why he likes this one you'll get a one word answer - firefighter. As the title says these are the signs you'll use when talking about the world around you. Giving names to jobs and buildings is a great way to increase vocabulary!

2. Signing Time! Volume 8: The Great Outdoors

We watched this first when my son was about 18 months old. Soon after that we took a trip to my hometown and these signs handy! He used "explore" at my Grandma's house to tell us he was taking off to get the lay of the land.

1. Signing Time! Volume 9: The Zoo Train

A must-see before your next trip to a zoo or aquarium! Again, we got this when my son was about 18 months old but I wish we would have bought it sooner. He learned the animal names very quickly. He continues to use many of the animal signs as so many of their names are difficult to pronounce in either Japanese or English.

One warning though - the ♫Zoo Train♫ song will get stuck in your head! ☺

土曜ベビーサイン・ワークショップ BST Sign and Play in English on Saturdays!

Have you ever wanted to take the Sign and Play classes but couldn't make it on a week day? At Hana House we're offering a 4 session condensed version of the classes on Saturday mornings. There are still a couple of spots open so reserve your's now!
Want more information? Go to http://www.hanahouse.jp/ The first class is this Saturday!

平日働くママ＆パパのためのクラスです。通常１６回行われるベビーサインのレッスンを全４回に凝縮し、ベビーサインの概要と主なサインをご紹介していきます。３週に１回開催のゆっくりペースで、パパもママもご自由にご参加いただけます。ベビーサインの継続練習として、あるいは言葉を話しはじめの赤ちゃんの英語の語彙習得のレッスンとしてお気軽にご参加ください。
●全４回（3/13、4/3、4/24、5/15）
http://www.hanahouse.jp/

sign of the Week

Can you sign theletter "a"?

Take a look at the sign of the week!

http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/03/sign-of-the-week-a

Sign of the Week

Are you hungry?

Here's the Sign of the Week from Signing Time!

http://www.signingtime.com/blog/2010/03/sign-of-the-week-hungry/

Class Starts Tomorrow!

Tomorrow, March 3rd, we are starting a new session of Baby Signing Time ☆ Sign and Play ☆ classes!

This is the second set of classes (therefore called "more"). However, you don't need to have experience before joining the class. It will be held for 8 lessons on Tuesdays at 1pm at Hana House. Please go to the Hana House homepage for more information: http://www.hanahouse.jp/babyclass.html and reserve your space via phone or e-mail!

ベビーサイン「More Baby Signing TiME」 空席のご案内

本クラスは、ベビーサイン・ベーシッククラスの継続クラスとなりますが、今季お仕事に復職されるお母様が複数名いらっしゃり空席ができましたので、ベビーサイン＆英語に興味のある方にお席をお譲りできることになりました。外遊びが楽しくなってきた１歳過ぎのこどもたちにお楽しみいただける内容です。はじめての方もお気軽にどうぞ。

＜More Baby Signing TiME! クラス・スケジュール＞
●全８回（3/2、3/16、3/23、4/13、4/20、4/27、5/11、5/18）
すべて火曜13:00～14:00
連絡先はハナハウスのホームページにhttp://www.hanahouse.jp/

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

In class we use the Sign and Sing Along book "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear". Here is what happened at home one day after class!

Benefits of Signing

The following is an article written by another Signing Time instructor. I hope you enjoy it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why Would You Teach a Hearing Child Sign Language?

A few short years ago, if you'd seen a parent and child using American Sign Language in a park or at a store, it would have been safe to assume that one of the two was Deaf. However there are now thousands of hearing parents teaching their hearing children how to sign basic words, due, in part, to the popularity of the hit PBS show Signing Time! Baby signing classes are popping up all over the United States as parents proudly showcase their toddlers' approximations of MILK and MORE, and it isn't only infants that are learning signs. How, and why, did this phenomenon come about?

Speech and Language professionals have been using American Sign Language signs to help hearing children communicate with their parents for over 25 years. The reason? Babies often have the motor skills and ability to understand communication far earlier than they are ready to begin oral speech (Robertson, 2007), and parents have found that sign language allows them to communicate with their children at as young as six months of age. Most people have seen pre-verbal children waving “bye-bye” before they can say it, or raising their arms in an attempt to get someone to lift them up, and teaching children American Sign Language signs is the next logical step. Parents of signing children rave that their kids began talking early, grasped the concept of language very young, and have fewer temper tantrums because of their ability to communicate with their caregivers. Sign is also embraced by many parents of children with speech and other developmental delays, as most Speech and Language Pathologists agree that sign facilitates the acquisition of verbal communication (Robertson, 2007). Simply put, it works.

What about other parents, though? Those whose children are already verbal, and able to hear? Is there any reason for parents to work on teaching signs to their older, healthy and developmentally typical children? The benefits of teaching American Sign Language signs to preschool and elementary-aged children are threefold, positively affecting a child's cognitive, academic and social growth, besides the obvious advantage were the child ever to lose their hearing.

In the realm of cognitive development, it seems that children who learn sign have larger vocabularies than those who don't, and retain superior language skills even after they stop signing. A recent study compared “groups of children who were exposed to sign for a single school year” with groups who were taught a similar curriculum without the use of sign language (Robertson, 2007). The researchers found that those children whose education had included manual communication developed better vocabulary skills during the year they were signing, and that they retained a larger vocabulary in the following year. At the end of the multiple-year study, the researchers found that “the more varied ways a child is exposed to language, the more retention and learning of that language will take place” (Robertson, 2007).

A larger vocabulary would seem to be an academic boon, as well. However, knowing the rudiments of a second language gives a child an even more impressive edge on their classmates, and American Sign Language is recognized as its own language, separate from English (Wilcox, 1999). Most parents know that learning a second language is important, and the proliferation of early immersion programs at the elementary level show that Portland parents have grasped that younger children learn and retain new languages much easier than older children and adults. However, a York University study seems to indicate that having a second language actually changes the way the brain works, which allowed “bilingual children [to] outperform monolingual students on tasks involving...abstract thinking, planning, initiating and inhibiting actions” (Exchange, 2010). Experience with another language is also a requirement for most colleges and universities in the United States.

So, it seems that signing with your child will make them smarter and help them do better in school, but did you know that it can also help them make the world a warmer and more inclusive place for others? Rachel Coleman, the creator of Signing Time! (and its Emmy-nominated star) has shared how her Deaf daughter, Leah, was ostracized on the playground and on her soccer team because the other children mistakenly believed she couldn't communicate with them. After a boy on Leah's soccer team refused to play with her, Rachel took a chance at the local school and volunteered to read and sign a story to the little boy's class. At the next practice, the boy “rushed up to Leah signing, 'FRIEND-PLAY-BALL!'” Rachel continues, “He wasn’t fluent in ASL. He hadn’t taken an ASL course. He only remembered three signs. Three signs changed their world!” (Examiner, 2010). Rachel's story illustrates how just a few signs mean that when a hearing child meets a Deaf child at school or encounters someone signing at their neighborhood park, the two won't have a language barrier to their friendship.

So, why do the parents of hearing children insist on their children learning American Sign Language signs? Because the knowledge will be good for their minds, good for their grades, and good for their hearts.

Sources:

Exchange Magazine. (2010). “Bilingualism boosts children’s focus, lessens distraction: York U study.” Editorial. Retrieved from:http://www.exchangemagazine.com/morn...day/020311.htm.

Robertson, Shari. (2007). “Using Sign to Facilitate Oral Language: Building a Case with Parents.” Speech Pathology.com. Retrieved from:http://www.speechpathology.com/Artic...article_id=315.

Sedlock, Heather. (2010). Examiner. “Signing Time Videos to be aired on Nick Jr: Interview with creator Rachel Coleman.” Retrieved from:http://www.examiner.com/x-/x-10560-Special-Needs-Kids-Examiner~y2010m1d4-Signing-Time-Videos-to-be-aired-on-Nick-Jr-Interview- with-creator-Rachel-Coleman.

Wilcox, Sherman. (1999). “American Sign Language as a Foreign Language”. Center for Applied Lingusistics. Retrieved from:http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/ASL.html.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Carissa Martos mothers, writes and teaches ASL vocabulary to children and families in Portland, Oregon. Besides running PDX Loves Signing, she holds a degree in English from the University of California in Berkeley, and is working towards her Master's In Teaching.

Visit her site here: www.pdxlovessigning.com

Signing Time - Sign of the Week

The sign for the week is "play"!

Student becomes Teacher

When I teach the Baby Signing Time classes at Hana House my son usually comes along. He loves playing with the "babies" and participating in some of the class activities.

This afternoon he became the teacher and his stuffed animals became the students.

He started with reviewing yesterday's lessons about feelings.

The "new" lesson focused on signing the word "play".

Even at 2 years and 4 months we are still enjoying Baby Signing Time. We have also moved on to the first series of Signing Time videos.

まてまてまて

Here is a little video of reading (signing) a children's book at 1 year, 5 months old.

Bilingual Families benefit from Signing

My son is growing up in a multilingual enviroment with two predominent spoken languages (Japanese and English). Recently a friend, who also has a signing, bilingual (J/E) child, and I were comparing notes. We've seen how signing helps our children to connect their two spoken languages. Eventually I will get my ideas together enough to write a post about it. For now you can look at the Creating a Bilingual Family page on BabiesAndSignLnaguage.com.

Signing Time - Sign of the Week

The sign for this week is milk. It is one of the most used signs in our home!

Olympic Sale!

In honor of the Olympics you can get some real deals at the Signing Time Academy Store!

FREE Plush HOPKINS ON ANY ORDER OVER $50!!
Join in the Olympic spirit and save!

Bronze: save 5% when you order $50 - $99.99
Silver: save 10% when you order $100 - $199.99
GOLD: save 15% when you order $200+
One free plush Hopkins on any order over $50!

You must add Hopkins to your cart to receive this special.

This special applies to purchases made today through the end of the Winter Olympics (Feb. 28, 2010).

Signing in Daily Life

The video is grainy (I'm not an expert!) but the basic idea is understandable.

These clips come from moments captured on our digital camera. This glimpse can help you to see the benefits of signing with infants and toddlers in daily life!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Have you ever wondered how to greet someone for Valentine's Day in Sign Language?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Signing Time - Sign of the Week

This week the Sign of the Week is Friend!

Benefits of Signing

There are so many wonderful benefits to learning Sign Language. It's a hands-on way to help kids learn to communicate. Infants who are exposed to Sign Language often communicate sooner and have less frustration than their non-signing friends.

For more information go to the Signing Time Resources page.