When it comes to baby sign language things have changed a lot since I first started Baby Hands over 5 years ago.

In the early days virtually nobody in Australia had heard of baby sign language and most parents assumed it was something for Deaf babies and not something they needed to bother with. (more…)

# Update, you can now watch this episode direct on our blog here.

Several weeks ago I got a call from New Idea TV who wanted to do a feature on Australian Baby Hands and our baby sign language classes.

It’s very exciting, as we shot this a few weeks ago, and it will be going to air this Thursday (20th August) at 3pm on Channel 7.

In this segment you will get to see Lena, our Northern Beaches teacher in action. With mums, dads & babies in attendance, Lena introduces baby sign language through songs, activities, stories and Sammy the signing bear.

You’ll see how much children love the workshop and how they start to use signs during the class.

If you’re curious to know what a baby sign workshop is all about, tune in on Thursday and you’ll get to see how fun and educational a baby sign class can be for you and your baby.

If you would like to attend a class then please visit our teachers page and contact them directly for class details in your area.

Please note if you do live outside the current teacher areas but have a mothers group or other group of friends that you would like to get together to organise a class, please contact your nearest teacher and they may be able to come to you.

If you have any questions that you would like to ask me in person I’m appearing at several bookshops over the next few weeks so come along and say hello if you are in the area.

Happy Signing

Jackie

I am holding some baby sign language events  over the coming weeks in Borders stores in NSW. They are starting this week and if you live nearby and would like to come along, it would be great to see you there.

The events are being held at the following Borders stores:

Borders Hornsby

Date: Thursday August 13^th 2009

Address: Shop 2042-204
Westfield Shopping Centre
236 Pacific Highway
Hornsby, NSW 2077

Time: 11am

Borders Tuggerah

Date: Thursday August 20^th 2009

Address: Shop 2029
Westfield Tuggerah
Cnr Wyong & Gavenlock Roads
Tuggerah, NSW 2259

Time: 11am

Borders Macarthur Square

Date: Thursday September 10^th 2009
(please note this date has changed from the previous date of the 26th August)

Address: Shop L02 L087
Macarthur Square Shopping Centre
Gilchrist Drive
Campbelltown, NSW 2560

Time: 11am

I will be running through your most frequently asked baby sign language questions and demonstrating how to introduce baby sign language into your home.

I hope to see you there.

Happy Signing!

Jackie

So many people think when they hear “Baby sign language”, that this is something which I can use with my pre-verbal baby to assist with communication.  Baby sign language is a tool that can be incorporated into your home and used with both your young pre-verbal baby but also with their older siblings.

Children of all ages love to use their hands to communicate.  This can be seen when children sing “Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes” and they do the actions by pointing at the various body parts.  Lots of nursery rhymes such as “Incy Wincy Spider” allow children to be expressive with their hands while being verbal.  This is why children of all ages LOVE baby sign language.

So what is the benefit of introducing baby sign language to the older brothers and sisters of your pre-verbal baby, who are either partially or fully verbal?  Dr Marilyn Daniels, a professor of communication arts and sciences at Penn State University, is an authority of studying the benefits of teaching sign language to children in preschool through to sixth grade. She encourages hearing children to become full participants in language and communication with their family and peers at a young age through the use of sign language.

Children in Dr Daniels studies were found to have benefited from signing in the following ways:
•    Improved their English vocabulary
•    Improved understanding of concepts
•    Number, letter & sound recognition
•    Reading readiness
•    Better spelling ability by teaching children to read using sign language.

Children are quick to pick up sign language and they can be helpful as you begin to introduce it to your pre-verbal baby.  I get many emails from the older brothers and sisters of pre-verbal children who know all 60 signs in the Australian Baby Hands book and are requesting to learn more signs so they can introduce it in their “news” story at school the next week or to their family or siblings.  Some children look on it as their own secret language that not everyone knows but it enables them to speak to their younger pre-verbal siblings.

So not only will baby sign language be fun with all the family involved, it will be beneficial for your baby as more people are signing to them and it will be easier and faster for them to make the connection of what is it you are trying to communicate. It is also a fantastic educational tool for all your children, your baby and their older brothers and sisters, assisting with their language, vocabulary, reading and spelling ability.

Start Sibling signing today!

I’ve been meaning to add this post for a couple of weeks but time just slipped away from me.

As I mentioned in my post blog at the beginning of February Baby Hands On TV where our Pine Rivers Teacher Natalie, was featured in Channel 10’s News Report on Baby Sign and I was due to go on 9am with David & Kim a couple of weeks after.

A lot of people missed the 9am with David & Kim Show but you can watch the segment on the David & Kim website.

I always get really nervous doing these TV shows but David and Kim were really friendly before hand trying to put us at ease and forget about the thousands of people watching live.

Hope you enjoy the segment and and a big thank you to Jennifer for coming on the show with me and bringing her daughter Ursala along

There is not a day that goes by that I don’t get an email from parents telling me stories of how baby sign has made their life easier and created a less frustrated well mannered child.   My Book, DVD, Flashcards & Poster have two signs in common which help parents introduce manners to their children.  So what are these signs that will help you introduce manners to your child?

These signs which are common in all the Australian Baby Hands products and they are “Please” and “Thank You“.

“Please” and “Thank You” are great signs to start introducing the abstract concept of manners to your child.  To introduce these signs, start ending every request by signing and saying the word “please” and once you have carried out the request, sign and say the word “thank you”.

Like all words in baby sign, it will become a habit for your child to use these signs over time.  Consistency is the key.

Below are other examples of where manners can be taught using baby sign language.

Social Situations:  when they meet and greet others, encourage the use of the sign and word “Hello“.  When you are leaving, you can introduce the sign for “Goodbye“. Also introducing the sign for “Sorry” can be beneficial.

Mealtimes:  Signs that can be introduced here are “please”, “thank you”.  Once your baby has begun to combine signs, you can introduce the following combinations “more – please”, “finished – thank you”, “help – please”.

I look forward to hearing your baby sign language story about manners!

I recently read an article on the Essential Baby website entitled “Eighteen kids not enough” which told the story of a woman in the U.S. who had just given birth to her 18th child. This reminded me of my Grandmother in Ireland who also gave birth to 18 children.

With such large families, communication can be difficult and there must be moments of frustration for both the parents and children. I have often noted how my mother would sometimes say things multiple times to me as she grew up in an environment where you had to say things more than once to be heard. Can you imagine trying to get your mothers attention while 17 others are also trying to do the same thing?

If only baby sign language had been around in my grandmothers day, I am sure it would have made her life a whole lot easier and may have enabled my mother and her siblings to communicate more effectively using baby sign language. Instead of having 18 children all trying to get her attention verbally, she would quickly be able to prioritise who needed what and when by scanning the room for signs. This would be just one of the benefits of baby sign language that my grandmother would have experienced.

From the photo accompanying this article, it looks like this lady has already introduced baby sign language to her children. If not, maybe its something the Duggar family should consider.

This is the time to make your new years resolutions and a perfect time to start something new or give something a second chance. Many parents have used the New Year as a time to learn and introduce baby sign language into their home. For those of you out there who are yet to start on your baby sign language adventure, here are some steps on how to achieve baby sign language success.

For those of you who have tried it before and just have not seen the results, there are many reasons for this. Some include how consistent you are, how frequently you are signing, what signs you are using and how many family members are involved in the process.

My advice to you is to not give up. Baby sign language is worth the wait and your baby’s first sign is as special as your baby’s first word. If you would like to add baby sign language to your list of New Years resolutions, this article on mixing practical and motivating signs will definitely help you.

Happy New Year & Happy Signing!

As I mentioned in my last blog post I recently got selected to be one of ten local authors interviewed at Woollarah’s local writer festivals.

As promised I have put up the video of my interview for you here so you can see Irena Dunn interview on my book and ask me questions about baby sign language.

One very interesting thing was that straight away the first question Irena asked me was, “Can baby sign be used with hearing babies?”

It seems there’s still a big misconception out there that baby sign is for deaf babies or those with learning disabilities which is not true. As babies vocal chords don’t develop until around 18 months but their physical motor skills to be able to sign begin at around 6 months there is a large gap where children are able to communicate physically but not verbally. This is where baby sign can be so useful in all children’s lives helping to reduce frustration and break down the communication barrier.

Enjoy the video and I hope you like the impromptu sign demonstrations at the end.

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