Complete Stage 1 Handouts

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Transcript of Complete Stage 1 Handouts

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    STAGE ONE

    We hope you and your baby have enjoyed your first Sing and Sign class! As you have just seen, we

    teach our signs through the songs and we hope you have already learned some useful first signs totry at home! These weekly handouts will serve as a reminder of some of the ideas expressed inclass.

    What do you do when you get home?You have just used some signs for eat and drink in class. As a starting point at home, choose amealtime when you and your baby are both relaxed. As you put down the bowl or offer the spoon youcan sign Time to eat now. Remember to always say the word as you sign it. It is as simple asthat! Remember the more you use a certain sign, the more likely your baby will start to recognise it incontext and anticipate what is about to happen. Get in the habit and aim to adopt these signs as anatural and habitual part of daily routines. Repetition is the key!

    Eat, Drink and Milk are good to start with, but you can use some other signs tooMore is an ideal first sign, babies always want more of something! When you think your babywants another biscuit, another song or another game of peek-a- boo, sign (and say) Wouldyou like some more? All gone , (or finished ) is a versatile sign to use many times throughout the day. When a TVprogramme ends, when a plate is empty (or your baby has had enough), when a game is over,when a visitor leaves the house etc. All gone is often one of the first signs to be initiated bybabies.

    I want some more , I want some more ,Please, please I want more Its all gone, its all gone

    Finished, finished its all gone !

    The Sing and Sign Guidelines Follow these and you cant go wrong!Begin with basics such as eat, drink, milk , more and all gone (finished ),Follow your babys lead. From 9 months onwards, watch to see what interests your baby.Introduce signs for those words your baby might WANT to sayAlways say the word as you sign. Never sign in silence.Speak slowly but in a natural way, maintaining eye contact if possible.Keep it simple , use just one sign per sentence when speaking with your baby. (Signing fullersentences is fine in songs).Happily accept any signing attempts by your baby, even approximate imitations of the signsyou show............but you must be consistent in how you show a sign, however your baby adapts it.Avoid trying to get your baby to perform signs for relatives or friends.Be patient and relaxed about baby signing.Praise, praise, praise!

    FinishedMore

    Welcome to Baby Signing the fun way!

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    The No! signWe are not encouraging you to be negative with your babies, quite the opposite, however there willbe times when a Dont touch (for instance) is appropriate .

    This sign illustrates perfectly the expressiveness of a simple gesture. A very clear meaning is presentin the body language of this sign. The No sign covers a whole range of words and can help your babys growing understanding of everyday language such as dont ; mustnt ; didnt, none, never ;nothing ; no more ... the list could go on and on, but the sign is the same and is very simple. Get inthe habit of using it you will find the sign does the shouting for you!

    Dont wipe your nose on the sofa !Dont shut your fingers in the door,

    You shouldnt , you mustnt , you cant touch that andDont eat that biscuit off the floor !

    Your baby will benefit from seeing these gestures used regularlyParents who have enjoyed baby signing always remember the thrill and excitement of seeing theirbabys first sign, but Sing and Sign emphasises that some of the most significant benefits of babysigning are achieved long before your baby uses his/her own signs. The advantages for your babybegin as soon as parents get into the habit of using a few of these simple gestures consistently. Ba-bies learn to understand words we say by their constant repetition. By signing the important words,you show your baby which to latch on to. Baby signing offers gentle and repetitious input whichsparks connections of understanding and recognition in your babys developing brain at a very earlystage. Remember :

    a young babys understanding is basically still at a one -word level;you use a sign to highlight the most important key word of a sentence;When you use a sign you are inclined to speak more slowly;This helps your baby absorb more language and understand more and more!

    The most rewarding time for you the parent, comes of course when your baby starts to use thesesigns too, but dont be impatient. This early stage is wonderful for your baby, make the most of it!

    No

    Body Language

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    Playing where? gamesBaby signing is wonderful fun for all the family. Older siblings love it. They often master signs quicklyand adore this special communication with their little brother or sister. A fun way to introduce other family members to your babys signing is through playing simple hiding games with cuddly toys. Usethe Where ? sign and of course the more? sign if your baby is enjoying the game.

    In our Peek -a- Boo section each week we hide Jessie Cat. Babies at class grow to love Jessie andlook forward to seeing her, she is so popular she now has her own exclusive club! Your teacher cantell you more about that.

    Where , oh where , oh where is Jessie ?Where , oh where , oh where is Jessie ?Where , oh where , oh where is Jessie ?

    Where has Jessie gone?

    ResearchIncluding sign language in the communication mix can eliminate the frustration both parent and child often experience as they attempt to comprehend each other. It fosters pleasant discourse, clarifies meaning and creates better understanding between them. With the keener understanding, there also comes an authentic grasp of content. Sign does not hinder language development in any way; rather it fosters it. It picks up on the natural visual acuity young children possess and uses it to the childsadvantage. (Taken from Dancing with Words, Signing for Hearing Childrens Literacy by MarilynDaniels PhD Associate Professor of Speech Communication, Pennsylvania State University)

    Aside from the obvious benefits of pleasurable and successful communication between parent andchild, research is showing signing actually encourages the development of a babys speech. (To readmore about what the experts say, visit our website www.singandsign.com )

    Boo!

    CatWhere?

    Fun and games with Jessie Cat

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    Going outGoing out with Mummy or Daddy is major event for a baby and we recommend showing signs for theplaces you visit regularly and also using a sign when it is time to go home . Home is a particularlyimportant sign as it is such a nice place to be! Label your babys world in this way and you can sharea lovely conversation at bedtime about what you have done together and where you have been.

    The Sing and Sign programme uses signs such as these, based on the vocabulary of your babysworld. These are simple concepts and simple themes but happily extend your babys growing under-standing.

    Baby signing is really very easy! It isnt necessary to learn a whole dictionary of sign language, thekey to inspiring your babys signing is to use just a few gestures for the things your baby is most in-terested in. Sing and Sign songs are all about a babys familiar routines like bath time, bedtime andmealtime or about fun things such as animals and vehicles. These are the things babies like to talkabout.

    Were going to the park Were going to the park ,

    Ee-i-a- dio were going to the park

    And now were going home Now were going home

    Ee-i-a- dio, now were going home .

    Follow your babys leadEach baby has different interests and while one points to and is excited by anything with wheels, an-other may be fascinated by the family cat or the swings in the park. You know your child, and onlyyou know what other signs will be motivating. As your baby points to something of interest, thenlooks back to you, show the relevant signs. By enjoying Sing and Sign songs as the course pro-gresses you will learn many of the signs your baby may show a keenness for. If there are any otherwords you would like to know a sign for, ask your teacher.

    Go out Home

    Lets go out!

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    Nappy change and bath time .... sing along!Even if you think your singing is not up to scratch, your baby will love to hear it! This week you haveheard two fun songs for some very important daily routines.

    Splashy, Sploshy, Splish! Babies love to splash along in the bath with this one and especiallyseem to like hearing the accompanying splashing, giggling and bath time noises on the Time to Singand Sign CD. The signs for duck, boat and fish are popular early signs for many babies.

    Change Your Nappy Some babies love to stare up at Mummy or Daddy and enjoy this song whileon the changing mat. Others hear the opening bars of the song as their cue to scramble away as fastas they can!

    Change your nappy, change your nappy,Carefully, carefully

    Throw it in the dustbin, throw it in the dustbin,Now youre clean , nice and clean !

    (If you use real nappies you could sing Throw it in the wash bin if you prefer!)

    Your babys first signSigning comes quicker for some babies than others, just as speech does. Babies are all gloriously

    different in the speed and nature of various aspects of their development but you can be certain thatin using some keyword signs with your speech you are giving your baby a head start in communica-tion (see page 2 of your handouts). If you are consistent in using the signs you have chosen, yourbaby will be noticing, listening and learning gradually by your example while taking great strides incomprehension and vocabulary. You will see some signs when your baby is ready and has some-thing to say!Parents who have come to Sing and Sign tell some amazing and often amusing stories of the mo-ment their baby first used a sign. Some are textbook examples signing milk quite early and soonmoving on to asking for more. Others chose animals first, duck seems to be a popular first favouritefor many babies.

    Summer did her first sign one morning over breakfast. She kept putting her finger in her ear.I thought she had an earache. Then she did it again and pointed to the window and did a bird sign, she was telling me she could hear the birds outside. We were both very excited that we understood each other. It was a very emotional moment for me as Summer was only 10 months old.

    Change (nappy) Clean

    Bath time

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    STAGE ONE

    How does your baby feel?A new group of signs to try this week. When your baby is angry , sad , tired or frightened try show-ing sympathy and understanding by labeling such feelings with signs. This can be comforting. Tod-dlers who have become used to seeing the angry sign often will use it themselves to channel theirfrustration. The range of signs for emotions are valuable because they encourage you to give yourbaby labels for those feelings beyond their control. This can help them to cope and feel understood.

    If youre angry and you know it stamp your feet!If youre angry and you know it stamp your feet!

    If youre angry and you know itand you really want to show itIf youre angry and you know it stamp your feet

    Keep it simpleThe more signs you learn, the more tempted you may be to use more than you need! But the magicof baby signing lies in its simplicity. Although you can use as many interesting signs as you like withyour baby, just remember to use only one in each sentence.

    For instance if wanting to draw your babys attention to a bird in the garden you just speak normally,saying and signing Look up there, see the pretty bird in the tree! Do you see the bird ? Although

    you may already have used the signs for up and tree and pretty with your baby on other occasions,we recommend the most simple keyword approach. Just one sign per sentence.

    When signing along to action songs this rule need not apply. In the Sing and Sign programme weoften use more than one sign in each phrase of a song. This is because we aim to show you asmany signs as we can in our sessions and to give you practice in fluency and co-ordination! So whileyou learn signs from our songs, your baby will learn from you gradually and naturally in your every-day exchanges.

    Although you may know many signs by now, dont be tempted to over use them when talking withyour baby! Keep it simple.

    Happy Angry

    How does your baby feel?

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    STAGE ONE

    Ouch!Tying in with last weeks range of feelings signs, try signing pain whenever your baby bumps orhurts themselves this week. Many babies respond very well to this sign and use it appropriately.

    Ouch! said the baby as she fell down on the floor.Ouch! said the baby as she bumped into the door.

    Ouch! said the baby, she cried and she said Oww! Kiss went the mummy as she said All better now!

    Recognising your babys first signsThe early signs your baby produces may be only rough approximations of the ones you have shown.For example, a baby may use the sign for more by tapping one hand on the back of the other oreven on the forearm. Some even just clap their hands together or attempt some other variation. Thisis to be expected and is completely normal. The accuracy of a babys hand shapes when signing isnot at all important, it is the message that counts! If you think you have seen a sign used in contextthen praise your baby by repeating the word in question while modeling the sign correctly. Dont betempted to adapt your version of the sign to match your babys. You should be consistent and yourbaby will refine his or her signs to match your own over time.

    Sometimes a baby will use only that first sign for a while, sometimes in context, sometimes to com-municate about everything! You may be thrilled your baby has pointed out the ducks in the park witha duck sign, then the next day you find he uses the same sign when he sees a cat! You might findthis perplexing but it is a common phenomenon and follows exactly the same pattern as a babys firstspoken words. Your baby has made a tremendous breakthrough in realising that he or she can beunderstood and now can begin to refine his or her attempts to get messages across. This all falls intoplace soon enough and then parents often see an explosion of their babys signing.

    Pain Fall

    Oh dear, did you hurt yourself?

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    STAGE ONE

    Help !Some parents have had great success with the help sign and open is particularly useful. Aswell as being easy for babies to do, open is the kind of gesture that encourages communica-tion because the result is instant and (in the case of a yoghurt pot or toy box) often rewarding!

    Open shut them, open shut them, give a little clap.Open shut them, open shut them, lay them in your lap.

    Mummyhelp me, Daddy help me, I am in a muddleMummyhelp me, Daddy help me, now I need a cuddle.

    If my baby learns signs will he still learn to talk?Yes, of course he will! Signs are never used instead of words and your baby will be greatlyencouraged to communicate verbally, not in any way discouraged. Baby signing is not a re-placement for talking to your baby, in practice it encourages you to talk more ! The use of ges-ture is a natural form of early communication and doesn't get in the way of learning to talk,other than to give it a boost!Bye -bye is often among the earliest words babies say. Think about how we all encouragebabies to wave "goodbye", recognising they will enjoy this and that it helps to make themaware of an important concept . There seem to be four typical stages :

    1. Your baby will first start to recognise and enjoy Mummy and Daddy waving goodbye2. Then start to imitate you when you wave (probably to great applause and family excite-

    ment!)3. Soon start to wave spontaneously as you get ready to leave (this is when we would say

    the baby is 'signing')4. Eventually say the words "bye-bye!" while waving.

    The waving has actually encouraged this baby to say the word because of the positive feed-back and enjoyment of the sign. It is the same principle with other words and other signs!

    Open Help

    Would you like some help?

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    STAGE ONE

    Reading a book togetherSome of the best opportunities to enjoy signing with your baby come when you look at a booktogether. Many books for babies show everyday objects, animals, vehicles.... lots to talk about. Itis not an ideal way for your baby to learn new signs, as you are both looking at the pages ratherthan each other, but when your baby already knows and uses a few signs you can both enjoynaming what you see with the signs you know. From your babys point of view, books becomemore of a shared experience as rather than always being read to , he or she can read somepages to you! (Dont put any pressure on your baby to sign words just because you know he or she can, there will undoubtedly be times when your baby will want you to do all the work!)

    Lullaby, Lullaby, going upstairs to bed now.Change your nappy, brush your teeth , read a story book or two.Weve had fun all day long, now we must say Goodnight

    One more little kiss , then well turn off the light .

    If your baby attends a NurseryMost nurseries will have at least one member of staff who will be familiar with many of the ges-tures we use at Sing and Sign. Tell the Nursery Leader what you are doing with your baby andexplain that the signs are largely compatible with Makaton and similar systems. She is likely to bevery interested. You can print out some favourite signs from our website for the nursery, to ensureyour babys enjoyment in successful communication continues even when you are not there.

    Many nursery chains are now adopting some simple signs as a part of the days regular routines.This helps the children anticipate what will happen next, understand boundaries, and helps pro-mote a calm atmosphere. Sing and Sign offers a Nursery Workshop Programme and if your nurs-ery would like to know more about how baby signing can help in childcare, please tell them tocontact your Sing and Sign teacher or visit our website.

    Bed Book

    Nearly the End of TermWe really hope you have enjoyed this term of Level One and that you are coming back formore after the holiday break! Next term will be very beneficial in consolidating what you havelearned. You will find you notice many more signs that perhaps you hadnt thought useful be-fore! As your babys desire to communicate grows and signing really takes a hold you will beputting it more into practice!

    A second term for a baby is especially good fun as he or she will be more mature, more aware,more sociable and more excited about Jessie Cat, the instruments, the structure of class andthe other babies.

    Time for bed

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    STAGE ONE

    PeopleBy having signs for the names of favourite friends and relatives you can enrich your babys ex-citement and anticipation at seeing them. You could simply choose gestures that indicate per-sonal characteristics such as glasses or a beard, or long hair. One parent gestured for herbabys brother and sister with the signs for clever and beautiful, very inventive!If you are struggling to invent a gesture you could use the sign for an initial letter (the alphabetis printed in our vocabulary book). Your baby will not quite have the fine motor control to formsome letter shapes accurately but this does not matter! Be accurate yourself and let your babyapproximate.

    Babys own picture bookIt is a nice idea to make up your babys own friends and family picture book. (This could just befrom snaps put aside as not quite good enough for your official family photo album.) A simpleslip- in album of your babys own can become a precious resource and makes lovely bedtimereading with plenty of opportunity to talk about loved ones and reinforce the signs.

    More to drink , more to eat One more biscuit , one more sweet .

    More tickles for tiny feet,More cuddles for Grandma .

    Grandma Granddad

    Child minders and grandparentsIf your baby spends some time in the care of others who do not use signs with him, dont letthat give you an excuse to be inconsistent yourself! You are still probably spending more thanenough time with your baby to make baby signing worthwhile. Morning and evening routines, amealtime or bath time all offer ideal opportunities to reinforce signs and can make your timetogether even more special. If whoever is looking after your child (a child minder or grandpar-ent) is happy to be consistent in using a few signs too then that is wonderful. You can create apage or two of your babys favourite signs from our website for them to refer to and lend themthe Sing and Sign video to show them how easy it is to do.

    What did you think?Please take the time to fill in our questionnaire which is attached. Your thoughts will really helpus maintain the high quality we know you expect. Thank you!

    Who do you love?

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    STAGE ONE

    How did you hear about Sing and Sign? .

    How long have you been attending? Is this your .. 1st term 2 nd term 3 rd term 4t h term

    Would you recommend Sing and Sign to a friend? Dont Know No Yes

    Are you happy the course has taught you adequately how to sign with your baby?Dont Know No Yes

    Did you enjoy the course? No Yes

    Did your baby enjoy the course? No Yes

    How did you find your venue facilities?Poor Adequate Good Very Good

    How would you rate your teachers Friendliness Poor Adequate Good Very Good

    Musical presentation Poor Adequate Good Very Good

    Command of the class Poor Adequate Good Very Good

    Have you bought any of the following Sing and Sign products from your teacher?

    Any other comments about your teacher or about the Sing and Sign programme?(Please continue overleaf if necessary)

    What did you think?

    Your teachers name Date .

    Venue/Hall .. Town .

    DVD Stage 1

    DVD Stage 2

    Vocabulary book

    Audio CDs

    Membership option

    Yes No, not yet Not aware thisproduct was available

    Please do take the time to fill in this questionnaire, your thoughts will really help us!You can return this form to your teacher, or send direct to :

    Sing and Sign Ltd, Unit 136, 91 Western Rd, Brighton BN1 2NW. Thank you!

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    STAGE ONE

    Snake Crocodile

    Hickory, Dickory, DockThe tiger , the snake and the croc!

    Animals are often the best signs of all!You may wonder why we use so many animal signs, after all your baby is unlikely to have anurgent need to tell you they have just seen a lion in the high street. Think again! Animal pic-tures, toys and references make up a major part of a small babys world. From the monkey pic-ture on his vest to the elephants on his curtains and his favourite book of Spot the Dog, animalsare everywhere! Even more exciting is that your baby loves to talk about them. Ask any parentof a signing baby what the favourite signs are and animals of all shapes and sizes will featurestrongly.Animal and vehicle signs are great fun and also offer opportunity to encourage your baby toplay around with the sounds which are the building blocks of future speech. You may not bekeen to call a sheep a Baa Baa or to call a aeroplane a Neeowww, but sounds such asthese are wonderful practice for those little mouths in getting around the speech sounds theywill soon be using.So have fun with it!

    If you are worried about your childs speechBabies are different and there is a wide variation in how each baby develops his/her speechand language skills. There is little to be gained by comparing your child with others. Howevercertain milestones are typical. If you are concerned about any aspect of your babys communi-cation, your Health Visitor or doctor can refer your child to a speech and language therapist foradvice. You can make this referral yourself if necessary. (Details of your local speech and lan-guage therapy service can be found through the telephone directory, your GP or the library.) Ifindeed your child does have a developmental speech and language difficulty, you will havehelped a great deal by introducing some signing. Simple signing is often the first recommenda-tion made by speech and language therapists for speech delayed children.

    Animals, animals, animals!

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    STAGE ONE

    My baby recognises lots of signs and responds to them, butstill doesnt use any!!This is not unusual! Consistency at home is usually the key but some babies are just later tocommunicate than others. If you feel impatient that your baby has not yet returned the signsyou have been using, dont worry and remember that the journey towards speech is not arace. Put no pressure on yourself or on your baby. Your babys desire to communicate withyou will be strong and your patience will be rewarded. The joy and excitement of yourbabys first signs will make it all worthwhile!

    I came to Sing and Sign classes for a term with my little girl, Vegas before she used any signs. It seemed to me every baby there was doing it but her. It was funny how it finally happened. She had never tasted ice cream before in her life... then her dad gave her some to try. She immediately signed for more .She obviously just needed to feel passionate about something! Her vocabulary soared after that, it has been amazing. (Lucy)

    Dont forget the fun ones!Dont forget, although you may think it very useful for your baby to tell you she is hungry, or

    thirsty or that she needs her nappy changed, there is a good chance you are an attentiveparent and your baby never needs or wants to communicate these things! Fun signs are thekey! Light and hot, pictured below are two of the most popular and surprising first signsbabies commonly use!

    Light Hot

    What does your baby like to talk about?

    See you next term!

    Lets recap