We’ve always tried to incorporate a little signing in our homeschool studies, but face it, learning signing from a book isn’t easy. We had tried some of the ASL videos from the library, but they weren’t much better. That is, until we found the Signing Time videos at the library! If you live near us, you won’t find them at the library, because we usually have them checked out. (sorry . . ) Rachael even found a deal on Ebay and bought the entire set, but said many of the deals on Ebay cost more. If you watch Amazon, someone might list one used for a cheaper price, but even most of the used ones on Amazon hold their value. It’s because they are the best videos for learning signing that’s on the market right now. Wait, I’m getting ahead of myself.
On SigningTime.com, you can watch short clips to get an idea of what I’m talking about. It’s done by a mom of a daughter that is deaf, and the whole family takes part in the videos. Mom has a great singing voice, and kids love watching other kids do the signs to songs. My son (that has Down Syndrome) amazed his special ed consultant with all the signs he learned in a very short time. It’s just because it’s so fun to do! During school time, all we did was set aside 30 minutes after lunch to watch one of the videos…standing up, of course! It’s active and engaging, your kids will LOVE these videos, I promise.
On their website, they also point out that babies that learn sign language at an early age have higher IQ’s, are better adjusted, and read at an earlier age. I’m not sure how they determine that, but I know that more and more parents are teaching their babies sign lanquage to help bridge the early communication barriers. How many moms would trade a simple ‘thumbs down’ sign to a loud scream when their baby wants down from their high chair?