WeeHands EveryDay Signs Online Baby Sign Language Class Review

Six years ago I had read about the benefits of signing with babies, such as development of language skills and less frustration due to being able to express needs better. I was pregnant with Tabitha at the time and was so excited about the possibilities. I actually couldn't contain my enthusiasm and ended up introducing signing in the baby and toddler area in the Montessori where I worked. After Tabitha was born I soon started signing with her, though hubby, at the time, had his reservations. My signing knowledge was limited, but I did the best I could with the books I could find and some different websites. There was no chance of finding a class in our small rural community. 

We continued to use some signs as we started having lesson time. I do have to say, hubby lost his reservations about signing, he saw the benefits. Unfortunately, through the years we have used it less and less. We never did use it as much with Hannah and I have been wanting to "resurrect" the habit. Recently I was offered the opportunity to become a WeeHands Ambassador! What perfect timing!

The first thing I am trying out is this self-paced Every Day Signs Online Baby Sign Language Class. The course begins with the goals of the class plus an introduction to sign language, including how to start with beginning communicators (which includes not just babies and toddlers, but individuals with special needs). It then moves on to learning the alphabet and numbers in sign language. The girls have been taught the alphabet in the past, as I would teach the sign in conjunction with the letter/sound. In fact, I remember when Tabitha first started showing signs of being able to read/sound out words she would say the sound while forming the sign language letter.  However, as I have stated, we haven't been focusing on it as much lately, so they have lost some of it. Though they are catching on really quickly. 

It is mentioned in the class, that it is very important to note the hand shapes, a lot of which are letters or numbers. But at the same time, you also need to pay attention to the movement used and the body space (where you form the sign, in front of your chest, at your shoulder, in front of your mouth) because those factors will change the meaning of the sign. In fact, I found it intriguing that pickle and plum are so close to each other, literally. Plum takes the "p" shape and places it up by the cheek and then flips it back and forth, while pickle takes the same "p" shape and places it by the jaw or side of the neck and makes the same movement. I always tried to explain to the children that a slight change can make a big difference in the sign. 

One of the tips in teaching signs is to "think of real life situations such as mealtime, bathtime and play as natural and fun times that you might introduce signs." One of my favorite times to introduce signs is mealtime. The signs I have continued to use through the years with each child are the signs for "food/eat," "more," and "milk."  I thought it was great that this class continues from the ABC's and Numbers into Food Signs.  

Here the girls are helping to feed Harold and teach him the sign for "food/eat."

So far I haven't gotten beyond the food unit, but I am looking forward to teaching the girls more food signs and in turn teaching more to Harold. As we move on in the course we will learn signs for clothing, playtime, colors, location and place, people, home and so much more. 

What I have found most helpful about this course is the explanation that she gives when teaching the sign. You are taught the hand shape and where to place it plus the movement that goes with it. In addition, she tries to explain why the sign is the way it is. This is so much more beneficial in trying to learn the sign than when I was trying to learn from other websites where the sign was just shown, sometimes extremely fast. In using this course, I love that I can go back and watch the video again and again if needed so I can make sure  I have the sign correct. In addition, there are little quizzes that I get to take to see what I have retained. I also love that the focus is definitely learning in order to teach to children. I thought it was cool that there are videos of books being read along with signs being used. 

The one concern is that, obviously, in a short class she can not show every sign that there is. There are so many more signs I'd love to learn just in the food section. However, I believe now that I am more aware of the hand shape and the importance of movement and placement, I will hopefully be able to search for signs I need and be able to figure them out. So this course is a great foundation for building on.

If you would like to find out more about this course here are some links for you:

The course description of the Everyday Signs Online Baby Sign Language Class, including the course schedule/calendar.  Click here

FAQ's which address some common concerns. Click here

You can also find WeeHands on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.  And you can subscribe to their YouTube Channel.

But best of all, you have the opportunity to win a space in the Every Day Signs Online Baby Sign Language Class. You can enter the giveaway here.

Disclosure: I was given access to the WeeHands Everyday Signs Online Baby Sign Language Class as a WeeHands Ambassador. This did not in any way influence my review. I only recommend products I use personally and feel will be a good products for my readers.

School Time: Week 10 (Tt continued)

I have started something new with Tabitha.  After I put Amelia down for a nap, Tabitha and I come back downstairs for Reading Lesson Time.  I am using the first reader I have from the ABeka program called Fun With Pets. As Tabitha has already shown that she can read some phonetic words (from our word cards every week and from the Progressive Phonics online program) I decided to start with this book as it starts with the "at" words, moving on to the "ad" and "am" words.
I gathered our magnetic letters, our cookie sheet with a piece of computer paper, a spiral notebook (so Tabitha can have her own Reading Lesson notebook), a pencil and the ABeka reader Fun With Pets. I started out by having Tabitha tell me the sounds /a/ and /t/ while showing her the A and T magnetic letters.  Then she blended them for me.  I then went through the alphabet, having her sound out each new word formed and then writing it in her new notebook.  Then we read the beginning of the first story, "The Fat Rat."  It introduces four "sight" words: is, on, the, a.  Technically she can sound out on. The first part of the story, three sentences on two pages with 2 brightly colored pictures, introduces 8 words only.  This is all I had her read the first day.  The remainder of the story introduced the "ad" and "am" words.  We built as many of those as I could think of with the magnetic letters and she wrote them in her notebook.  The story introduced 9 new words.  We don't do this every day, but both Tabitha and Amelia have had some special school/review time with daddy this week.

Amelia and daddy working with the number clothespins from the activity table while Tabitha works on her words.

I just wish I had lower case letters.

Daddy tried a more complicated word. With a little help Tabitha worked it out.

Daddy demonstrating the word's meaning using the line from The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock about the foolish man "and the house on the sand went splat"

Tabitha writing the word.

Amelia taking her turn.  She knows the names of letters and some sounds.  Daddy thought he'd work with her.:)

She made pretty designs!

And, yes, Hannah had some floor time too.

Last week I shared the beginning of a project.  This week the girls finished the project.

I stapled the tubes that the girls painted last week into the shape of a T.

The girls crumpled up tissue paper squares

and glued them onto their letter T's

She was excited that she was finished.

I was trying to think of something new to do with our picture cards.  We still read the words and match the pictures and play the game to match the picture to the word with out looking at the picture side first.  This week we played "Which one is missing?"  I laid out three cards at a time, pointed at each saying the word, then had the girls close their eyes.  I told them not to peek and took one away.  Tabitha was able to figure it out quite easily.  Amelia copied her most of the time.  In fact, the second day we did this activity, Tabitha wanted me to add cards.  She did okay with 4, struggled a bit with 5 and 6.  Granted, even I had to think really hard to figure out the missing card when there were 6.  Tabitha insisted I had to close my eyes so she could take one away.  In fact, I just remembered I need to let Amelia have a turn quizzing me.  

I was so pleased a couple of days ago when Tabitha and Amelia started playing the game by themselves, Tabitha quizzing Amelia.  It's the activities that they initiate themselves that I know were a success.

I also realized that "touchdown" starts with the letter T.  I made a Touchdown File Folder Game

The blue blob is supposed to be a helmet and represents the defense.

The football represents the offense.

The children take turns spinning the spinner (from Chutes and Ladders).  The person with the football goes first and the first spin is the kickoff spin.  The football gets placed on the number spun.  Then they take turns spinning and moving the number of  yard lines indicated by their spin.  The person with the helmet has to try to stop the football by landing on the same yard line with an exact spin.  If the football gets to the goal line or beyond they get a touchdown.  If the helmet passes the football that person gets to go backwards to try to catch the football on the next turn.  Each time one of the girls got a touchdown they got a penny.  I was going to turn it into a coin exchange lesson, but Amelia got tired of the game after just a few rounds (it doesn't take that long to get a touchdown because you don't need to get an exact count, but she was just a little too young for it I guess.)  Tabitha didn't get tired of it, so daddy and I took turns playing with her.

The girls have been using their sign language quite a bit lately.  In fact, I found another cute educational signing video for them to watch besides Signing Time.  The girls have been watching Sign-A-Lot: ABC Games.  A group of kids go to Sign a Lot and meet up with their adult friend.  In this episode (the only one our library system has) it is game day.  The children play a game going through the alphabet and signing a word for each letter, having to remember each word that came before.  There were quite a few games and the girls really seemed to enjoy this DVD.  With the older children being featured I thought they wouldn't be as interested.  I really liked that the signs they used were inserted naturally as the children conversed just like I do at home.  I wouldn't say this DVD would be recommended for a beginner, Signing Time is still great for beginners because they do repeat each sign they are trying to teach.  But the girls requested this DVD this time, we had watching it a few weeks ago, and seem to enjoy it.

Here is Amelia signing cat:

And Tabitha trying to teach Hannah butterfly:

We have started our T craft with a book tie-in.  I will share it next week.  We are spending a third week on T seeing as I decided we would make lots of turkeys next week.  So stay tuned for those as well.  

Here are some pictures of some Tiny Tot time:

I'm am linking up to

Patricia over at My Tot Learning Time has started a new linky celebrating the special time our children spend with their daddies.  

I am also linking up to