Thank you all for your patience and understanding during this time of struggle for me and my family. As many of you know, my father passed away suddenly April 18th and I have been absent from the playgroup and classes since then.
I flew back last night after being with my family for a while. There WILL be class tomorrow for the More Sign, Say and Play class at my home @ 10:00...hopefully I can get my house clean in time. Please just ignore it if it's not :)
I will be re-arranging my schedule a bit so please check back for updates.
Thank you all again.
Bryn
Friday, April 29, 2011
Changes in my Schedule
Monday, April 18, 2011
Sign of the Week: Bunny
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
The Baby Signs® Program: A Helpful Tool in Bilingual Settings
As more and more parents learn the value of exposing their children to second and even third languages early in life, the number of babies being raised in “bilingual homes” is rapidly increasing. Just what does this mean? In many cases it means that one parent speaks one language to the child while the other parent speaks a second. In other cases, both parents may speak the same language to the child while a trusted caregiver (grandmother or nanny) speaks another.
So, what happens if we add signing to the mix? Will it just add to the child’s confusion?
The answer is a strong and resounding “No!” The truth is that, no matter what form bilingual input takes, adding signing to the mix actually makes the child’s job easier, not harder. Here’s why.
When children first start learning about language, they quite naturally look for one-to-one correspondences between words and the objects (or actions) they label. For example, babies in an English-only environment, upon hearing the word “milk” in the presence of white stuff in their bottle, will eventually learn to associate the two together:
CHILD: “Hmmm....I get it! The white stuff in my bottle = ‘milk’“
However, life gets more complicated in a bilingual household. In this case babies consistently hear two words in association with the white stuff in their bottle, a situation which can be very confusing.
CHILD: “Hmmm….Sometimes I hear “milk,” sometimes “leche.” What’s going on?”
Clearly, what children hearing two languages need to figure out is that both words are equally important labels for milk. And that’s where signing comes to the rescue. By adding a sign to the mix so that the same visual symbol (sign) accompanies both words (“milk” and “leche”), parents make the job of connecting the object with the meanings of both words much easier for babies. In other words, when the baby hears “leche” paired with sign and then also hears “milk” paired with the sign, the pieces fall into place:
CHILD: “Aha! These words mean the same thing!
Of course, signing has another advantage in bilingual settings, especially in child care classrooms where teachers and families speak different languages: The signs provide a common language so that toddlers who are learning the family language can still make themselves understood. Just such a situation exists at the Center for Child and Family Studies at the University of California, Davis, where graduate students from all over the world routinely enroll their infants and toddlers. In the 18 years since the Baby Signs® Program was first introduced, teachers and parents alike have been amazed at how much more smoothly daily life in the classroom proceeds, with data specifically showing that the teachers are more responsive to the needs of the children. In addition, the signs have enabled children who speak different languages to communicate with each other. In one case, for example, a toddler from Israel and a toddler from Taiwan were observed reading a picture book together—with the first girl turning the pages and pointing at objects while the second girl made the appropriate signs!
Bottom line? Signing is clearly a boon to children facing the challenge of hearing multiple languages, whether at home or in the classroom.
Visit babysigns.com for more information about Baby Signs® resources to help you and your baby enjoy all the benefits that signing can bring.
Written by: Linda Acredolo, Ph.D. & Susan Goodwyn, Ph,.D.,
Co-Founders, Baby Signs, Inc. Leia Mais…
Monday, April 11, 2011
La Leche League Conference
I had a lot of fun at the LLL Conference and met a lot of wonderful people. I'm definitely going back next year and if you missed it there's always next year!
Leia Mais…Sign of the Week: Sister
Click on the image to download a poster! Leia Mais…
Monday, April 4, 2011
Save this Spring!
The Baby Signs My Park Signs DVD introduces your child to the signs for BALL, BUTTERFLY, SWING, SLIDE, FLOWER, and TREE. Through fun animation, signing babies, puppets, and repetition your baby will be encouraged to sign these fun signs for a favorite activity: a trip to the park.
The Baby Signs DVDs have been developed by child development experts to help baby and caregiver learn simple sign through fun, engaging experiences.
Enter Coupon Code SPRING2011 at checkout. Shop Now! Leia Mais…
Dreaming of Baby Signs
My husband is too cute. He is in the process of getting his MBA and the term started again last month. He told me he had a dream a few nights ago that he was in a really advanced math class. The teacher kept giving these really difficult math equations for the students to solve. He said there was one girl in his dream who was really fast at figuring them out. She was the best in the class. When she was asked about how she learned to solve the problems so fast, she said it all started when she was a baby and her parents taught her baby signs. HAHAHA! That' is too cute. My husband's subconscious strongly believes in baby signs. I'm so glad to have his support.
Leia Mais…Sign of the Week: Brother
Do you have a BROTHER? This sign is frequently requested by parents, teachers, and children. Remember, younger children may have difficulty with this two-part sign so watch for the way your child modifies it. Leia Mais…
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