I fully believe that using the Baby Signing Time DVD’s has helped my whole family have a more enjoyable experience together. I had heard a lot about the benefits of baby sign language and was eager to try it out. I had been given another non-Baby Signing Time DVD and tried it out, but wasn’t very excited about it. The woman signing was kind of creepy, the kids signing weren’t very good at the signs, and the whole thing was quite dull. So when I had the chance to try Baby Signing Time I was hopeful that it was going to be better and I was not disappointed.
Baby Signing Time is full of fun, upbeat songs that are used to teach your little one sign language. Each song corresponds with a category like getting dressed, time to eat, animals, and manners. The host, Rachel Coleman, is lively (maybe a little too much so for some adults, but the kids love her!) and easy to understand. Her sidekicks (animated children and a lovable frog) are also endearing to little ones.
I started watching the DVD’s with S when she was six months old with the understanding that she probably wouldn’t start signing until around 10 months (about the same time babies start to clap and wave). And right on cue S began to sign words like eat, all done, and more. I was SO delighted when she could express these things to me! I didn’t have to guess if she was throwing food because she enjoyed the splat sound it made when it hit the wall, or if she thought the dog looked hungry. She could tell me she was done eating!
I know it saved me and CB from some very frustrating moments, so we went ahead and purchased all four of the Baby Signing Time series. As S learned more words, her use of the signs progressed beyond basic communication. She was no longer just telling us what she needed, but began pointing things out to us, thus starting conversations! She would show us birds, tell us about the weather, and ask us where her ball went. Now, at 20 months old, her verbal language skills are fantastic and I really believe this has something to do with the fact that we were communicating so much with her at such an early age. Both CB and I (and her Nona who kept up to date on all her latest signs) would verbally repeat the signs she would make, and I’m sure this helped her to learn how to speak them. There are occasional moments when she is saying something that we can’t understand and she gets frustrated and we get frustrated. In those moments I think to myself how learning baby sign language saved us from so many more of these frustrating moments!
You can buy Baby Signing Time through the company’s website for $19.99 US. The website also offers some great deals on different DVD/CD bundles, so it is worth a look. You can also find them for sale at select bookstores, baby boutiques, and Amazon.com.
