Baby Signing Time (DVD)

      Signing is considered in many forums to be a resource only for the hearing impaired. Although, the creators of Baby Signing Time believe that educating children in sign language between the ages of three months and three years can encourage an ability to read before entering school. Not only does learning sign language foster the bonds of communication at an early age but young children are being taught early language skills.

     As an alternate form that is not typical of most recognized early literacy tools, teaching young children sign language has increased vocabulary prior to being able to verbalize words. Researchers, Acredolo, Goodwyn and Brown in their paper “Impact of symbolic gesturing on early language development” (2000) found that “helped them become active partners during book-reading, descriptive gestures (e.g., HOT, HAPPY, AFRAID) helped them share important insights about their environment, and all of the gestures helped clarify the children’s initial, crude verbal labels (e.g., "Oh! You’re doing your TURTLE gesture. I guess Tata means ‘turtle!’).”

     The Baby Signing Time DVDs were created by sisters, Rachel Coleman and Emilie Brown: Two Little Hands Productions. Upon watching the DVDs, the viewer is introduced to the host, Rachel Coleman. Each segment of the video includes animated characters, songs, images of the sign in use, and action shots of everyday children using the sign. Seeing other children utilize the signs in daily life persuades young children to tryout the signs especially during their mimicking phase of life.

     Each DVD has a run time of approximately 30 minutes. Cost average is about $22 direct from http://www.signingtime.com/ or http://www.amazon.com/. Other educational learning items are also available such as books, flashcards, and music. There are also products and resources available for the mentally or physically-challenged and hearing impaired. Again, not all six skills are enforced but the series does offer parents a resource to build on vocabulary, print awareness, letter knowledge, narrative skills, and phonological awareness depending upon what DVDs are used.

     The most negative drawback is that each DVD only offers approximately 20 signs which could be viewed as expensive when one deduces that they are paying about a dollar a sign. Not very cost efficient.
Resources:

Acredolo, L., Goodwyn, S., & Brown, C. (2000). “Impact of symbolic gesturing on early language development.” Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 24(2), 81-103.

Baby Signing Time. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.signingtime.com/