register to become an academy instructor

Become a Certified Instructor

The Basic Requirements
Levels of Certification
ASL Education Requirements
Video Submission Guidelines

Why become a Certified Instructor?

If you have a love for Signing Time products, a desire for all parents to benefit from Signing Time, AND you want to run your own business–we invite you to become one of the very first Certified Instructors!

Benefits:

Wholesale discount on Signing Time products, so you can resell for profit
15% commission on web sales
Charge tuition for classes that you teach - the more you teach, the more you earn!
Receive all the tools in your Start-Up Kit: Products, Presentation Outlines, Signing Time Curriculums

Membership to the Instructor Lounge - connect with other instructors, get training and support

Instructor listing on our website

...and more!

The basic requirements for becoming a Certified Instructor are as follows:

Must have graduated from high school or equivalent (passed GED).
Must be at least 18 years of age at the time of application.
Must have access to high speed internet (most of the training is online), email, and be able to use Adobe Acrobat Reader and Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) or equivalent.
Complete ASL education requirements below.

There are three levels of instructor certification for which you can apply or work toward:

Level 1 - Baby Signing Time Instructor - teaching parents with (and sometimes without) their babies and toddlers. Requires completion of (see ASL education requirements below) online Baby Signing Time Review with a score of 85% or higher. Can be taken as many times as needed to attain minimum score of 85%.
Level 2 - Advanced Signing Time Instructor - teaching parents, professionals, and children. Requires completion of two approved ASL courses (see ASL education requirements below).
Level 3 - Master Signing Time Instructor - teaching parents, professionals, and children, presenting at conferences and other special events, and providing leadership and training to other Instructors. Requires completion of four approved ASL courses (see ASL education requirements below).

All applicants are able to purchase all Signing Time products at a discount and resell them locally.

Visit the certification details page for complete details on each level.

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Ready to get started?

STEP 1. Fill out your application and purchase your Start-Up Kit, which contains the materials, supplies, and curriculums you need. (If applying for the Baby Signing Time Instructor level, complete the Baby Signing Time Online Review).

STEP 2. If applying for Advanced or Master Instructor, please provide proof of ASL training with Transcript or Certificate of Completion.

STEP 3. If applying for Advanced or Master Instructor, provide a video signing one song and one children's book from the list provided for Video Submission Guidelines.

STEP 4. Complete a "Welcome to Signing Time" with the Signing Time Academy Director from your area via phone or Skype

All Instructors pay an annual licensing/membership fee ($100/year or $9.95/monthly) to maintain Certification status and have access to Instructor's Lounge online. This payment kicks in 90 days after submitting your application.

The following items are not required but strongly suggested to have on file for all levels of certification. Submit these items after you send in your application.

Resume - two pages or less. Highlight anything pertaining to your ability to perform as Signing Time Instructor.
Letter of Recommendation from someone not related to you, whom you have known for at least five years. They should be able to attest to your character and abilities.

The following is required for Baby Signing Time Instructor level.

Completion of Baby Signing Time Online Review. Applicant needs to score a minimum of 85% to receive certification. Applicant may opt to take the signingonline.com course to increase level of competency, but it is not required for Baby Signing Time Instructor level.

The following is required for Advanced and Master Signing Time Instructor level

Completion of ASL courses and certificate of completion. Courses ASL 1 and 2 required for Advanced Instructor level and ASL 1-4 required for Master Instructor level.
Video of applicant signing a Signing Time song and children's book, submitted for evaluation. (see Video Submission Guidelines below)

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ASL Education Requirement

Because Signing Time products teach American Sign Language vocabulary words, we require all Advanced and Master Instructors to have formal ASL training through accredited institutions (listed below) or through our approved on-line resource at www.signingonline.com. We will accept courses from any of the following:

accredited college
community college
vocational school
university
high school
www.signingonline.com

The easiest, fastest way to meet this requirement if you have not done so already, is to complete courses at www.signingonline.com. This is an approved alternative to attending college courses on-campus. Each www.signingonline.com course costs $49.99 and can be completed in as little as two weeks or less. We highly recommend you submit your Instructor Application and then complete your online course afterwards.

ASL courses must be completed with a C or above, within eight years to the date of application unless you are currently licensed and working in a professional field that relies on ASL communication.

These requirements are waived for those applicants whose native language is ASL, such as those who are Deaf and fluent in ASL, children of a deaf adult (CODA), or a spouse of a deaf adult (SODA) where ASL is the primary language in the home.

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Video Submission Guidelines (Advanced and Master Levels Only)

You must submit one video of you signing for evaluation. Select one song AND story from the lists provided below based on the certification level for which you are applying.

Please make sure your video meets the following guidelines:

You can be seen clearly, from the waist up.
No background distractions.
Introduce yourself, while signing as much as you are able. At a minimum, fingerspell your name. Include your first name, where you live, and identify what you are going to be doing.

For example: "My name is Alison. I am from Texas. I am going to sign Leah’s Farm and The Very Hungry Caterpillar for my Advanced Signing Time Instructor application."

We are not looking at video production quality here or your ability to sing. (In fact, singing is not required at all.) We just need to be able to see you signing!

Approved songs (select ONE from this list):

Eat & Drink – Volume 1 Baby Signing Time
Mom Has a Mom – Volume 1 Baby Signing Time
The Pets I Love – Volume 1 Baby Signing Time
A New Day – Volume 3 Baby Signing Time
Strollin’ – Volume 4 Baby Signing Time
Silly Pizza Song – Volume 3 “Everyday Signs” (Series One)
The Rainbow Song – Volume 6 “My Favorite Things” (Series One)
Leah’s Farm - Volume 7 “Leah’s Farm” (Series One)
Watch Me Go – Volume 11 “My Neighborhood” (Series One)
Hello Backpack – Volume 13 “Welcome to School” (Series One)
Feelings – Volume 4 “Family, Feelings and Fun” (Series One)

Approved books (select ONE from this list):

Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
Daddy and Me by Karen Katz
Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate & Ashley Wolff
The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise

Sign the story as you would with a group of children during Story Time. Teaching and signing key words are all that are necessary – not a full ASL interpretation of the book.

You can work on your video prior to applying, if you'd like. Just don't submit it until your application has been received by the Academy.

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