Being in Customer Service I have the privilege of reading the awesome stories that our fans send to us.  Here is one that I would like to share with you.  I am constantly overjoyed at how Signing Time continues to be a bright spot in the lives of children and families in helping them to communicate with each other.  So many of you have touched my heart!

Meet Alena

I am writing this through a world of tears, because I can’t possibly thank you enough for what just happened in my house!  About a month ago, my sister bought my (now) 5-year-old daughter Volume One of Signing Time. She loves watching it, almost non-stop.  Well, today, she made her first sign, “Eat”. Instead of screaming at me or throwing a tantrum, she could tell me what she wanted! Followed closely by “drink”!

Alena is severely autistic, and until today, communication between us has been non-existent. Thank you! Thank you so much for doing what a trained speech and language pathologist hasn’t been able to do for 3 years!

Sincerely,
Jennifer

Our staff loves to hear how Signing Time has impacted your lives so – keep those testimonials coming!

Rose Turnbow

Office Manager/Customer Service

As a Signing Time fan, you appreciate how eager your young ones are to interact with the people and world around them.  You also understand how media, when thoughtfully designed, can be a powerful springboard to new skills and discoveries.

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• Winner of Parents’ Choice Awards
• DVD of the Year Parenting magazine
• iParenting Award
• National Parenting Seal of Approval
• Creative Child Award
• Mr. Dad Award

See what the experts are saying

Continue Reading »

Hard Work

Excerpt #2 from Out of the Chaos: Notes on Raising Nine Independent Children

The Azevedo Family 1985

By Lex de Azevedo, President of Two Little Hands Productions, and father of Rachel Coleman and Emilie Brown, the creators of Signing Time

From 1974 through 1986, because I worked in the music business, we lived in a community called Toluca Lake outside of Los Angeles. I was determined that living in the city would not deprive my children of the opportunity to work. Since life in Los Angeles required year-round mowing, edging, raking, and weeding, I felt this would be the ideal opportunity to teach the kids to work. I bought all the necessary garden tools including a gas mower, edger, and weeder, and started to train the kids how maintain a yard and even how to wash and detail the cars.

The next-door neighbor, an old man named Jim, laughed at me.  “It ain’t going to work,” he chided. “I’ll give you one, two months at the most and you’ll be hiring a gardener.”

“Look, I’m not mowing lawns, I’m raising kids!”  I replied.

Well, there weren’t many kids in our neighborhood, let alone families with nine children, so I doubt if the neighbors understood. I have to admit that trying to manage a team of gardeners ranging in ages from 2 to 18 was less than fun. Just more chaos! Our yard never did look as good as the neighbors and every Saturday left me exhausted and stressed, yelling and screaming. Sometimes I was so frustrated with the kids that by the end of the day we weren’t talking. Their allowance was based on the fulfilling of their chores – and children never seem to have the same standards for completion as parents do. Again and again I was tempted just to hire a gardener, but then, I wasn’t maintaining a yard, I was raising kids. Continue Reading »

Rachel will be in Virginia next week on August 12th-13th during the Partnership for People with Disabilities Conference: Pathways to Possibilities.

Read the Press Release

Fundraiser Concert

When: Tuesday, August 12th at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Old Dominion University Theatre, located at 46th and Hampton Blvd. in Norfolk, Virginia
Details: Tickets will be available at the door for $10 each, with all proceeds going toward future training and support for those family members of Dreamcatchers.

Pathways to Possibilities Conference

When: August 13th at 10:30 a.m.
Where: Wyndham Ocean Front Hotel located at 57th Street in Virginia Beach, Virginia
Details: Rachel will be the keynote speaker.
Visit the Signing Time table and receive 5% off your purchase when you mention this email.

To purchase tickets for the concert, register for the conference or for more information please visit the Pathways to Possibilities website.

I ran across this very cute interactive website that not only talks about the benefits of using sign language with young children, but actually provides an interactive sign language dictionary. According to the website, the Babystrology Baby Sign Language Video Dictionary is a fun and free way to learn some basic American Sign Language (ASL) signs that can help you teach your baby. It is also fun to use as a practice tool.

Many people have sent us questions regarding the benefits of teaching their babies sign language.

When I first started working at Two Little Hands Productions, I remember being amazed when I heard the story of baby Alex who signed ‘milk’ when he was ready to nurse. I remember being very impressed when my best friend’s little girl signed ‘more’ and her mom was able to give her more to drink. I never really thought about how knowing a little sign language could go a long way.

After watching some of my colleagues and friends sign with their babies, I realized that this exchange was more than just babies letting their parents know when they were hungry, or wanted more, both parties were actually communicating.

Several parents and families have had very similar experiences, and with that comes some questions about the benefits of signing with babies. Some of these questions include:

• How early can I start to sign with my child?
• My child is already talking. Why should they learn ASL?
• Will learning signs delay my child’s speech?
• Do I have to become fluent in ASL?
• What is the importance of using ASL and not made up signs?
• My child does not do the signs correctly. Is that okay?
• How soon will my child start to sign?
• My child can hear. Why should they learn ASL?
• I have heard that signing helps with tantrums and “The Terrible Two’s”, is this true?
• What research exists about the benefits of using sign language with hearing children?

If you refer to our website, under the article Benefits of Signing With Children, you will find information that will answer these questions.

It has been truly amazing to associate with parents, families, children and infants who are teaching me how  sign language is truly an effective way communicate.