Archive for the 'Fun Stuff' Category

Jan 30 2012

Bringing Deaf and hearing together – one piece of pizza at a time!

Published by under Fun Stuff

For nearly a decade now, Rachel Coleman has been bridging the worlds of the Deaf and hearing with the Silly Pizza Song. Now a Deaf couple in San Francisco are using actual pizza to do the same thing!

Read more about Melody and Russell Stein and their Mission District restaurant, Mozzeria in this recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Mozzeria employees use ASL to communicate

Mozzeria employees use ASL to communicate

Deaf couple launch pizza place in the Mission

 

Paolo Lucchesi, Chronicle Staff Writer
Thursday, January 5, 2012

As at most new and noteworthy restaurants in San Francisco’s Mission District, there’s a full house during the dinner rush at Mozzeria, a month-old Italian restaurant and pizzeria.

Every one of the 45 or so seats is full. There’s a slight hint of smoke in the air, thanks to the huge wood-fired oven in the middle of the narrow dining room. Music is playing, but the din is noticeably muted.

A waitress carrying two full plates meanders through the crowd, stopping short of a standing patron blocking her path. With both hands full, she can’t tap him on the shoulder. And before sidestepping and successfully swiveling by, she can’t ask him to move, because the diner is deaf. And so is she. Continue Reading »

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Dec 01 2011

Gift Guide: Top 10 Fan Picks

Your votes are in! Here are the official top 10 Signing Time gifts for 2011:
  1. Baby Signing Time Full Collection
  2. All of the Signing Time Products!
  3. Baby Signing Time, Vol. 1
  4. Potty Time
  5. Series 1, Vol. 7: Leah’s Farm
  6. Series 1 Full Collection
  7. Signing Time Board Books
  8. Series 2, Vol. 2: Happy Birthday to You
  9. Classroom Edition
  10. Flash Cards
Thank you to our Facebook fans who participated in this survey! See selected comments below.

I love giving Baby Signing Time as a baby gift. It introduces them to the whole line of great products! – Chana Posen

I love to give Signing Time to moms in public!! When people see my daughter sign and are amazed, I tell them all about Signing Time as if I were a door to door salesman!! We keep some Signing Time DVDs in the car for long trips and I have left them as tips at restaurants, and given them away at grocery stores!! My most recent gifting was to a woman that I met at the grocery store. Both she and her husband are deaf, but have a son who hears. She had never heard of Signing Time, and she is having trouble getting her son to sign. I gave her all of our Baby Signing Time DVDs (My daughter has outgrown them.) And he is beginning to sign! It brings tears to my eyes when I hear of a child learning to sign, It’s like an angel who has gotten their wings!!! – Katie Ralston-Litmer

Leah’s Farm is the hit in our house! The music, along with the signs are just perfect for our little one. She loves Rachel! Our daughter really thinks she will meet her and loves to call her on the Potty Time app. If you don’t have Potty Time, it’s awesome! I suggest a bundle of Everyday Signs, Leah’s Farm and Potty Time. – Jennifer Pedersen

I would love to give Baby Signing Time to everyone! I’m a mom to a child with unilateral hearing loss and speech delay and Baby Signing Time and Signing Time (and now Potty Time!) have made a huge difference in my daughter’s ability to communicate, both in ASL and expressive speech. I think it would be awesome if states sent every new baby a copy of Baby Signing Time, whether they are born in a hospital, birthing center, or at home. Baby carriers and Baby Signing Time are my favorite gifts to give new parents! – Jennifer Pummell Hamner

Learning ASL through watching Signing Time Series One with my daughter has helped me to communicate better with her and her cousins. They are all toddlers. It is much easier to understand their speech when they sign while talking. The videos in Series One have also really helped increase my daughter and nephew’s vocabulary. – Julia Pitt

There is no one product that is best, just the noise I heard from my autistic son at age 5 when he said his first words when watching Signing Time. – John-Erica Belcher

I would love to give the Signing Time Classroom Edition to Primrose Elementary School in Shelburne, Ont. The kindergarten teacher is learning and teaching both her classes signs so they can communicate with their deaf classmate. – Marla Kozak

One response so far

Nov 01 2011

Need holiday gift suggestions? See our staff picks!

With the holidays quickly approaching, I thought it would be fun to let you know which products the Two Little Hands staff likes to give as gifts and why.

Buy Now

Sing & Sign

Rachel de Azevedo Coleman, Co-owner, Writer, Producer & Star When I scripted Sing & Sign I was able to give our customers a number of things they had been asking for. People often said they would like to see me sign the entire song, without the camera cutting away. I like to think that’s because I am so engaging;) but realistically I think it’s because they wanted to see everything that I was signing. I also got asked if I would ever teach ASL grammar, and the answer is yes! In Sing & Sign there is a play option where I take you step by step through each sign in the song and I tell you what I am signing and why I am signing it that way. You will learn a lot about American Sign Language and it’s structure and nuances. I give this video to everyone who loves the songs in Signing Time and everyone who asks for “more-more-more ASL!”

Kim Laing, Wholesale Account Manager
Sing and Sign is my favorite Two Little Hands product because I love the way my girls love to dance around and sign the songs. I give it to anyone who loves to sing, sign, and dance with their kids.

 

Buy Now

Baby Signing Time Full Collection

Emilie de Azevedo Brown, Co-owner, Writer & Producer These are my favorite videos because my baby is watching them now and signing like crazy. If she is fussy, I can count on her cheering up when I put one on. My son Alex (one of the characters in Signing Time Series 1 and 2) says they are “magical.” When he babysits his sister and watches the videos with her, she is so engaged and happy. She is 12 months old and her favorite signs are: baby, more, milk, all done, dad, please, water, eat, cracker, all done, fish, sleep, book, and ball.

Erin Axson, Wholesale Account Manger The Baby Signing Time series is the one that we used first with my sweet baby boy when he was 4 months old. Watching him understand and sign along with the DVDs was magic. It is the best baby shower gift ever. Not only does baby get a wonderfully entertaining series, the whole family gets to learn along and understand what their baby has to say!

Katrina Dye, Administrative/Accounting Assistant I love Baby Signing Time because it’s fun and upbeat for infants/toddlers and keeps their attention. It’s fun to watch these DVDs with babies and watch how excited they get when you can understand what they want. I’ve also learned a lot from these DVDs and have fun with the songs :) I love giving these DVDs as baby shower gifts. I recently gave them to my sister in-law who will be having my little niece in February so it will be exciting to watch as she learns ASL.

 

Buy Now

Vol. 6 DVD: My Favorite Things

Mike Lyman, VP of Business Development My favorite video is the My Favorite Things DVD. I love that volume because for years my daughter, Madalynn, would sing and sign the colors of the rainbow song to me before going to bed. She loved that song and performed it at her school in kindergarten. Additionally, my wife taught that song to my daughter’s 1st grade class and we had a blast with it! That song and video will always be special for me! I would give this video to any child going into preschool or kindergarten because it talks about all their favorite things and colors. Perfect for kids venturing out into school for the first time!


Buy Now

Preschool and Childcare Program

Gwen Cox, Signing Time Academy Director My favorite product to give as a gift is the Preschool and Childcare Program because it meets the needs of Childcare Centers, Preschools, and Homeschools everywhere in an easy to follow method of teaching. If I had the time, I would show it to every location in the world that caters to the educational needs of children. It is a gift that is affordable and the benefits of using it are long term. (Can you tell I love it?)

 


Buy Now

Signing Time Vol. 4-6 Gift Set

Rose Turnbow, Office Manger I love all three DVDs and the music in this set. Vol. 4 Family, Feelings & Fun teaches about the family and helps children express their feelings. Vol. 5 ABC Signs is TOTAL fun. Rachel signs at an amazing speed – take the challenge to keep up with her. Not only do you learn the entire alphabet, but also the signs for how to count to 10, AND for each letter, you learn two additional signs that go along with the letter. However, I do have to say my favorite of all three is Vol. 6 My Favorite Things. The Rainbow Song is the best! In this DVD you learn colors, food, and movement – so practical for signing everyday. I love to give them to my grandchildren. What fun we have watching Signing Time, practicing together, and communicating before words can be said. We enjoy playing the CDs in the car and singing and signing along.


Buy Now

Story Time

LeeAnn Mason, Administrative Assistant My personal favorite product to use for a gift is Story Time, I enjoy the original stories as well as the word going across the screen so the child can read along with Rachel. This is the perfect gift for teachers, family members, and friends.

One response so far

Oct 25 2011

Halloween Crafts

Create a Signing Time craft for Halloween fun!

 

1. Signing Time Pumpkin Patterns

Download patterns

 

2. Bat and Ghost Lollipop Holders

Download directions

 

3. Witch Hats

Download directions

 

 

Additional Resources:

 

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Oct 05 2011

Keeping up with Rachel – Check Out Some of the 2011 Events

Rachel Coleman, Brown Bear, How I Love Thee VIP Story Time in Burbank, CA - March 26th

Signing Time Academy Instructors, Down Syndrome groups, and other individuals and groups host Rachel for engaging concerts and inspiring, life-changing presentations. Here are some highlights of the places Rachel has been so far in 2011.

Click here to see Rachel’s complete Photo Album. Or click on the individual photo to see the complete photo album for that event. Continue Reading »

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