by Gwen Cox, Signing Time Academy Director

As you may have heard, the Signing Time Academy has recently opened its doors and the virtual halls are buzzing with activity.  Each month I will focus on a special Instructor that has exemplified the essence of the Academy and its mission.

This month, however, I can’t just pick ONE! During the first few days after we launched this new network of certified instructors, there were a number of applicants that stood out among the rest because of their hard work and their “get it done” attitude. I nicknamed them The Dynamic Dozen.

This group has worked hard to help create an Academy that supports and motivates all who come through our “doors.”   There are obviously many more Instructors that have since come on that are an integral part of the structure of the Academy and are doing an amazing job.  You will hear about a new instructor each month!

And now, without further adieu, I’m pleased to introduce The Dynamic Dozen (plus one!):

Abbey Cook, Master Signing Time Instructor – Peoria, Illinois abbey@signingtimeacademy.com

Amanda Hudgins, Baby Signing Time Instructor – Surprise, Arizona amanda@signingtimeacademy.com

Brenda Jones, Master Signing Time Instructor – Corona, California brendajones@signingtimeacademy.com

Cathy Ybarra, Advanced Signing Time Instructor – Henderson, Nevada cybarra@signingtimeacademy.com

Christine Fitzgerald, Advanced Signing Time Instructor – Burbank, California cfitzgerald@signingtimeacademy.com

Dana Iungerich, Advanced Signing Time Instructor – Frisco, Texas dana@signingtimeacademy.com

Franci Agajanian, Advanced Signing Time Instructor  - Hermosa Beach, California teacherfranci@signingtimeacademy.com

Hedi Bright, Baby Signing Time Instructor – Laconia, New Hampshire

hedi@signingtimeacademy.com

Jen Norton, Master Signing Time Instructor  - Peterborough, Ontario jnorton@signingtimeacademy.com

Jennifer Turnbull, Master Signing Time Instructor – Knox, Maine jennifer@signingtimeacademy.com

Jessica McLaren, Baby Signing Time Instructor – Twenty-Nine Palms, California jmclaren@signingtimeacademy.com

Ronai Brumett, Master Signing Time Instructor – Maple Grove, Minnesota ronai@signingtimeacademy.com

Sue Rouillard, Advanced Signing Time Instructor – Whitefield, New Hampshire sueroulillard@signingtimeacademy.com

I hope you will take some time today and contact them about classes that they are offering in your area.  You can view all Certified Instructors here. Click on your state or Province to see if there is one near you. We have over 100 instructors either certified or in the process of becoming certified, so be sure to check back frequently.

If YOU want to become a part of the Academy, you can find out more at www.signingtimeacademy.com.  This could be an opportunity for you in 2010, to start your own business, reaching out to families in your community and provide them with the educational tools that help them to learn to sign with their children. We are a very diverse institution with men and women from all parts of the world interested in teaching parents how to use the Signing Time materials to enhance their lives through early communication.  We invite you to join us!

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*Next month read about THE DREAM TEAM.  These individuals have been instrumental in using their creative abilities to help other Instructors make the teaching experience a memorable one!

This news release was sent out December 8, 2009, from Nickelodeon:

NICK JR. TEACHES PRESCHOOLERS SIGN LANGUAGE WITH

NEW INTERSTITIAL MUSIC SERIES,

SIGNING TIME, BEGINNING WEDNESDAY, DEC. 9

NEW YORK, Dec. 8, 2009 – Nick Jr., Nickelodeon’s 24-hour commercial-free, educational network, will premiere Signing Time, the network’s first interstitial music series dedicated to teaching sign language to preschoolers, on Wednesday, Dec. 9.  Three videos, starring Emmy-nominated Rachel Coleman, will be in regular rotation on Nick Jr. airing 1-2 times per day.  Two additional videos will air exclusively on Nickelodeon’s award-winning website, www.nickjr.com.

Signing Time reaches children with diverse learning styles and abilities by encouraging interaction through signing, singing, speaking and dancing.  The Signing Time series teaches American Sign Language (ASL) vocabulary-building signs that are useful in daily life.

The videos airing on Nick Jr. include: “In a House,” which introduces the signs for different family members; “Feelings,” which teaches signs for feelings such as excited or scared and “Groove with Me,” which offers signs for activities such as jumping, swimming, dancing and running. NickJr.com will air these three videos in addition to two more exclusive music videos: “Leah’s Farm,” which presents the signs for animals and “A is for Alex and Alligator,” which teaches kids how to sign the entire alphabet.

Coleman co-created Signing Time as a means to teach children to communicate using American Sign Language (ASL).  As the mother of a daughter who is deaf, and another daughter with both cerebral palsy and spina bifida, sign language has played a central role in their family. Coleman has spent the last seven years making sign language fun and accessible for all children through the Signing Time series, which includes award-winning DVDs, music CDs, books, flashcards and a former public television show. Coleman, who is also a singer and songwriter, has written all the original songs featured in the series.  In 2008, Coleman was nominated for an Emmy in the category of Outstanding Performer in a Children’s Series.

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iParenting Media Award Winner

We are excited to announce that our newest release, Story Time, has received the  iParenting Media Award.

iParenting.com, a subsidiary of Disney, is a premier media site that evaluates and tests new products and collects objective feedback from parents.

Story Time received the following positive feedback from the judges:

“My kids were glued to the show the entire time. Afterward, they were so excited to show me the sign for Daddy, Mommy and a few other words. This DVD is a great way to teach kids how to sign in an interactive way. The story helps hold their interest and they were learning more than just story content. This would be a great tool for school teachers and classes with hearing impaired children.”

“This was a great introduction to sign language. My younger children had fun trying to repeat the demonstration. My 5 year old picked up lots of words and practiced them a lot. My older child, who has sign language in high school really enjoyed watching this too.”

“Very clear and easy to understand the sign language in this DVD. Several children in my care are using the sign language they have learned from this DVD.”

Stock up now for holiday gifts. Story Time is great for all ages and makes the perfect gift for any child or family!

Buy Now

by Rebecca Overson,
Editor-in-Chief

Many of you have been asking for a DVD of Rachel signing some of your favorite Signing Time songs from beginning to end. Well, this is it – Sing & Sign is almost here!

Wanna take a peek at it before it’s available?

Watch this short clip of Sing & Sign being tested with a real dad in our Top Secret Product Testing Lab.

Sing & Sign includes:

* NINETY minutes of material
* Thirteen Signing Time “music videos” – favorite song segments back-to-back
* Rachel demonstrating the ASL concepts in each song
* Your favorite Signing Time songs, signed from beginning to end

Add Sing & Sign to your holiday gift list, and watch for the “official” announcement soon!

Come See Rachel Coleman at the San Bernardino County Library Signing Time Event

What: Rachel Coleman, Emmy-nominated host of Signing Time will be performing in San Bernardino

When: September 2, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Where: San Bernardino County Library Steel Workers Auditorium located at 8437 Sierra Ave Fontana, CA 92335

Additional Information: This is a free event for the community. Stick around after the event for your chance to meet Rachel!