Introduction to Baby Sign Language

This workshop introduces more than 40 signs that are based on American Sign Language (ASL). It is designed for expectant parents and parents with babies ranging in age from birth to 18 months. You will learn about the latest research and all the tricks on how to teach your baby to sign.  Fun activities and songs will show you how easy it can be to integrate simple signs into your everyday routine to jump-start your child’s verbal skills.  Read the FAQs below for more information.

Classes are offered at local hospitals and parent resource centers.  

Please click on the Calendar page for details and to register.

If you and your friends would like to host your own playgroup series in your home or at a local mothers group, please read the box below and then click on the link for more details on pricing. 

Sign Language Playgroups

Our six-week playgroup is a fun opportunity for parents to build their signing vocabulary with themes like mealtime, animals, colors, family, bedtime, and more. Two different playgroup series are offered for an increased opportunity to practice and build your signing vocabulary.  One is called Playgroup Zoom and the other is called Playgroup Boom.  Parents have only to take one series to have a strong command of baby sign language.  Both Playgroup Boom and Playgroup Zoom include the essential basic starter signs and vary in the more advanced vocabulary.  After taking one series parents are welcome to enroll in the alternate series, if not just for the fun of it, but also to strengthen and increase their signing vocabulary.  It is recommended that participants enroll in the Introductory Workshop prior to taking a playgroup series.  Read the FAQs below for more information.

Classes are offered at local hospitals and parent resource centers.  

Please click on the Calendar page for details and to register.

If you and your friends would like to host your own playgroup series in your home or at a local mothers group, please read the box below and email bill@touchbluesky.com for more information.

Host Your Own Class for Free!  

Host your own series of playgroups at your home or your local mothers club.  Your family's registration is free if six other paying families join.*  The days don’t have to be consecutive, thus you can have an irregular patchwork of dates.  This is a great way to meet new friends in your neighborhood with kids the same age.  They quite likely might end up becoming your best friends for the next 18 years!  It’s fun!  To schedule your playgroup or for more information contact Bill White at 650-571-0337 or send an email to bill@touchbluesky.com.  * Critical mass may be larger for certain areas. 

Searching for Baby Sign Language Instructors

If you are interested in teaching Baby Sign Language

please send an email to bill@touchbluesky.com

or feel free to call me, Bill White at 650-571-0337

FAQs

When should I start signing with my baby? 

Six to eight months of age is generally considered an optimal time to start signing with your baby, since before they’re six months old, babies have very little long-term memory to retain the signs they see.  Younger babies also lack the motor skills and hand-eye coordination required to make very precise gestures, so parents may miss their babies’ early signing attempts, perceiving them as random gestures.  

Once babies reach six months of age, however, memory retention increases rapidly.  If you start signing to them when they're between six and seven months of age, for example, you can reasonably expect them to sign back when they’re between eight and ten months old.  Older babies and toddlers will generally catch on much more quickly because they’re reaching the stage in their development where they begin to imitate, and when they attempt to use gestures to communicate.  They may take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to sign back.

Having said this, there is no harm in starting to sign as early as you like.  It’s worthwhile to note that deaf parents sign to their babies from birth, and their babies generally sign back significantly earlier than babies in hearing families do.

Do I need to bring my baby?

Babies are welcome but not required.  If your baby is napping or cranky, it is perfectly fine to come without your baby because we are teaching you, the parents, baby sign language.  At this stage of the game, the babies are just along for the ride.   If anyone has an over active toddler on the move it may be wise to attend sans child so that parents can focus on the lesson plans.

What if I can't make it to every playgroup?

Not everyone may be able to make it to all the classes.  With vacations and unexpected illnesses it's rare that everyone attends every playgroup.  For this reason we have formatted each hour long lesson plan to spend thirty minutes reviewing all the vocabulary that we learned the previous week.  Touch Blue Sky does not offer make up classes.

Class Materials

Learning materials will be emailed to each family after the first class.  The registration fee includes a 20 page handbook which contains a lexicon of all the signs, a tear out ASL alphabet chart, song lyrics that parents will be learning, information on the research and benefits of signing with babies and valuable links to online exercises and videos of each sign.  Plus the Playgroup Series parents will receive a Baby Sign Language smart phone app!

Toddlers and Older Siblings

If you have an active toddler you might consider attending sans the monkey so that you can focus and get the most out of each class.  If you do bring your baby, have some things to keep your child occupied and happy, like a few favorite toys, snacks and drink.  Older siblings are welcome if the instructor feels there is enough room and they are mellow.