Baby Fingers: Baby Sign Language Classes for Parents and Kids

                                                                                         

As a music therapist, I knew that my graduate degree in Deaf education would have to be put to work that included music. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work in a therapeutic preschool where I had a class of deaf children whose parents were hearing, together with hearing children whose parents were Deaf. Many of the deaf children with hearing parents who didn’t sign, did not have access to language until they began school—their hearing counter parts with deaf, signing parents, were much further along. So learning Sign in the classroom opened many doors for these 3 and 4 year olds. Finally they knew what to call a table, a book, an apple, a friend… and signing while singing songs helped to solidify their new language.

Research supports the benefits of music and sign… Among others, in 1995, Buday wrote an article for the Journal of Music Therapy highlighting the benefits of signed songs on sign and speech imitation by children with autism. The work of Joseph Garcia of Sign with Your Baby, throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, chronicles the delight of parents around the world who have found signing to decrease behavior issues and communication related frustration, while jumpstarting language development.

As a mom myself, I found that putting my own research to work in my daily life with my children was priceless. At 6 ½ months of age, each of my children began to imitate my signs and communicate using a real language! That led me to develop Baby Fingers LLC, www.mybabyfingers In my classes at Baby Fingers, music is a key component in teaching the signs. Babies focus for longer periods of time during songs, allowing more eye contact with the teacher or parents. During these moments of eye contact, a great deal of learning can take place. The songs also act as a memory aid for the grown-ups, so they can go home and practice signing in a natural way with their child. Bilingual families in our program have found that translating songs from class into their home language, coupled with the signs also learned in class, appears to “bridge the gap” between English and the family’s primary language. This process of signing and singing together provides overall growth in communication and strengthens the bond between parent and child.

Families in New York City and the surrounding areas are flocking to Baby Fingers classes. Families from around the globe can join my webinars and support what you learn with my series of sign language books for children. Feel free to contact me with your questions on how to get started at www.mybabyfingers

About the author:
Lora Heller’s Baby Fingers Program is the premier sign language program for children and families in the NY Metro area. Lora is the author of Baby Fingers: Teaching Your Baby to Sign board book series, and Sign Language for Kids, with Sterling Publishing. Baby Fingers has been featured in NY Times, the Big Apple Parent, Discovery Health, WNBC Today in NY, WNYC among others.

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