Kids Country - Childcare With One More Reason to be Called Fabulous!

Imagine....

• you are a member of a family who has chosen to take advantage of all the wonderful benefits Signing Smart can afford your whole family
• you are a member of a family who also needs to make use of daycare providers, babysitters, or other caregivers
• you know that having your child in the care of non-signing caregivers won't harm your little one, and it won't affect the success you experience using Signing Smart strategies at home
• you are a bit concerned about working with well-meaning caregivers who aren't using 100% American Sign Language (ASL) vocabulary

There are a lot of stresses we take on as we search for the perfect care settings for our sons and daughters.  There are the things that almost go without saying: safety and security, cleanliness, caring and patient staff, healthy and nutritious meals and snacks. Other aspects of the care environment are more subjective - class size, age ranges, academics, activities, indoor and outdoor play spaces, extracurricular activities available, etc.  When it comes down to it, nothing will be the same as being home with mom and/or dad.  When that just can't be, though, we look to find the next best thing while getting the best value for our tuition money.

Now imagine the simple, successful Signing Smart strategies you use at home to empower your little one with early communication are extended to their classroom.  There's one less thing for you to stress about!  I got to help create this exact scenario recently.

By teaching 22 Kids Country staff members the research-proven tools and strategies offered by Signing Smart, I helped them create classrooms in each of their centers where children be more empowered than ever to communicate with those around them.  Kids Country's goal is to inspire the hearts, minds, and imaginations of their students.  Now, even the youngest children that come through the doors of these 5 daycare centers will have every chance to participate in that vision.  As these passionate, excited, and knowledgeable teachers become more and more comfortable using American Sign Language as part of their interactions, recognizing the earliest attempts at expressive signs they see, practice capitalizing on all kinds of Signing Smart Opportunities, they are going to soar!

I can't wait to check back in with in a month as well as a year from now and hear all about the success they are experiencing personally using ASL with their young charges, but also abut the success stories of those charges and their families as well!

Do you have your child in a childcare setting and would like to see them incorporate Signing Smart into what they offer?  I would love the chance to work with more child care providers!