Hi! My name
is Christine. I was very excited to participate in Signing Smart play classes
with my daughter, Claire, because I was interested in establishing clear
communication at an early age. American Sign
Language made it possible for Claire to express her needs and wants before she was
ready to speak. That was both exciting and helpful. In addition, I've always wanted
to learn a second language. How wonderful to learn one that enables us to
communicate with deaf church members on a weekly basis!
We began
Signing Smart play classes when Claire was six months old and participated in a
second session when she was eleven months old. At first, her new language wasn't always clear. Knowing what to expect at this early stage was very
helpful! New signs are frequently inexact. I appreciated the tips on
identifying my baby’s early signs as well as suggestions on incorporating sign
language in our normal routines. I really enjoyed watching “Claire signs”
evolve to actual signs. It was so exciting to see my baby sign THANK YOU twice
in the same day!
Peer
interaction was another benefit of the play classes, not only for the babies
but for the parents as well. Many of us
are working parents. So we sometimes miss the “firsts” that take place during
the day. It was awesome to have an opportunity to play and learn right along
with my daughter and to share that experience with other moms, dads and babies.
At eighteen
months Claire had a spoken vocabulary almost double that of the typical 15 to
20 spoken words. Claire is 20 months old now, and she is talking and signing
like a pro. The benefits of early sign language are still paying off. Thank you Miss Stephanie for introducing us to early
communication with 100% American Sign Language!
