Talk with your hands
By Tina Benitez -- Playthings, 6/1/2006
According to the U.S. Department of Education, approximately 75,000 to 80,000 children in the United States receive special education for a hearing disability. While there is no clear total number of children who are actually deaf in the U.S., the need is there to provide the necessary tools for them to learn American Sign Language (ASL) at an early age.
Signing Time! is a 13-episode DVD series designed to help children up to 8 years old learn ASL. The videos were created by Rachel Coleman after learning that her first-born daughter, Leah, was born deaf, while her younger daughter, Lucy, was born with cerebral palsy. Each episode of the series—which can also be used by family members, teachers and other care givers—teaches ASL signs for first words, family members, animals, ABCs, feelings, manners, foods, everyday objects and activities. Two Little Hands Productions, the Salt Lake City-based company behind the products, also offers board books, CDs, flash cards and Baby Signing Time! DVDs.
Meanwhile, Educational Insights, the Rancho Dominguez, Calif.,-based company, has launched the We Sign DVD and video series for ages 10 months and up. The videos can teach ASL to hearing babies and toddlers before they ever speak and help elementary students better develop their language and reading skills and IQ scores. Kids can also develop fine and gross motor skills and memory skills as they hear, see, say and do the sign-and-sing songs. The series offers 13 DVDs, including the Babies and Toddlers Double Set, Patriotic Songs and Christmas Carols.
