We are excited to release these two DVDs making our Series Two collection complete. Once Upon a Time and Box of Crayons along with the rest of Series Two are designed to keep children learning and exploring the wonderful world of sign language.

Children will discover the magic of imagination and creativity when watching the newest DVDs – Once Upon a Time and Box of Crayons. In addition to its clever animation and original songs, these two DVDs will enhance communication, self-confidence and verbal skills as children use ASL to have fun and be creative all summer long.

“We are excited to release these two DVDs making our Series Two collection complete. Once Upon a Time and Box of Crayons along with the rest of Series Two are designed to keep children learning and exploring the wonderful world of sign language,” said Rachel Coleman, co-creator and host of Signing Time. “We are dedicated to creating fun and interactive products that help enhance communication in families.”

In Volume 11: Once Upon a Time, children discover the magic of stories and the fun of reading and signing together. In Volume 12: Box of Crayons, children learn signs for many colors through songs and activities including the Hopkins Hop and Story Time, featuring Rainbow Salad.

The DVD Gift Set comes with the two new DVDs, 10 ColorSplash twisting crayons, and a free limited edition Signing Time coloring book. Pricing and details for the promotion can be found at www.signingtime.com.

About Signing Time
Signing Time offers an unparalleled multi-sensory approach encouraging learning through three senses: visual, auditory and kinesthetic. Signing Time reaches children with diverse learning styles and abilities by encouraging interaction through signing, singing, speaking and dancing. Featuring Rachel Coleman and her daughter Leah, who is deaf, along with Alex (Leah’s cousin, who can hear) and their animated pet frog Hopkins, the Signing Time series teaches hundreds of ASL vocabulary-building signs that are useful in daily life.

About Two Little Hands Productions
Two Little Hands Productions produces and distributes Signing Time – a captivating and entertaining American Sign Language (ASL) DVD/video series and public television program. Signing Time was created to make signing fun and easy for children of all ages and abilities, including pre-verbal infants. Two Little Hands Productions is the winner of more than 60 national parenting awards for both Signing Time and Baby Signing Time. For more information, visit www.signingtime.com.

by Monica Beyer

Meet Becka Marsch. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and three children — Nick (8), Michele (5) and Wyatt (16 months). She is originally from New York and has been signing since her oldest child was 2 years old. She is the owner of Learn and Grow Together and offers classes in a large variety of subjects (including sign language) in the North Carolina area. She has a lot of experience signing with her own children and was eager to share her experiences with other parents!

SB: Do you have any background in ASL or other signed languages (such as any sign language specific education or degree)?

Becka: I do not have ASL training per say. I have taken classes and learned as I went. I do want to become fluent within the next few years! My degree is in Early Childhood Education and Development.

SB: How would you describe your child(ren)’s typical day? What are some of his/her favorite things to do?

Becka: Right now it is summer, so the kids do not have a typical schedule, since we are outside A LOT during the summer time. My oldest is going into the 4th grade, and taking gifted classes. My middle will be going to kindergarten. For the youngest, I start with breakfast, and while he is eating, I read to him, play some music and sign what he is doing. Then we read books, and sign to some of them. We read for about an hour or so, depending on his level of interest. We then do some puzzles, sing rhymes, and listen to music, complete with instruments. We have a lot of outside time, and go to plenty of playdates with friends. By the time we are done, it is already time for daddy to come home!

SB: How did you first learn about using sign language with hearing babies?

Becka: I used some sporadic signs with my day care kids, and with my own kids when they were younger. I saw that it lessened their frustration when they could tell me what they wanted, before they could tell me. Then, right before I got pregnant with the baby, the research was so prominent, that I decided to become an instructor myself, so I could help families communicate!

SB: What prompted you to try signing with your own child(ren)?

Becka: The research and seeing how it worked with other families.

SB: What signs did you start with, and why?

Becka: I started with some firsts, such as more, eat, please, mama, and dada. I did not limit my signs. My theory on this is that you do not limit your spoken words, why limit your signs?

SB: How long did it take before your child(ren) started signing to you?

Becka: I started late with my oldest 2, so they were ell over 1 year. But because I started, literally, from birth with my 16 month old (seen here signing “change”), he started signing back at 2 months old, and started singing in a 2 word sentence at 6 months.

SB: Think back to when your children signed to you for the first time — how did you feel?

Becka: With all of them, I felt elated! But because Wyatt started so soon, I was so proud, and started to take pictures and videos. I have a video on YouTube of him at 6 months, signing More Milk.

SB: What is your child(ren)’s favorite sign?

Becka: My oldest likes to sign whatever. My daughter seems to like anything that is an animal sign. My youngest likes fish, light, and fan.

SB: Can you think of a specific situation where signing helped prevent frustration or a tantrum?

Becka: So far, I have not had this happen, though I am sure I will experience it soon enough!

SB: Did you have any stumbling blocks along the way, and if so, what did you do to overcome it/them?

Becka: I seem to have a pretty easy time teaching my kids! Of course, my son is a toddler now, so he does not sit long for me to teach him!!!

SB: What did your family members think of your signing activities? Did you have any negative feedback? If so, what did you say or do?

Becka: So far I have not had any negative feedback. I have had people ask me if that would hinder language development, and I promptly told them that is would in fact INCREASE language, as signing activates multiple areas of the brain used for communication.

SB: Tell me about Wee Hands and being a baby sign language instructor. What is your favorite thing about it? If someone is interested in starting their own signing instruction business, where would you tell them to look first?

Becka: Wee Hands was founded in 2001 by Sara Bingham. It is actually based in Canada, but there are instuctors throughout the US. I love signing because I can teach families to communcate early, and this creates a stronger bond between parent and child. If someone as interested, I would suggest going to Wee Hands or to Sign 2 Me. These 2 companies make sure you have an ASL background and you go through extensive training.

SB: Do you have any unique or funny signing stories?

Becka: One thing that stands out, is my youngest, at 13 months, coming into the kitchen, singing change, then getting me a diaper. It was funny, and also felt great that he was totally getting it! Another funny, is that my daughter will sign to my oldest, and since he does not really know many signs anymore, he gets so mad…but it is still funny!

SB: Anything else you can think of?

Becka: Please check out my site at www.learnandgrowtogether.com and also the Wee Hands site, at www.weehands.com.

About the Author:

We all know that signing with babies reduces frustration, makes daily life more fun, and fosters language and intellectual development, but did you know that signing also provides a way to potty train children starting as early as 12 months? Before we show you how we’ve brought the power of our Baby Signs® Program to potty training, let’s take a closer look at potty training in America today.

A Disturbing Trend

Potty training is a challenge that parents today are postponing until later and later ages. In fact, the average age at which American parents potty train their babies is higher than at any time in history – 37 to 38 months. But that is just the average; many 3 ½ and even 4-year-olds are still in diapers. And now, with the creation of Size 7 diapers appropriate for the typical 6-year-old, parents are beginning to postpone potty training even longer.

What started this trend towards late training? The invention of the disposable diaper! Up until the late 1950s, 95% of American children were trained by 18 months. But the convenience and absorbency of disposable diapers removed a major incentive to complete potty training as soon as possible. At the same time, diaper companies, anxious to keep children in diapers as long as possible in order to boost profits, actively promoted a “modern approach” to potty training parents whereby parents were advised to wait to start training until their child was “ready.”

But what does being “ready” really mean? All too often parents assume it means that if they wait long enough, their children will be so eager to act grown up that they will practically train themselves. While that may be true for a few children, it’s far from true for the rest. In fact, as many parents are discovering, the older the child, the more likely it is that he or she will have entered the stage when the word “No!” is heard in regard to everything—including potty training. The result all too often is the onset of power struggles that parents can’t win. And as preschool deadlines for potty training loom, frantic parents begin exerting pressure that only makes matters worse!

Consequences for the Environment

Not only is later training more difficult for parents and upsetting to children, it is also bad for the environment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 7.26 billion pounds of disposable diapers end up in US landfills every year, with each diaper estimated to take up to 500 years to decompose. What’s more, according to National Geographic, the number of disposable diapers used in one year in the United States alone (18 billion) laid end to end would circle the world 90 times! And, unfortunately, many experts believe cloth diapers have different, but equally undesirable consequences.

New Approach Aims to Reverse Trend

Concerned about the detrimental effects of later and later potty training on children, parents, and the environment, we began a two-year investigation of potty training practices and concluded that the ideal age to start potty training is around 12 months. By this age babies can sit up independently, haven’t yet entered the “terrible twos,”—and can use signs! Because effective communication is important to successful potty training and children this young can’t talk yet, we saw a natural role for our Baby Signs® Program. The result is our new kit, Potty Training Made Easy with the Baby Signs® Program.  By teaching babies a few simple potty-time signs, babies can easily tell their parents they need to go potty even before they can talk.

The kit includes not only an easy-to-follow Parent Guide, but also highly motivational products for babies—including the All Aboard the Potty Train DVD starring the Baby Signs® DiaperDoodle characters who teach five potty-time signs within the context of the potty “routine.” The kit also includes a “lift-the-flap” book that reinforces the signs and routine, good-job stickers, and a conductor’s whistle that babies love to blow.

Potty Training Made Easy with the Baby Signs® Program has been field tested with children from 9 months to 4 years with great success. The highly motivational DVD, board book, stickers, and train conductor’s whistle included in the kit make children of all ages eager to “get on board the potty train.” Jennifer Macris, a mother of five who used the program, says, “I potty trained my four older children before using this program with my youngest son, and I can definitely say that this is the most fun and effective program out there.”

So, join us in our efforts to make potty training easier—and earlier—with signs!

Baby Signs: How to Talk With Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk

Baby Minds: Brain-Building Games Your Baby Will Love

Baby Hearts: A Guide to Giving Your Child an Emotional Head-Start

As rewarding as their research and writing projects have been, Linda and Susan still take the greatest pleasure in seeing the benefits of all they have learned “up close and personal” in their own children and grandchildren. For Linda, this includes her two children, Kate and Kai, and grandchildren Caroline and Katherine, while for Susan the list includes her two children, David and Lisa, and four grandchildren, Brandon, Leanne, Emma, and Luke.

Dr. Acredolo and Dr. Goodwyn are co-founders of Baby Signs, Inc. and its educational division, the Baby Signs Institute. Both organizations are devoted to helping parents throughout the world experience the many positive benefits that signing with infants can bring.

Nancy Cadjan is the creative lifeforce behind the popular Sign Babies product line, which includes flash cards, board books and a full-length book for parents who are interested in learning to sign with their babies. Nancy lives in Utah with her husband Arthur and her children — Alex is 7 and Anna is 2.

I was able to catch up with Nancy not too long ago and was glad of the opportunity to do so. I have been talking with her since she started the flash cards and as her innovative product line continues to expand I wanted to let everyone get to know her a little better.

SB: Do you have any ASL/signed language background (i.e., academic/educational)? If so, tell me about it.

Nancy: I learned ASL in my youth, but then did not sign for years before researching signing with babies and deciding to sign with my own kids. My business came out of the experience of signing with my son.

SB: How did you hear about using sign language with hearing babies?

Nancy: I was watching Oprah over 15 years ago talking about research on signing with babies. I started following the research and reading everything I could get my hands on. I knew I would sign with my children.

SB: When did you decide you would use sign language with your kids?

Nancy: When I read the research on signing with babies. I have a Master’s Degree in English and Rhetoric and I have always been fascinated by language and communication. I learned 4 languages other than English and have always been very fascinated by how people communicate. Giving my children the opportunity to communicate early was a no-brainer. Then, when my son was born, my OB/GYN delivered him and said “This baby has an attitude!” She was right. He needed to communicate so much that signing saved us both from a lot of frustration.

SB: What sign(s) did you start with, and why?

Nancy: We started with MILK, MORE, EAT, FINISHED,  DIAPER CHANGE, BATH and SLEEP. These signs are all distinct and they are signs for things that babies need most.

SB: What led to the creation of your flash cards?

Nancy: While signing with my son, I looked for books and tools to use, but did not find things that were baby-friendly. The books either had vocabulary that was too hard or you had to be able to read to use the ASL flashcards available at the time. I created my own “board book” in a photo album and a friend saw it and said, “If that is not available on the market, you’ve got a product and I will be your first customer.” Since then, we have sold over 60,000 sets of flash cards.

SB: Tell me about the process and the work involved in the creation of the flash cards.

Nancy: I taught hundreds of families about signing with babies and from that experience, I realized that there was a set of signs that really worked well for parents. That is the set of signs we started with. Then, I worked with a friend who is a children’s book illustrator and she and I created the cards.

SB: How are the flash cards used by parents typically?

Nancy: Parents use the cards to learn how to make the signs from the simple illustrations and hints on the back. Then, the front of the card is illustrated to interest the baby/toddler. Parents can use the cards to help the child to learn the sign. The best thing about the cards is that they allow parents to make their own “board books” using the flash cards so each mom can choose what she wants in her own book. If you don’t want to teach your child CANDY, you don’t have to.

SB: What other published works do you have currently? Tell me about them and how they came to be as well.

Nancy: Baby Signing 1, 2, 3: The Easy-to-Use Illustrated Guide to Every Age and Every Stage — this is the first book that combines baby signing with the child development to teach parents what to do at every age and stage. Each chapter focuses on a different stage and teaches parents how signing works with a child’s development and what signs work at each age. This is also the first book with a chapter on Children with Special Needs. It recently won the iParenting Media Award.

More Please is a board book designed for children and parents who sign, focusing on the things that they sign most.  It is a story that parents and children can read and sign from begining to end with signs on each page to help parents. There are also additional signs and tips in the back of the book. A fun thing is that I had the book sitting around the house and my 23-month old daughter picked it up and started reading it and signing it by herself.  I was really impressed because she was tiny when we developed it and I had not tried it out on her before then.  It did exactly what I had hoped–gave kids a book that they could read and sign on their own from begining to end.

SB: Finally, tell me about Babies & Moms radio.

Nancy: This is my new passion–for the past 17 months. I do a radio show/podcast that focuses on the years between birth and 3 years old. This is the most changing time for moms and babies.  Everyday your baby wakes up as a new person and there is so much to learn. We discuss everything from diapers to sleep patters to keeping a strong relationship with hubby to PMS. It is really informative and tons of fun because we are always laughing and having a great time. I recently go the following comment from a listener: “I can’t tell you how much I love your show, it has been such a blessing and source of comfort and humor and encouragement to me. Everything you ladies discuss resonates so powerfully for me. I recently downloaded all the old episodes and have almost made my way through them all. I was just telling my husband yesterday that I was excited that you are having more shows. He thinks I am addicted to you guys.”

The website is www.babiesandmomsradio.com and you can download shows in iTunes or listen on our site.

About the Author: