Publisher's Synopsis
Is this the right book for me?
Sign with Your Baby is the first comprehensive guide to signing with your baby to be produced by British authors. Unlike the many dictionaries on the market, it provides both practical and background information on how signing to and with your young child can enhance your communication, emotional bond and their language/behavioural development in many different ways.
Authored in conjunction with the UK's most respected courses, 'Sing and Sign', the book offers firstly a full overview of the history and benefits of signing before outlining the essential signs and moving on to more detailed communication with your baby. From bilingual to special needs children, and covering development right up to the learning of the alphabet and phonics for older children, this practical and informative manual comes with a free DVD, so you can practise and learn directly with your child at home.
Sign with Your Baby includes:
Chapter 1: History and principles of baby signing
Early communication
What is baby signing?
How baby signing began
The benefits of baby signing
So, what about British baby signing?
The Sing and Sign approach to teaching baby signing
Chapter 2: The early basics, getting started and basic guidelines
When should I start signing with my baby?
Guidelines for successful signing
When will my baby start to sign>
Recognize your baby's first signs
Getting started - your first basic signs
Chapter 3: The next steps
Introducing signs relevant to your child's world
Early basics: 'where', 'help', 'open', 'no', 'yes'
Routines: going out, nappy changing, bath and bed
Motivating signs: animals and vehicles
More useful signs
Chapter 4: Emotional development
Emotions: how does your baby feel?
Pain and medicine
Love and manner
Chapter 5: Encouraging signing with children at home and in childcare
Important people in your baby's world
Baby's own picture book
Signing in a nursery setting
Bilingual babies
Twins and multiple births
Signing dads
Chapter 6: Special needs
Development delay
Down syndrome
Speech delay
Premature babies
Deafness
Glue ear
Chapter 7: Signing with older children
Getting ready for speech
How signing facilitates speech development
Speech sounds
Reading a book together
Phonics
Colours
Weather
Potty/toilet-training
When should you stop signing?
Chapter 8: Frequently asked questions
If my baby learns signs will she still learn to talk?
What happens to signs as a baby begins to speak?
Why is my baby taking a while to use signs?
Could signing inhibit a baby's natural instinct to learn to talk?
How could I encourage my child to sign to me more?
What should I do if I am worried about my child's speech?
What are the different signing systems?
Help! I don't know the sign for...
How can I learn the Sing and Sign way?
Learn effortlessly with a new easy-to-read page design and added features:
Not got much time?
One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started.
Author insights
Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the authors' many years of experience.
Test yourself
Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress.
Extend your knowledge
Extra online articles to give you a richer understanding of baby signing.
Five things to remember
Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts.
Try this
Innovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.
