The Baby Signs(R) Program in Malaysia

Baby Signs(R) PW and SSP Class Schedule

2010-02-04T22:33:00.003+08:00

Our Parent Workshop and SSP Class Schedule for Feb and March is now up. Click here to view our Parent Workshop schedule and here to view our SSP Class Schedule.

You can register on line for these classes. For Parent Workshop registration, click here and for SSP Class registration click here.

Fabulous Mom Flea Market on 6th Feb (Sat)

2010-02-02T21:34:00.000+08:00

Join us at Fab Mom flea market this weekend @TTDI from 10am to 6pm. See you there...

Events on 24th Jan

2010-01-20T16:26:00.003+08:00

There will be two events on 24th Jan

1. Baby Signs(R) Introduction Session
Ever wonder what your baby is thinking? Or why your baby is crying?

Very soon your baby will be looking for ways to share his or her thoughts, feelings, and new discoveries with you. However, trying to communicate without words can be very frustrating!

Using the Baby Signs® Program gives babies a way to “talk” with their parents, before they can talk. Babies can communicate about the world around them, long before they have mastered their verbal speaking skills!

Babies and their parents can use simple signs to communicate important things – like being hungry or thirsty, hot or cold, afraid or sad – often a full year before babies could otherwise speak.

Research has proven that using the Baby Signs® Program with babies has dramatic benefits, including decreasing frustration for babies and parents, enriching the parent-child bond, boosting emotional development, helping babies talk sooner – even raising IQ.

Come and find out more about the amazing program!

The venue for this Intro session is at our BSM Office, No 20, Jalan Bukit, Section 11/2, 46200 Petaling Jaya. For enquries please contact Rose at 012-6390714 or learningsparkler@yahoo.com

2. KK Baby Signers Gathering
Greetings to All Baby Signers in KK!

We are organizing our very first Baby Signers gathering in KK on 24 Jan'10.

We'll also be sharing a Special topic on Potty Training.

You may ask any question related to signing, potty training with baby signs or any other topics relating to parenting etc. Parents/Caregivers are also welcomed to share their ideas on signing/potty training.

Bring: Your babies. Also, some food to share for light refreshment (Halal, please)

Admission is FREE!

Anyone interested to find out more about Baby Signing is welcomed to join us, too ;)

P/s: Full address of gathering will be emailed to all confirmed attendees few days prior to event. It's nearby YueMin School, Penampang :-)

Please contact Ethel at 012-8292800 for more info.

Communicating with your baby

2010-01-20T16:12:00.003+08:00

by Jamie Solomon, Director of Baby Signs Malaysia and Certified Instrutor of the Baby Signs(R) Program
Article in babybook

Your baby’s crying and you don’t know why. She’s pointing to something and you don’t know what. You take her for a stroll in the mall, she’s looking excitedly around and you wonder what goes on in her mind. At times, you catch her trying to communicate with you through her body gestures but you can’t seem to figure it out. You start to teach her to wave ‘bye-bye’, soon she catches on. You sing to her your favorite Children Songs and soon she mimics your actions. It’s all wonderful and cute, but “Parents, don’t just stop there”. Read on to find out how you can harness the ability in your child to communicate with you through sign language.

I Get a Peek Into Your Baby's Fast-Growing and Exciting World

For the past 9 months or so you have been carrying your baby. You eagerly anticipate the day she will be born. It’s coming soon. You hope she’s an easy baby to manage; a happy and contended one. You keep your fingers crossed.

Soon your beautiful bubbly bundle of joy arrives. The first thing you hear is her cry. Oh that sweet, beautiful cry. After a few days, weeks and months of knowing her, she continues to cry and it doesn’t seem to sound so sweet anymore. You don’t know what’s on her mind. You think to yourself, “Gosh, I wish she would just tell me!” She soon starts to whine, point, babble, and at times scream and she does it confidently, but you still don’t know what she wants.

If you think you have to wait till your baby can verbally communicate with you to talk to you and share with you what’s on her mind, you’re wrong. Babies as early as 7 or 8 months can communicate effectively with their parents, sharing with them their wants, needs, thoughts, ideas, memories and feelings. Sound unbelievable? Its not!

Every infant goes through the stage where she is unable to articulate with words but yet feels, experiences and understands what goes on around her. Her choices for now are limited. With her speech production ability non-existent or limited, she has a few options: point, whine, cry and at times scream! She really has no choice. More often than not, this can be truly frustrating for parents, as well as the baby.

You can use a basic but powerful skill – your child’s hands, face and body to communicate with you. The mechanics involved in gesturing are simpler than that of speech production and so it is no surprise that babies can learn to sign earlier than they can speak.

As parents you don’t have to wait until your baby can talk to know what’s on her mind! Empower her today to communicate with you through sign language.

What Can Possibly Be On Their Minds?

Right from a tender age, parents are already teaching their baby so many things. You may point out a ‘car’ to your baby when a car zooms by and you may point out the colour ‘red’ when you’re eating an apple. Though your baby can’t yet speak, your baby is able to understand a whole lot of things. Ask him to get his ball and see him walk toward his ball bin.

While this seems to be reactive communication, why not empower your child so that he/she can proactively communicate with you? The next you time you want to ask your child to ‘find his sippy cup’, let your child do the ‘talking’ and let him tell you when he is thirsty.

Signing is natural!

Some parents may find this to be quite a strange approach and still others may not even believe that babies can actually do this. But think about it, have you ever taught your baby to wave "bye-bye" or shake his/her head for "no" or nod for “yes”? If your answer is ‘Yes’, then you are already teaching your baby to sign! This means that parents and babies have been signing to each other for many, many years!

But Will They Learn to Talk?

“If you encourage a baby to use signs, wouldn’t that slow down her speech development? Why would she bother with words?” This is the most common concern parents have. A study conducted by Dr Linda Acredolo and Dr Susan Goodwyn which began in the late 1980s showed that in test after test the signers were more advanced than the non-signers in language skills. They were learning to talk sooner, not later! Here’s how they like to explain it: Just as crawling doesn’t slow down walking, signing doesn’t slow down talking. In fact, it adds to a baby’s enthusiasm for doing so. They even discovered that the children who had used signs as infants scored significantly higher than the non-signers on IQ tests at age 8!

More Important Benefits

While signing has such positive effects on learning to talk and on intellectual development, the most important benefits are the emotional ones. Signing helps to: -
• Reduces tears, tantrums & frustration
• Allows babies to share their world
• Strengthens the parent-child bond
• Boosts babies' self-esteem and self-confidence
• Makes learning to talk easier
• Stimulates intellectual development

As you will soon discover for yourself as you open this window into your baby’s mind, when you truly understand and communicate with someone, you feel more connected.

New ICI

2009-12-06T21:14:00.004+08:00

Meet Dr Norizan, our new Independent Certified Instructor! Dr Norizan is a linguist by training and her interest lies primarily in child language development. Read more about Dr Norizan here.

Baby Signs® Sign, Say & Play(R) Class

2009-11-01T22:24:00.000+08:00

Our next round of SSP Classes is starting on 7th Nov.

For further enquiries please contact Coreen at 013-3301728.

Baby Signs® Parent Workshop is now in JB

2009-11-01T22:19:00.003+08:00

Ethel, our Instructor is now in Johor Bharu!!!

Ethel, is having her FIRST ever Parent Workshop in JB. Be the first to attend. Details are as follows: -

Date: 7 Nov (Saturday)

Time: 2-4pm

Venue: Near City Centre

Please email Ethel at 012-8292800 for further details.

Parent Workshop

2009-09-29T22:14:00.002+08:00

The Schedule for our Baby Signs(R)Parent Workshop for the month of Oct is now up. Check it out here.

If you're interested, please proceed to fill in our On-Line Registration Form.

For further enquiries, please contact Jamie at 012-3101704.

Baby Signs(R) Intro Session

2009-09-06T23:33:00.002+08:00

Our next Intro session will be held on 19th Sept at Fab Mom TTDI

Venue: Fabulous Mom, TTDI

Time: 11a.m.

Instructor: Delthine Tay

For enquiries, please contact Jamie at 012-3101704.

Potty Party on 11th Oct, 3pm

2009-09-06T22:47:00.001+08:00

The next Potty Party will be held on 11th Oct at 3pm in our office.

Fee is RM20 per individual and RM30 per couple.

Please fill in our On-Line Registration Form.

For further enquiries, please contact Jamie at 012-3101704.

NEW!!! Medical & Health Signs

2009-09-06T22:25:00.005+08:00

How to Prepare Your Baby For Cold & Flu Season

By Dr. Linda Acredolo and Dr. Susan Goodwyn

As children go back to school, they become exposed to new viruses and bring them home to share with the family. If you have an infant in the house, there's a good possibility that you'll be caring for a sick baby at least once during the upcoming cold and flu season.

Sometimes it's hard to know when your baby or toddler is sick. Your baby might have a low-grade fever, but when she can't talk, there's no way for her to tell if her throat hurts or her ears ache. With the H1N1 swine flu virus looming on the horizon, it's especially important for parents to know that they CAN communicate with their baby when it comes to health issues. That's why we encourage you to start now to each these simple signs that will help your baby:

- tell you if he's feeling (HOT, COLD, SICK)

- tell you where she's feeling pain (HURT)

- know what to expect during a visit to the doctor (HELP, DOCTOR, MEDICINE)

- understand when the pain will end when getting an immunization (ALL DONE)

- communicate about health-promoting activities (WASH)

(Note: All signs are American Sign Language signs recommended by the ASL Department at Columbia College in Chicago, unless noted with an (*), which indicates an optional baby-friendly version of the sign.)

Click here to see a video demo of each sign below.

Medical and Health Signs
recommended for cold and flu season
All Done
Doctor
Gentle
Help
Hot
Hurt
Medicine
More
Sick
Water

Other Useful Signs
for any time!
Daddy
Dog*
Hat
Ice Cream
Mommy
Outside
Outside*
Play
Please
Thank You

My Child Magazine

2009-07-30T21:28:00.002+08:00

The Baby Signs(R) Program is featured in My Child Magazine, June-July issue. Get your copy today.

Sign, Say & Play(R) DEMO Class

2009-07-30T21:25:00.000+08:00

Our next Sign, Say & Play(R) DEMO Class will commence on 8th August, 10am in Kizsports, Bangsar Village II.

If you have not signed up and would like to, simply complete our On-Line Registration Form.

Hurry, limited places.

Potty Party on 23rd August, 3pm

2009-07-30T21:20:00.000+08:00

The next Potty Party will be held on 23rd August at 3pm in our office.

Fee is RM20 per individual and RM30 per couple.

Please fill in our On-Line Registration Form.

For further enquiries, please contact Jamie at 012-3101704.

Potty Party on 5th July, 3pm

2009-06-29T22:27:00.001+08:00

The next Potty Party will be held on 5th July at 3pm in our office.

Fee is RM20 per individual and RM30 per couple.

Please fill in our On-Line Registration Form.

For further enquiries, please contact Jamie at 012-3101704.

Sign, Say & Play(R) Class

2009-05-27T20:41:00.002+08:00

Our next Sign, Say & Play(R) Class will commence on 13th June, 1pm in Kizsports, Bangsar Village II.

If you have not signed up and would like to, simply complete our On-Line Registration Form.

Hurry, limited places.

Potty Party on 7th June, 3pm

2009-05-27T20:39:00.003+08:00

The next Potty Party will be held on 7th June at 3pm in our office.

Fee is RM20 per individual and RM30 per couple.

Please fill in our On-Line Registration Form.

For further enquiries, please contact Jamie at 012-3101704.

Learning to talk - What a Journey!

2009-04-29T20:32:00.003+08:00

Baby Signs Malaysia will be hosting a session called "Learning to talk - What a Journey!" on May 23rd 10am at our office. Pn Farah Alkaf, Speech Language Pathologist and the Director of Speechelp will be conducting this hour and a half session. Among some of the things that Farah will share are
- communication - what is it?
- what's necessary for communication
- speech and language milestones
- and much much more!

Come and join us for this educational and fun session.

Prior registration is required. To register, please contact Jamie at 012-3101704 or jamie@babysignsmalaysia.com with the following details: -
-Participant's full name
-No. of people attending
-Age of child/children
-Handphone no.

Session fee is RM10 per person and RM15 per couple.

Storytelling at Fabulous Mom on 2nd May at 11a.m.

2009-04-27T21:08:00.003+08:00

We are having a storytelling session at Fabulous Mom this Saturday (2nd May) at 11am. Join us.

Prior registration required.

Please contact Fabulous Mom.

Potty Party on 3rd May, 3pm

2009-04-21T22:05:00.004+08:00

The next Potty Party will be held on 3rd May at 3pm in our office.

Fee is RM20 per individual and RM30 per couple.

Please fill in our On-Line Registration Form.

For further enquiries, please contact Jamie at 012-3101704.

Use of Signs in Hearing Communities

2009-04-21T21:50:00.001+08:00

It is not only those who have lost their ability to hear that use signs and signed languages to communicate as many people who have perfect hearing frequently use non-verbal communication techniques both at home and during their working day.

In fact it is probably used more often than most people realise as they are unaware that they are using forms of sign language to communicate.

The Use Of Non-Verbal Communication
Even the simple gesture of nodding or shaking the head is a form of signing albeit very primitive. It is from very crude gestures such as this that more sophisticated signed language develops.

The use of facial expressions is also a very important form of signing and by using facial expression, many different moods and emphases can be used to highlight the most important parts of communication both verbal and non-verbal.

In many types of jobs either when the staff work in relative quietness of in very noisy environments when verbal communication wouldn’t be very useful, facial expression and gesturing are often used without individuals being aware that they are using a form of sign language.

Hearing People Who Sign
Sign language is not just for those who have lost their hearing as many people who can hear well have learned the skills needed for signed language and are able to teach these skills to others. They are essential in helping people who want to learn signed language especially those who are losing their hearing or have lost their hearing.

These people can also act as ‘interpreters’ when needed in situations such as when a non-hearing person is a patient in hospital, when needed for interviews as well as many other situations. It is a very useful skills to learn even if you have good hearing already.

Sign Language & Education
Experts have now found that parents who encourage their children, even from a very early age, to use forms of signed language as a communication aid will significantly improve that child’s ability to learn other skills at a later date.

Research has shown that children who were taught singed language or encouraged to use non-verbal communication in their early years have a better ability to learn new languages in later childhood.

This is very encouraging in our multi-cultural and international lifestyle as learning new languages will indefinitely give children a better foundation for success in adult life.

Forms of basic sign language can be taught to the very young even to babies and teaching these skills has allowed parents to their babies with less crying and whining than those who cannot express their wishes.

Very basic gestures indicating that the child would like a drink, a different toy, a bath or food not only helps to improve the relationship between parent and child but also allows the child to express their needs with less frustration.

It may be easily assumed that signed languages are just for those with no or little hearing ability but this is not true. Many people use forms of signed language to communicate and it is now recommended that parent encourage their children to learn basic signing even from being a baby to help them express their needs removing the development of frustration which leads to crying and annoyance from both the parents and the child.

Taken from http://www.signedlanguage.co.uk

From another very delighted mom....

2009-04-16T23:28:00.003+08:00

From Ho Siew Chui, mommy to An Qi, 17 months

An Qi is 17 months now. She can't talk yet but is saying certain words. For some words that she says, she signs too. She also signs for words that she can't say yet like ice-cream, thank you, please, butterfly, good, moon, bye bye etc. Her favorites (which she signs all the time) are hat, clock, dog, duck, bird, sleep, book, cow.

Was signing helpful? I think it's just amazing and I am spreading the word to all my friends.

Like other babies, An Qi is quite observant and she always wants to tell us what she sees. She will sign to us. We went shopping ages ago and prior to that, I taught her the sign for clock (I made it up). We went past a shop and An Qi who was sitting in her stroller, glanced back to me and signed clock. I looked and saw the shop that was selling clocks and watches. It was such a surprise! Even now, whenever she sees a clock, she will make sure we know.

Through signing, she's communicating to us her needs, her thoughts and her preferences. It shows that she understands what we say and that's really important to us.

How signing played a part in her verbal development? For now, since she mispronounces certain words, signing helps us to understand what she says. We get to correct her by repeating the word she says. She's doing the movements and signs to some of the children songs although she can't sing yet. It's her way of enjoying the music.

The Baby Signs(R) Program featured in Kosmo!

2009-04-16T09:47:00.003+08:00

Komunikasi isyarat tubuh

Oleh JOHANNA A. SOBREY
johanna.sobrey@kosmo.com.my

Ramai beranggapan isyarat tubuh atau bahasa isyarat hanya untuk golongan kurang upaya. Namun, ramai yang tidak menyedari bahawa ia sangat efektif dalam komunikasi antara ibu dan si kecil.

KETIKA berusia 14 bulan, Shawn Wong menghidap demam panas dan seperti kanak-kanak lain seusia dengannya, dia akan merengek dan menangis pada waktu tengah malam kerana berasa tidak selesa.

Apabila dihampiri ibunya, Jamie Solomon, tangan si kecil itu akan mengepal dan membuka semula berulang kali sebagai tanda isyarat permintaannya.

"Melihat sahaja tangannya, saya sudah tahu bahawa Shawn mahukan susu," ujar Solomon ketika ditemui Kosmo! di Kuala Lumpur baru-baru ini.

Sekiranya Shawn tidak menunjukkan isyarat tersebut, Solomon berkata, dia tentu beranggapan bahawa anaknya mahukan ubat, dipangku atau ditukar lampin sebelum pilihan terakhir, menyusu.

"Tanda isyarat 'susu' itu membolehkan komunikasi efektif antara Shawn dan saya.

"Dia tidak perlu menangis lama untuk mendapatkan apa yang dikehendakinya dan saya tidak berasa putus asa untuk mengetahui apa yang sebenarnya diperlukannya," tambahnya.

Solomon merupakan Pengarah BabySigns Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. iaitu sebuah syarikat yang menyediakan program mendidik bayi berkomunikasi dengan menggunakan bahasa isyarat.

"Sebelum ini, bayi mengekspresikan diri mereka melalui kesan emosi seperti gelak ketawa atau tangisan.

"Adakalanya, ini menyukarkan kita memahami apa yang bayi inginkan, minat atau rasa," ujar Solomon.

BabySigns, katanya, mengajar kanak-kanak yang tidak mengalami masalah pendengaran bahasa isyarat yang berdasarkan kepada program Bahasa Isyarat Amerika (ASL).

ASL digunakan dalam kalangan individu yang mengalami masalah pendengaran di Amerika Syarikat.

Menceritakan tentang latar belakang BabySigns, Solomon berkata: "Pada tahun 1982, pakar perubatan, Dr. Linda Acredolo dan Susan Goodwyn mendapati bayi mampu menggunakan isyarat tangan secara spontan untuk mewakili ayat yang tidak mampu mereka suarakan.

Mereka akan menghidu untuk 'bunga' atau mengepakkan tangan di sisi badan sebagai tanda 'burung'. Kedua-dua doktor berkenaan berfikir, bagaimana sekiranya ibu bapa membantu dalam proses tersebut.

Sehubungan itu, lahirlah program BabySigns, bahasa isyarat semula jadi yang membenarkan bayi dan ibu bapa berkomunikasi dengan menggunakan isyarat ringkas untuk perkara-perkara penting seperti lapar atau dahaga, haiwan, emosi dan rasa.

"Melalui penyelidikan yang kebanyakannya ditaja oleh Institut Kesihatan Kebangsaan selama dua dekad, Acredolo dan Goodwyn telah menunjukkan bahawa program tersebut mempunyai pelbagai manfaat besar kepada bayi dan ibu bapa," kata Solomon.

Katanya, banyak yang ingin diperkatakan oleh bayi, sungguhpun mereka masih belum mampu untuk berkata-kata.

Walaupun demikian, Solomon berkata, kebolehan bayi berbahasa isyarat bergantung kepada apa yang telah diajar oleh ibu bapa.

"Tetapi ada kalanya, bayi akan membentuk sendiri bahasa isyarat mereka dan ibu bapa harus peka apa yang bayi mereka 'katakan'."

Solomon menggalakkan pengajaran tanda isyarat tangan yang digabungkan dengan percakapan bermula sejak lahir lagi.

Bercakap sambil berisyarat kata Solomon akan mendedahkan kanak-kanak dengan perkataan.

"Sungguhpun bayi tidak memahami sepenuhnya apa yang diperkatakan, tetapi dengan terus mengajar mereka, lama-kelamaan mereka akan berjaya.

"Ingin kami tekankan bahawa progres setiap bayi adalah berbeza," katanya yang melibatkan Shawn dalam program BabySigns pada usia 10 bulan.

Dengan kesungguhannya mengajar Shawn berbahasa isyarat, kanak-kanak yang kini berusia setahun itu mampu melakukannya dalam masa hanya dua bulan.

Sehubugan itu, Solomon merasakan usia tiga bulan merupakan waktu yang sesuai untuk memperkenalkan program BabySigns kerana pada peringkat itu, bayi lebih sedar dan masih belum mampu bergolek atau merangkak.

"Mereka memberikan tumpuan kepada anda. Namun demikian, bayi yang lebih berusia akan lebih cepat 'tangkap' apa yang ibu bapa ajar."

Mengulas manfaat program BabySigns, Solomon berkata: "Daripada segi perkembangan kognitif dan bahasa, manfaat lain adalah mengurangkan tangisan, perasaan marah dan putus asa antara kanak-kanak dan ibu bapa, membenarkan orang dewasa berkongsi dunia dengan si kecil, mengukuhkan ikatan antara anak dan ibu bapa, meningkatkan keyakinan diri anak, memudahkan pembelajaran bertutur dan merangsang perkembangan intelektual."

Program BabySigns, ujar Solomon, akan menggalakkan komunikasi proaktif antara dua pihak.

"Contohnya, sekiranya bayi tidak berbahasa isyarat, mereka akan menangis dan menunjuk sesuatu yang ada kalanya orang dewasa tidak memahami apa yang cuba mereka sampaikan.

"Melalui isyarat, bayi-bayi akan memulakan satu perbualan dan ibu bapa akan memberikan respons bercakap dengan mereka. Ini akan menambahkan kegembiraan kanak-kanak dan menggalakkan mereka berkomunikasi," katanya.

Mengakui antara perkara yang merunsingkan ibu bapa adalah sama ada program tersebut akan melembapkan anak-anak mereka untuk bercakap, Solomon menjelaskan: "Hakikatnya, program BabySigns itu bukan untuk melambatkan tetapi sebenarnya membantu mereka bercakap.

"Ia seperti kanak-kanak yang merangkak sebelum berjalan. Jadi, mempelajari bahasa isyarat akan menambahkan motivasi mereka untuk bercakap."

Ini katanya dibuktikan oleh satu kajian pada tahun 1980-an yang dijalankan oleh Acredolo dan Goodwyn yang menunjukkan manfaat program itu dalam perkembangan bahasa termasuk apabila kanak-kanak berusia dua tahun yang mengikuti program BabySigns menunjukkan perbendaharaan kata yang lebih besar berbanding kanak-kanak yang tidak mengikuti program tersebut.

Solomon yang merupakan instruktor bertauliah bebas antarabangsa yang pertama untuk program BabySigns di Malaysia berkata, program tersebut bukanlah sukar untuk diajar atau dipelajari bagi ibu bapa dan anak-anak mereka.

"Sebenarnya, bahasa isyarat adalah satu perkara yang semula jadi dan terbentuk daripada apa yang sememangnya diamalkan sejak sekian lama.

"Ini boleh dilihat dalam tanda isyarat melambai untuk 'bye-bye' atau mengangguk (ya) dan menggelengkan kepala (tidak). Ia seperti juga penggunaan tangan dan riak muka ketika menyanyikan lagu-lagu kanak-kanak.

Berdasarkan model ini, program BabySigns, kata Solomon lagi, membantu dalam apa yang telah pun dilakukan secara semula jadi.

"Pada mulanya, bayi-bayi ini akan mengetahui satu perkataan dan lama-kelamaan, mereka mampu menghubungkan satu perkataan. Seperti Shawn, perkataan pertamanya adalah more (lebih banyak). Kemudian, pada suatu hari ketika di pasar raya, dia berisyarat more biscuits atau lebih banyak biskut.

Antara isyarat yang diajar kepada peserta termasuklah haiwan, emosi, waktu, ibu dan bapa serta objek seperti bola dan buku.

Sehubungan itu, BabySigns Malaysia menawarkan bengkel ibu bapa yang direka untuk membimbing penjaga tentang bagaimana menggunakan program BabySigns di rumah.

Ia juga menawarkan kelas Sign, Say and Play yang merupakan enam siri kelas interaktif dan menyeronokkan yang membolehkan ibu bapa dan bayi mereka belajar bahasa isyarat dalam persekitaran yang santai dan penuh sokongan.

"Di samping itu, kami juga menawarkan rangkaian produk yang komprehensif bagi membantu proses pembelajaran bayi seperti buku-buku, DVD dan sumber lain yang menjadikan pembelajaran bahasa isyarat menyeronokkan dan mudah untuk semua.

Terbaru, BabySigns Malaysia menawarkan kursus latihan kepada pendidik peringkat awal kanak-kanak.

"Seorang instruktor bertauliah bebas akan datang ke pusat-pusat terlibat untuk menunjukkan cara tentang bagaimana menggunakan sumber-sumber yang ada.

"Terdapat tiga aras latihan untuk dipilih. Kesemuanya menunjukkan bagaimana guru-guru boleh menggunakan program BabySigns dalam bidang perkembangan bahasa, emosi, sosial, fizikal dan kognitif dalam kurikulum pembelajaran sedia ada," kata Solomon.

From a very delighted mom....

2009-04-14T21:41:00.004+08:00

From Hanizawati, mommy to Hambali, 10 months

Our family loves the Baby Signs(R) Program. It is not just a way to communicate with our soon to be 10-month old baby but it's a game to our 5 year old boy too. Additionally, my elder boy is learning ABC signing which I know by heart.

We started off with words like :- Papa, Mama, Milk (Nenen), Sleep, More, Lion, Where, Come, Eat, Bye-Bye, Play, Love (Sayang) & Cannot.

Hambali signed 'Milk' at 7 months + for a month, signed 'Bye-bye' at 9 months & I think he signed 'Eat' to his Grandma yesterday and though Grandma was unsure he stopped making a fuss once he was fed. For the rest of the words, he understands what they are. He is also already saying 'Papa' & 'Mama' clearly....not just mumbling and knows who he is calling.

Currently, we're adding more words like:-'Book', 'Car', 'Moon', 'Fan', 'Bird', 'Cat',' Butterfly' & 'Water'

The Baby Signs(R) Program featured in the Malay Mail

2009-04-13T18:57:00.011+08:00

Signs of the Times

by Angie Tan
Saturday, April 11, 2009

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: When Jamie Solomon had her first child, she wanted a home-based job to be able to spend more time with her son, Shawn. But leaving a steady career after working in the corporate world for about seven years seemed a bit daunting. She knew she needed to be more than just a stay-home mum.

Eight months later, she discovered the Baby Signs Program in the United States, which allowed her to communicate with her toddler through "baby sign language" using simple and easy-to-do gestures.

“The experience of signing with Shawn was so rewarding I wanted to share it with other parents. I found the programme to be attractive, plus no one was doing it in Malaysia,” said Solomon. She eventually started Baby Signs Malaysia in mid-2007.

The soft-spoken mum did everything herself from the website design to teaching signing classes. She is also the first International Independent Certified Instructor for the Baby Signs Program in Malaysia.

By 2008, she incorporated Baby Signs Malaysia Sdn Bhd, of which she is the director. Currently, the 33-year-old has four certified instructors in Klang Valley and another in Kota Kinabalu.

“All of our instructors have signed or are signing with their young ones at home," she said.

Solomon admits that competition is stiff as there are so many different classes and programmes a parent can send their child to: “Parents today are spoilt for choice, but having said that, they are also more receptive,” she said, explaining that it was the older generation that found it tough to accept signing.

“For some, it’s pantang (taboo). Why would you want to teach your child sign language when they do not have a hearing impairment?" Changing people’s perception towards signing, she added, was one of the challenges.

“Signing actually makes it easier to teach your child. For example, in a family where your maid speaks Malay, the grandparents converse in their own mother tongue and the parents speak English, signing breaches the language barrier.

“The best time to teach your toddlers to sign is when they are a newborn to two and a half years old,” said Solomon, who started signing with Shawn when he was eight months old. “It is best to start as early as possible but having said that, toddlers cannot sign at such an early age as their motor skills have not fully developed.”

Today, at three and a half years old, Shawn has forgotten most of the signs he learnt, but is eager to pick it up again because his little brother, 10-month old Robin, has started signing.

According to Solomon, Shawn looks at it as a game but overall, siblings are a good influence.

“Your child has to understand first, so you need to be more patient. Starting early gives parents the time for practice. It’s something that you need to get used to. When will you see results? I can’t say for sure. The earliest is when the child is seven months and even if the toddler starts at 12 months old, it’s also normal.”

What about fears that a toddler might rely solely on signing instead of learning how to talk?

“On the contrary," Solomon said. "Using signs actually makes it easier for babies to learn how to talk. Signing exposes them both to talking and signing. When you sign to your child, you are also talking at the same time. Some toddlers are more visual, they learn faster that way. Eventually, you won’t need to wean your child off signing. It’s a natural progression. In my case, Shawn dropped a lot of his signs in order to talk when he was around 18 months old.”

Kids, she said, do want to communicate with their parents and when they can’t, they can get frustrated and even aggressive: "They just want to be able to express themselves.”

Solomon conducts classes such as the Sign, Say & Play class and workshops, such as the Potty Party to help train up both parents and children. The class takes place for six weeks and lasts about 45 minutes per session. It may seem short to an adult, but children have have shorter attention spans.

I sat in one of the classes, which happened to be all about "The Zoo". Solomon not only signed, she told stories and sang ditties about animals one might find in zoos. She also brought along toys to represent each animal.

Concept items (basically the toys and the puppets) were important as they helped the child to relate with what was being signed and said. “Our classes are a great way to introduce the signs. It makes it fun for the child, but it is more for parents to help them in their parenting role,” she said.

“It is for them to learn the signs, the activities and songs so they can teach their child. The real teacher here is the parent as repetition is important. From the child’s point of view, it is like a play class and the interaction helps them improve their motor skills,” she added.

I managed to catch up with first-time parents at the workshop Chubby Lee and his wife, Nanthana Chalermsuwan. The Lees were there with their one-year-old toddler, Chiramate Lee Ming Tim.

“We did our own research and found out that children consume the most during the first two years of their life," Lee said. "So we started scouting to look for a suitable educational programme. My kid actually likes to play with other children but how often can I bring him to see his cousins? So, one of the requirements in looking for a programme was one that would allow my kid to interact with other children.

“Plus, Baby Signs was basic enough for my kid and was more like play time for him. He has started signing to us and although he may have picked up just three or four signs out of the Baby Sign's 100, it is a good start. We teach him our own signs too.

“When he first signed to us, it was very emotional. We got goose bumps and it was just exciting to see him learn something new,” added Lee.

The six-week class costs RM500, of which RM275 is for the learning kit. Baby Signs Malaysia also conducts out other fun and free activities such as story telling sessions at bookstores around town.

To find out more about the demo workshops, classes and other activities, check out Baby Signs Malaysia at www.babysignsmalaysia.com.

Sign, Say & Play(R) Class

2009-04-05T22:02:00.002+08:00

Our next Sign, Say & Play(R) Class will commence on 18th April, 1pm in Kizsports, Bangsar Village.

If you have not signed up and would like to, simply complete our On-Line Registration Form.

We are running and early bird discount. If you sign anytime between 4th April to 11the April, you will be entitled to a 10% discount, bringing your fee down to RM450.

Hurry, limited places.

Can Baby Signing Really Help My Child's Development?

2009-03-29T22:02:00.003+08:00

Parents all over the world seek to find ways of encouraging and enhancing the development of their child as a method of preparing for later life and enabling them with the skills and knowledge needed to become successful as they mature.

Providing them with the tools needed to promote and advance communication skills is thought to be an excellent way of helping your child and baby signing, otherwise called baby sign language, may offer this opportunity.

What Is Baby Signing?
Baby signing was first recognised and developed in the early years of the 21st century so it is still primarily in its infancy but may have been used in households for much longer.

Baby signing or baby sign language, is a way of teaching young children and babies to communicate using gestures and signs. By encouraging this it is thought that cerebral development is enhanced and also that the child is a lot less frustrated as they are able to communicate to those around them of their needs and requests.

It may be something extremely simple such as a gesture that shows their carer that they would like a drink or that they are hungry. Such a gesture may be one individual movement or motion but is an easy enough action that can be learned by the child.

Initially it is recommended that only your child's basic needs are learned such as nappy change, hunger or thirst but over time both you and your child can learn the signs that depict certain toys or activities that can be enjoyed without disruption or coaxing.

Your child will be able to communicate to you what they would, like to do, how they feel and when they want to change the activity, which really is quite an accomplishment if your child is still a baby.

It is encouraged that parents and carers action only the most important word in a sentence and show a sign that corresponds with this word. When signs are used, sounds may also be incorporated that correspond with the action.

What Do The Experts Think?
Speech and language therapists generally whole heartedly agree that baby signing is good for a child's development, not only for their cerebral and sensory development but as a way of enhancing the relationship between the child and parent or carer and supporting a harmonious environment in which the child can thrive and the parent or carer enjoy their role.

In fact, signing and making associated sounds are being widely used by many nurseries, schools and professions around the country and is thought to encourage interpersonal relationship building and allow your child's confidence to grow.

Who Teaches Baby Signing?
Once bay signing has been learned and the principles and theories have been gained anyone can teach baby signing. In fact many of the current teachers of this skill are parents them selves who have embraced the initiative And are keen to encourage and recommend the benefits to other parents.

Can Anybody Learn Baby Signing?
Absolutely anyone can learn how to baby sign and methods can be learned at home from books, DVDs or on the internet or it is possible that each family can develop their own form if they require.

Baby signing is a method of developing and embracing communication techniques in young children. It is a form of pre-verbal interaction and communication that is thought to decrease frustration in both the child and carer and encourages personal, social and cerebral development in the child.

Taken from: http://www.signedlanguage.co.uk

Parent Workshop at TBL on 4th April, 4pm

2009-03-29T21:39:00.005+08:00

We will be conducting the Baby Signs(R) Parent Workshop in The Baby Loft, on 4th April at 4pm.

Application:

This one-time, approximately 2-hour instructional event is designed to introduce parents (and parents to be), grandparents, and caregivers who would like to communicate with the baby in their life before they can talk, to the Baby Signs® Program of infant communication. It is geared for adults looking to teach signs to babies aged 0 to 2 ½ years or toddlers who have communication delays. You will be taught everything you need to know to get started with the Baby Signs® Program in the comfort of your home.

Objectives:

The Baby Signs® Parent Workshop introduces participants to the history of the Baby Signs® movement and the research behind the program. Participants will be provided with the knowledge and strategies they need to begin teaching their children to use signs. Most importantly, the workshop participants will learn about the many benefits for families who incorporate signing into their daily lives.

You will learn:

-The history and solid research foundation upon which the Baby Signs® Program is based;
-The benefits for you and your baby;
-When to begin signing with your baby;
-Strategies to begin teaching your children to communicate with signs at home;
-Looking out for signs of progress; and
-What to expect as your baby transitions from signs to speech

To sign up for this class, please call Audrey at 012-6934311. You can also complete our on-line registration form found on the right side bar.

The wonderful emotional, psychological, practical and intellectual benefits of signing with baby.

2009-03-27T14:43:00.002+08:00

Is this a fad? Why not just encourage toddlers to talk earlier and will signing delay speech?

2009-03-27T14:41:00.002+08:00

World's Smartest Baby

2009-03-19T22:45:00.004+08:00

Gia, 22 months old, shows off her sign language skills.

Baby using Baby Signs® to communicate

2009-03-19T22:33:00.001+08:00

Watch a video of 16 month old Bethany using sign language to communicate. Bethany's family used the Baby Signs® Program.

Signing baby in action

2009-03-19T22:15:00.002+08:00

Read this testimonial from a happy mom on the Baby Signs(R) Potty Party

2009-03-17T16:54:00.003+08:00

Within a week of getting the Baby Signs Potty Training Program at your Potty Training Workshop, my 5-yr-old who has a developmental delay in speech and language and is a habitual diaper "junkie" when it comes to doing his poo, actually started using all the signs taught in the video in their appropriate ways. The video is very entertaining and the songs are catchy too. We used the whistle and reward stickers after each successful trip to the toilet. He still needs prompting when it comes to doing the big job but he is much more cooperative toward the whole potty training process. He now enjoys signing as a new way to express himself, not only for potty time but also during play and study. Thank you Baby Signs for introducing this wonderful communication tool to my child.

Mrs S Chan

Mrs Chan attended the Baby Signs(R) Potty Party on 1st March at our office.

Sign, Say & Play(R) Class DEMO

2009-03-10T21:27:00.003+08:00

Our next Sign, Say & Play(R) Class DEMO will be held on 4th April, 1p.m. in Kizsports, Bangsar Village II.

Fee per family is RM20.

Prior registration required. Fill in our On-Line SSP Registration Form to attend our DEMO Class.

Great news for those residing in KK

2009-03-10T20:51:00.003+08:00

Ethel, our ICI in Kota Kinabalu Sabah is offering a 10% discount for participants who attend the Baby Signs(R) Parent Workshop in March 2009. Hurry, only one more date to choose from.

Below are Workshop dates for March - May 2009: -

28 Mar (Saturday) - Registration closing date : 25 March
4 Apr (Saturday) - Registration closing date : 1 April
25 Apr (Saturday) - Registration closing date : 22 April
9 May (Saturday) - Registration closing date : 6 May
30 May (Saturday) - Registration closing date : 27 May

Time : 2pm - 4pm

Venue : Penampang (pls contact Ethel at 012-8292800, ethel@babysignsmalaysia.com for more info).

New Cloth Book Set

2009-03-10T00:55:00.005+08:00

We have just brought in a Cloth Book Set. This Cloth Book Set features the following two soft, but durable books:

My First Fun Signs Cloth Book uses the DiaperDoodle babies to help infants and toddlers learn six basic signs: Eat, Dog, Hat, Flower, Bath and Sleep.

My More Fun Signs Cloth Book highlights six additional important signs: Book, Duck, Cat, Shoes, Ball and More

We are running a special Introductory Offer.

Buy the cloth books now for only RM70 (a set of 2). While stocks last.

Fill in our Product Order Form.

Offer ends on 31st March 2009.

Events on 14th (Sat) and 15th (Sun) March

2009-03-10T00:01:00.005+08:00

14 Mar, 10.45am, Parent Workshop, Lara's Place, SS2
For enquiries, please call Natasha at 012-6637601

14 Mar, 2pm, Sign, Say & Play(R) Class, Kidzone, Sri Hartamas
For enquiries, please call Natasha at 012-6637601

14 Mar, 2pm, Parent Workshop, BSM, Petaling Jaya
For enquiries, please call Valerie at 012-8897880

14 Mar, 4pm, Storytelling, Borders The Curve, Mutiara Damansara
For enquiries, please call Jamie at 012-3101704

15 Mar, 10am, Parent Workshop (Chinese), Kota Kemuning
For enquiries, please contact Elaine at 012-3915925

Alternatively, you can email enquiry@babysignsmalaysia.com.

Launch of Baby Signs Malaysia Blog

2009-03-09T23:07:00.015+08:00

To celebrate the launch of this blog, we are having our first ever CONTEST.

Tell us about your most memorable signing experience with your child. If you are having a difficult time deciding on only one, don't worry, we will accept a max of 3 entries from each individual.

Please include the following details: -
1. Your name and your child's name
2. When this incident happened and how old your child was at that time
3. At least one benefit of signing that you/your child experienced from this incident
4. A picture of your child signing (if you managed to catch your child on camera)

There will be ONE winner and this winner will be entitled to win our I Can Sign!Animals DVD/Book Set, worth RM60. And as a BONUS, if the lucky winner is a past Baby Signs Malaysia customer, he/she will in addition win our I Can Sign!Playtime DVD/Book Set!

Contest ends 31st March 2009. Submit your entries to contest@babysignsmalaysia.com today!

Baby Signs Malaysia reserves the right to publish your entries in this blog.

If you have any enquiries, please email us at enquiry@babysignsmalaysia.com or call Jamie at 012-3101704.

Potty Training Program Introduction

2009-03-09T00:13:00.001+08:00

Potty Training Program Introduction

An Introduction to the Baby Signs(R) Program

2009-03-09T00:02:00.004+08:00

Baby Signs(R) Program Introduction

ABC News: It's No Charade: Baby Gestures Could Help Speaking

2009-03-08T22:42:00.011+08:00

The More Babies Gesture, the Bigger Their Vocabularies
Feb. 18, 2009

Does your baby shake her head when you try to feed her vegetables? Though that may be frustrating from a nutritional perspective, it can mean good things for her educational future.

A new study from the University of Chicago suggests that the more gestures babies make at 14 months, the bigger their vocabularies will be. The size of a child's vocabulary is a key predictor of how well he or she will do in school.

"Good Morning America" parenting contributor Ann Pleshette Murphy explains what the study means and how parents can encourage a child's gestures.

So how do a baby's gestures translate into school smarts?

Simple gestures are the fundamentals of communication -- shaking your head, pointing at something you want or a baby raising his or her arms to be picked up. The University of Chicago study found that the more gestures a baby used at 14 months, the more words he had in his vocabulary at 3½ years old.

Can you teach a baby gestures?

To a certain extent, yes. You don't have to drill your child; what's more important is how you respond to the gestures. You need to gesture and talk a lot as well. That can mean doing something as simple as waving bye-bye.

It's modelling, and the more you do, the more you encourage them. You can say, "Show me what you want." And this is important when they are pre-verbal. When they raise their arms to be picked up and you say, "Oh you want to be picked up?" that teaches them they can ask with their mouths

And this helps with tantrums as well?

Helping a child to say with their hands what they can't yet say with their mouths will not only build vocabulary, but reduce tantrums and increase the parental bond.

When they are 14 months, babies get really frustrated at not being able to communicate. Teaching them these gestures helps reduce their frustration and the number of tantrums they throw.

What's at the heart of this is a nurturing interaction. You're telling the baby, "What you're saying does matter to me, I am paying attention to you." And that stimulates brain activity.

What if you're not seeing a lot of gestures from your child?

Gesturing can start around 10 months. If your child isn't gesturing by 14 months, that could indicate a problem, and parents should have their child's hearing checked.

Is there a difference between girls and boys?

Girls tend to be more verbal than boys and start to talk a month or two earlier. There's even evidence that female fetuses move their mouths more than males.

When should children usually start using words and sentences?

Two-year-olds can generally say two-word sentences, 3-year-olds can say three-word sentences, but after that, language explodes. Fifty words seems to be the magic number. Once a kid knows that many words, their ability to learn new ones increases massively. Most children say more than 150 words by the time they are 20 months old, and 300 or so by their second birthday.