Showing posts with label media coverage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label media coverage. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Fabulous Mom Flea Market on 6th Feb (Sat)
Join us at Fab Mom flea market this weekend @TTDI from 10am to 6pm. See you there...
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Communicating with your baby
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.
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.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
My Child Magazine
The Baby Signs(R) Program is featured in My Child Magazine, June-July issue. Get your copy today.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
The Baby Signs(R) Program featured in Kosmo!
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.
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.
Monday, April 13, 2009
The Baby Signs(R) Program featured in the Malay Mail
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.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
ABC News: It's No Charade: Baby Gestures Could Help Speaking
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?
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.
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