We Sign™
Early Childhood Communication,
Language Learning, Music & Movement
Program

 “A Jump Start on Smart” for

ALL HEARING CHILDREN

And their families!

Benefits

Singing and signing with children will bring
fun and playful activites that will:

• Foster early language development
• Reduce parent/child communication frustrations.
• Stimulate brain development and increases   IQ scores.
• Provide teachers and parents with a wonderful bonding activity.
• Enhance and accelerate vocabulary and language skills giving preschool children up to twice the usable vocabulary and providing them with real educational foundations.
• Develop fine and gross motor skills.
• Stimulate memory retention and recall.
• Develop confidence and positive self-esteem.
• Foster an enthusiasm for learning
• Learn and remember, in a fun way, many educational basics giving them a “Jump Start on Smart” and their future.
• Develop an appreciation for music and song.
• Helps to develop focused listening and concentration skills

Why Sign & Song Work!

We Sign™, with its movement and music, is REAL BRAIN FOOD that stimulates the mind, works the body, and encourages creativity.  Our singing and signing activities, featuring American Sign Language (ASL) will energize and inspire children through:

• Physical learning – finger, hand, arm and body movement;
• Musical learning – singing age appropriate songs;
• Verbal learning – speaking and singing words reinforces verbal skills;
• Visual learning –visual language reinforcement through signing;
• Mathematical learning – mathematical nature of music and song;
• Independent learning – using words, songs and signs on their own;
• Group learning – encouraging interaction with others.

Confucius, over 2000 years ago said:

      “If you tell me… I will forget. 
               If you show me…I may remember. 
                      If you involve me…I will understand.”

Q.    When should I begin using signs with my children?

A.    You can begin signing at anytime.  With babies and toddlers you are offering children a communication skill that helps reduce parent / child frustrations.  With toddlers and preschoolers signing and singing provides fun and playful activities that enhance vocabulary, increase language skills and teach lots of basic educational concepts (ABC’s, numbers, colors & more).  Elementary age children love to sing and sign songs as part of their daily routines.  It is fun, challenging and encourages them to learn.  Older children and adults enjoy learning to sign some of the great classic Patriotic or Christmas songs that are incorporated into the We Signtm Series. 

American Sign Language (ASL)

     Using American Sign Language (ASL), exposes children to the 4th most common language used in the United States.  Signing provides an activity that involves movement, a key component to childhood learning.  It develops hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.  Signs are easy to do and are often recognizable (they look like the word they represent). 
     We Signtm uses ASL vocabulary in a spoken English word order for hearing children.  This is referred to as PSE or Pigeon Signed English.   We are not teaching ASL as a language, though the vocabulary can be used as a foundation for future studies.  Our signing goal is to provide a fun, movement oriented, singing, signing and educational tool for parents, teachers and caregivers.
     American Sign Language is a visually-gestured language with its own vocabulary and syntax.  When signing ASL you do not sign every word, just the main ideas and concepts.  We Signtm uses Conceptual Signed English.  That is, ASL signs and concepts (signing only the key words) in a spoken English word order.

Preparation for Classes

• Read Research Information at www.wesign.com and the book Dancing With Words by Marilyn Daniels.
• Watch We Signtm Babies and Toddlers and other We Signtm video/DVD titles (Play Time, ABC’s, etc.).
• Learn signs to specific song(s).
• You can omit signs (using fewer) when teaching songs to younger children and then add them later.
• Gather any props (stuffed animals, toys, etc)
• Learn to sign a few words that you can use in instruction: good, thank you, sing, sign.

Be Creative

• Create your own verses to our songs with things that are of interest to your children.  An ASL sign dictionary is helpful. 
• Actively participate with video or DVD. Encourage everyone to actively participate.
• Incorporate signs into daily routine, in normal conversation (whenever you say bird you sign bird); when reading books (picture of cat, sign cat); and make up playful games with sign.

Presentation and Instruction Outline

• Welcome everyone and have their attention.
• Make introductions of all attending – parents and children.
• Discuss signing, ASL and its benefits.
• Slowly teach signs to song, one at a time being sure all are following along.
• Explain how younger children do not have to sign every word, pick the ones they will enjoy most and add more as their skills develop.
• Hand out props if they enhance song and give children instructions on how they will be used.
• Talk and sign the words to song. 
• Sing and sign words slowly.
• Sing and sign with the DVD.
• Celebrate their success each step of the way.
• Repeat as required.
• Encourage practice at home.
• Encourage creative use of sign – when reading books, playing games, for silent commands.
• Wrap up, goodbyes, additional information and next class time.

Songs and ASL

     For thousands of years, mankind has been passing on information, has been teaching culture, traditions, history and more through songs.  Plato once said that music was one of the most potent forms of education.  The singing of songs helps to enrich the home and school environment and is a positive way to make learning fun for young children. We Signtm combines songs with the movement and visual nature of ASL and provides hours of a fun and learning activity.  We Signtm also uses television, because of the visual nature of signing, to create doers not viewers and to energize children to play-along.  The combination of signing and singing is a powerful way to provide ALL CHILDREN with “A Jump Start On Smart!”

NEW
<Presenters Workbook and Instruction>  link to presenters welcome page
Information on presenting We Sign Signing and Song Classes featuring the songs from Play Time and Fun Time DVD’s for babies, toddlers and preschoolers and parents.

www.wesign.com
©2007 Production Associates Inc.