sign: SUN. it's HOT and SUNNY here!

This weekend is a HOT one Thank you Mr. SUN! We were going to go bike riding to Washington D.C. on a road trip quick weekend but the heat is stopping us! We'll stick to some simple relaxation (or should I say - much needed relaxation!)
Mr. SUN! is HOT this weekend.

and our old sign ...

missed it? Check it out here

sign: WANT for WTSW

Thank you We Can Do All Things for suggesting WANT. It's a great sign. For those who are using ASL as a language to communicate through and not just a communication system to elicit early communication / pre-verbal skills, signs like WANT are important.

two -step (start arms/hands out, going in)

sign: SHOES - another new word :)

Another one of Little Fingers' new words is SHOES! She signs it and says it! She's even giving me her SHOES when she wants to go OUTSIDE. OUTSIDE is a big part of our lives right now (a daily occurrence, so SHOES is highly reinforcing). 


She's too funny!

sign: MONKEY! Product Review Label & Learn Basic Signs Magnets!

Who doesn't have the Leap Frog magnets that you put on your frig?!










These magnets were introduced to Ms. Little Fingers two weeks ago. 

I thought she might be too young (just 15 months) but she loves them! Granted, I do not believe she is going to learn the signs herself looking at the magnets but I do believe like her other toys, when played together she will absorb the concepts and for that - I'm happy! I show her how to make the sign she's pointing to and she attends.

There you have it! We worked on joint attention and joint referencing skills. She points (references) and looks at me - I tell her what it is she's looking at!


I also attach the signs with the ABCs with my Early Intervention clients using the Leap Frog ABC magnet. They have a great set of the ABC magnets as well which is fun. Lil's definitely too young for those (15 months) but they are definitely coming next. 


A run-down about the Label & Learn Basic Signs Magnets

Pros:

• priced right (see for yourself here!)
• uses true American Sign Language
• the monkey gains the interest of the child
• sturdy (she picked up one of these magnets and tried to crush it and it didn't happen. She picked up a pizza store magnet and crushed it in half immediately).
• multi-purposeful (I use them in therapy too off of the refrigerator)

Cons:

• the size of the magnet (perhaps they could be a touch bigger)
• color might be nice

Tell me, what do you think? Think outside of the box - how can you use these magnets? Perhaps you can use dry erase markers and color in the monkey signing different signs so now you're working on following directions too! The possibilities are endless!

compliments Sign2Me (r)

sign: BIKE

We got the new attachment for our BIKES so Lil can ride on the back in her own little spot. She loves it so much she climbs in when she's playing outside without the BIKE ride! We're loving this being new parents thing and all these great adventures that go with it!

BIKE!

Sign and Read Time! Moo La La!

I love my Sign and Read times! 

Lil and I are get into a book or two every day (besides for the bedtime read - because what I'm learning is I can't sign while I'm trying to put her down for sleep because she's just too interested!). 


I have tons of favorites. I'll be posting more and more as the days go on. But to start I have Moo La La By Sandra Boynton because Lil has a Sandra Boynton section on her short bookshelf that she goes to religiously. 

Today's only the first few pages because those are the pages we recite all day, in the car, while we playing - she loves it!

Here it is in Google Docs (psst - here!)

STRAWBERRIES for WTSW

Today's request from our loyal Facebook fans was the sign STRAWBERRY for What's the Sign Wednesday. Now you will see slight variation to this depending on where you live but this is a pretty common way of how to sign STRAWBERRY.

Happy SUMMER everyone!

The dominant hand twists back and forth

SUMMER's here! (with a bonus worksheet)

Wednesday June 20th is the official start of SUMMER! I know we've already been celebrating since Memorial Day but it's official! SUMMER!

Here's a good sign-to-word match worksheet

(You can also get it here)

sign: THROW a new concept we're teaching

I don't know what age this is supposed to start, but Ms. Little Fingers loves getting her fingers around balls so much I decided to start teaching how to have a catch and THROW!

I'll let you know how it goes :) What age did your little start having a catch? She's starting to try - I'll take it!

sign: HOT (One of Lil's new words) - appropriate for the season

I never would have imagined all the words coming out of this little girl! One of her newest words is HOT and she gets it! She blows on her food after she says and signs HOT. 

**Love it***

Now I'm trying to teach her HOT in the tub because once in a blue moon when the tub water is just too HOT she'll get quite upset. Being able to carry over the understanding of HOT outside of food will be huge!

HOT is very appropriate this time of year right? For summer! It's not HOT enough yet for me to sign it, but give it a few weeks, it'll be boiling here. 


(I also use HOT with describing words and opposites in therapy)

sign: GENTLE for Dog's sake

One of our new signs we sign with Ms. Little Fingers is GENTLE. She just loves jumping all over the dog and climbing and ... well you name it - she's loves him! So now we're signing GENTLE! (It turned into a situation for both of them - the dog and Lil are told GENTLE) - they surely love to rough house together!

GOOD NIGHT for WTSW

This goes back a few weeks now but I try not to forget what my fans ask for and someone asked for GOOD NIGHT. You'll see the sign NIGHT? Think of the sun going down and you're non-dominant hand - well the sun's going over the horizon :)

I'm trying to teach Little Fingers to say 'NIGHT NIGHT' (I'll let you know how I make out )

GOOD NIGHT!

 

This is a great clip from A New Day Lil watches with GOOD NIGHT songs in it

Sign: SWIM!

With summer right around the corner, I thought it was appropriate to have the word SWIM. Ms Lil hasn't appreciated the cold pools (even her own baby pool) like she does her warm tubs; but this weekend was the first weekend she went into her little pool by herself and went SWIMMING! So I thought the sign was definitely appropriate! Yah for Ms. Lil's next step!

SWIM!

sign: DAUGHTER (a sign we learned in class last night)

Last night started our Families Signing Together class and we had a great time! I thought I'd share a sign from our class. I chose DAUGHTER because I guess I'm bias (I have a DAUGHTER). It is something I would not sign with my 15 month old currently, but in the Families Signing Together class with parents and children around ages 8, 10, and 12 - it was appropriate :)

DAUGHTER: The Sign GIRL and BABY(but BABY is modified - it doesn't have the sway in the rocking BABY motion).

We signed  BABY before - check it out here!

Here's my DAUGHTER teaching herself to...

... use a shape sorter her own way!

... use her toys as stepping stools! (that me pointing NO)

sign: APPLAUSE

I thought it was appropriate to talk about APPLAUSE. I have children with degrees of hearing loss on my case load for speech-language therapy in Early Intervention and the school system - most recently more so for EI. This week I had a great moment with a two year old, so I wanted to share....

I have been signing 'ya' APPLAUSE (versus clapping for the hearing culture) every time I provided him with praise. This week it made sense to him and seeing his face light up when I provided APPLAUSE - it makes everything worth it! Seeing him learn language and being a part of that experience .. just makes me want to APPLAUD. Lightened my heart and I had to share :)

I also wanted to APPLAUD all of those who participated in the 2-Day $10 DVD sale. I feel like I help so many families with language development and early communication skills by opening them up to the idea of using sign language in their children's lives - APPLAUSE to all those families who took that next step to jumpstart their children's communication skills! 
Didn't get to order? I'm finalizing right now - call call call! (or email email email!)

sign: LIZARD for What's the Sign Wednesday

Katie from Playing with Words 365 asked for LIZARD for her post about her outside adventures. What can I say, it's just that time of year apparently no matter where you live East to West! :)

I got this picture from this weekend when we went to Garden State Discovery Museum (psst - that's where we're holding our July classes - we have classes for nearly every age! Check it out! 


Sign: LIZARD (it's a wiggle L up your arm)

 

P.S. Don't forget our sale! Last day! Email us now!

sign: TREE because Ms. Lil points to all the TREES

To go along with our Outdoors series, TREE was the next most appropriate sign. When we talk our walks as mentioned before, there's never a walk that's passed without Ms Little Fingers pointing to the TREES. So we now have:

• SPRING 
• FLOWERS
• OUTSIDE
• TREES
• and I'm going to throw in DOG because our walks wouldn't be the same without Reilly!

Sign: TREE

Think of you fingers as the leaves on the TREES

(sign compliments of Sign2Me)

(Sign for TREE, ASL learning every day, every experience)

Sign: CRAZY - because you'd be CRAZY to not take advantage of this 2-day sale!

I'm very EXCITED about this 2-day sale! 

I'm going to buy Lil a few more DVDs related to our adventures OUTSIDE and things she's doing and noticing now that she's getting older (can you believe she's almost 15 months - we were just celebrating her first birthday!!)

Sign: CRAZY 

(now this isn't the sign for something you are crazy about 

- as in you love something).

Make a C (claw shape) handshape and turn it back and forth at the side of your head - CRAZY

sign: DIABETES for the Health post of the month from Housel Fun & Fitness

Please enjoy our monthly post from Housel Fun and Fitness. This month he discusses the importance of understanding our bodies and health related to diabetes.

DIABETES

     “In 1995 only 4 states had diabetes rates above 6%.  Today 43 states have diabetes rates over 7%” (1)

·    “As many as 1 in 3 U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050 if current trends continue, according to a new analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”(2)

It is believed that up to 1 in 3 children in our schools will have diabetes in their lifetime.  The silver lining is the word “IF”; IF current trends continue. 

      ·     What are the current trends?  Type 2 diabetes rates have been on the rise for years. 

                  ·     What are the risk factors for type 2 diabetes?  Excessive weight gain, obesity,     and a sedentary lifestyle are all factors that put a person at risk for type 2 diabetes. (3)

                  ·      What can be done about it? 

o   We need to try to get ensure that our kids get 60 minutes of vigorous physical activity a day.  For physical activity suggestions check out our Fun and Fitness Blog at http://houselfitness.com/blog

o    We need to ensure that our kids are eating a healthy well balanced diet.  For nutrition suggestions check out http://www.nourishinteractive.com/

(1)     Statistics taken from the August 1^st 2011 Updated Obesity Statistics on the National Council on Strength and Fitness website.  

(2)     Quoted from the 2010 Center For Disease Control and Prevention October 22^nd, 2010 News Release

sign: DIABETES

Sign is two parts (it's a 5 handshapes, and the dominant hand's fingers wiggle down, in front, and past the non-dominant hand.

sign: WOW SALE - $10 DVDs with Signing Time!

sign: WOW - Big Signing Time SALE!

For What?

This great SALE!

Pre-Sale started and we already have some orders! $10 DVDs! - You can't beat it! What a SALE! Email us (click here) to place your order for your $10 DVDs!)

Lil's getting some videos too!
(Here's the preview for 2 of them - I thought they were great ones to choose since we're focusing so much on OUTSIDE stuff on our walks!)