What makes Communicating-Hands classes and workshops different and unique?

All our instructors are either qualified BSL interpreters or specially trained by interpreters. Some of our instructors have teaching qualifications and one has a diploma in childcare. Those with children have taught their own children sign and therefore have the right educational expertise and personal experience to share.

Our Core Programme

The 18-week programme has been divided into 3 sessions. You will receive 45 minutes of instruction, songs and signs and then the rest of the time is for questions, drinks and a chat with other like-minded mums and dads.

The programme is based on the Award Winning SIGN with your BABY Programme. They are designed for parents, (or parents to be) and their families, with pre-verbal hearing children. These classes are relaxed, fun, and educational. They include: To view a class click here.

  • A starter pack providing an outline of the 18 week programme
  • Teach simple BSL signs
  • Practical advice to help you and your baby sign with each other
  • Information about the research behind the programme
  • Methods of showing the signs to your child
  • Learning through songs
  • Tips for success
 

Beginners Course Part 1

Week 1 First Signs
Week 2 Snack & Meal Time
Week 3 Bath & Body
Week 4 Dirty Business – Nappy Changing!
Week 5 Clothes & Dressing
Week 6 Favourite Animal
 
 

Caterpillar Course Part 2

Week 7 Bedtime
Week 8 Family
Week 9 Colours
Week 10 Emotions
Week 11 Play time and Weather
Week 12 Vehicles and Review
 
 

Butterfly ( Advanced ) Course Part 3

Week 13 Food and Drink
Week 14 ABC & 123
Week 15 Management / Behavioural signs
Week 16 People in our Neighbour
Week 17 Parent specific requests & Review
Week 18 Lets Sing & Sign
 

TO REGISTER AND FOR COST DETAILS PLEASE TELEPHONE

For Peterborough Classes 075 15 165 965 and For Leicester Classes 0116 2250267 or 07894 534850

OR you can e-mail info@communicatinghands.co.uk

Sing with Sign Classes

Why are songs like "The Wheels On The Bus" so popular among young children? Even though they cannot sing the words they have great fun and learn with all the dynamic hand and body motion that is needed. Our Sing With Sign classes provide:

  • A relaxed time for associating with like-minded mums and chid-carers
  • A fun way to learn signs
  • Fun activities using puppets and other props
  • Bond with your child as you sign, and sing to popular songs and new ones
  • Light refreshment
  • Story 'signing' time

For Childcare Professional and Educators

Why should your childcare facility have your staff trained to use BSL signs with your children or take part in these workshops?

Research and childcare professionals are confirming that using Sign Language with young children offers a host of significant benefits.

Integrating sign language into preschool curriculum enhances literacy skills needed for school success in reading, vocabulary and spelling. Furthermore, we are working with parents who are asking which nurseries and pre-schools are using BSL signs, as they want their childern to continue with the signing.

Other benefits:

  • Reduces crying, frustration, tantrums, biting and screaming because children can express their needs and wants
  • Helps integrate children with disabilities and language difficulties
  • Adds fun to daily routine and musical activities
  • Signing facilitates visual and kinaesthetic learning
  • Signing helps meet the criteria required by OFSTED for the four principles of the EYFS framework.

Workshops

Our tailor made training workshop is based on the award-winning SIGN with your BABY programme and are educational, fun and affordable.

We will work with your staff providing tips and strategies for creating a supportive signing environment to ensure signing success

The programme will cover

  • The research into the benefits of signing with hearing infants
  • The background of signing with hearing babies and toddlers
  • Teach Simple Signs
  • Learn how to sign popular songs which children love like, Row Row Row Your Boat, The Animals Went in Two By Two, I Love You (Barney Song) and many more
  • How to incorporate signing into your daily routine
  • Signing tips and strategies
  • Comprehensive handouts
  • Sign2Me certificate

TO REGISTER YOUR INTEREST in our workshops, training your staff please telephone 075 15 165 965 or e-mail info@communicatinghands.co.uk

Presentations

These 20-minute presentations are free. They are designed for Child Care Professionals (but can be shown to groups of parents and families). They give a brief overview of the award winning Sign2Me programme and show you how your staff, babies and toddlers in your care can benefit. These presentations are also given to ante natal and post natal groups.

For further information or to register for any of our classes or workshops contact:

Communicating-Hands

Tel: 075 15 165 965

e-mail info@communicatinghands.co.uk

Testimonials

“Hi Brenda I hope you and your family are well

Evie is signing all the time now. The best thing is as she signs she says the word as well, most of the time. Her signing while we were on holiday was a Godsend. If she was wingy all we did was ask and sign hungry or sleep and she signed back what she wanted . She signs dog, sleep, food, please, thank you, cat, more, milk, splash, water . When I sign ‘good girl’ she repeats ‘good girl’. She also has started signing ‘please’ more in one action, although please is a word she doesn't say just signs. We have started watching something special regularly and she loves watching Mr Tumble sign. I think one of the best signs you taught me has to be ‘help’. If she's getting frustrated with something I just sign ‘help?’ and she calms instantly. I really can’t thank you enough for your classes .

thank you again Sharon “

“Hi Brenda,

I just had to e-mail you to say that Mia is doing so well with her signing. She will be 1 on 14th May. Anyway, I think she must be having a signing explosion - it is so fantastic all the months of persevering now paying off!!! Gino can't believe it, says it's the best thing I've done! Mia came walking in the kitchen the other day winging so I asked her what she wanted and she rubbed her tummy. We had just given Luca some chocolate and she was telling us she wanted some too! It has taken so much of the frustration away.

I do hope you are well and your son is doing well.

Thank you so much for this good head start.

Love and best wishes, Sarah Rosella x”

“Hi Brenda,

I just wanted to get in touch with you and let you know how Scarlett is getting on with her signing. I can't believe it's been 5 months since our classes finished! Scarlett has changed so much and is a proper toddler now, no longer a baby!

I've been meaning to email and tell you for ages that her signing has really started to help us. She picked up quite a few signs by about 14 months probably about 10 or so signs. The one she used most was to tell us she wanted her comfort blanket, which was great as it was so nice she could tell us she needed it instead of just getting upset and us not knowing what she wanted. In the last couple of months she picked up loads more though and sometimes, if she feels like it, will have a go at a new sign as soon as you show her. I've found the signing most useful now she's started talking, some words she says are quite difficult to understand, but when she does a sign with it, it makes it so much easier to understand her. She is having a go saying all sorts like motorbike, she says “but but,” and sandwich, she says “atch atch”. Not too close to how they should sound, but I know what she means as she does a sign too and this week she has started to copy me doing the signs to row row row your boat, it is the cutest!

Anyway I want to say thank you again for everything you have showed us and the great start you have given us. I hope you and your family are well, I heard your son was poorly a while ago, I really hope things are better for him.

Kind Regards

Amanda Thatcher”