Feedback from Hands Up! Students
Darcey
This has been a wonderful introduction to sign language for my family and little Darcey.
I do believe she made her first sign at last lesson ...
... lighthearted, fun but very professional. I cannot think of a single thing [to improve on.]
Fred
A review of your beautifully thought out course. We enjoyed every moment and I quickly felt that we were adding to the layers that help our little ones communicate, giving them a complementary language to speech which they could access at an early stage. I mean, you wouldn't give a child a book without pictures, would you, and that's what I felt about signing. I must admit, its easy to be sceptical before your child signs back to you and you do wonder whether its going to work for him! I'm so proud to report that we've had our signing explosion!
Fred surprises me all the time now - he signs enthusiastically each day and although he only SAYS a few words, he signs many more. He signs, for example: digger, apple, pear, banana, strawberry, plum, plane, rain, motorbike, dog, fish, where, all gone, more, please/thank you, drink, light, listen.
He amazed me by going up to both an apple tree & plum tree in the garden-they have a a little picture tag on-and signing apple & plum quite independently!!
I get such a sense of achievement knowing that he can communicate with me and that he knows I understand what he is saying to me. I am sure that it has lessened any frustrations and Fred is picking up new signs easily.
Seth - 9 months
"I know that attending the course has been beneficial to myself, and Seth for definite! I feel that when I sign and speak to him he understands what I am saying, which contributes to him being a happy baby as he has a grasp of what is happening around him. Seth's first sign was around seven months old, for milk - which he does when drinking it! He understands when we sign to him for it as he gets very excited!. The music that goes along with the signing is lovely and Seth's face lights up when the music starts. To see him enjoy it so much is the best bit."
Brynley
It was so exciting when Brynley was able to tell us, at mealtimes, when he wanted more and when he was ‘all finished!’ He has a big smile on his face, as do we, when he realises he has communicated effectively.
Also must be said that the enthusiasm of the tutor, backed up by in depth knowledge, is very infectious!
Lucy
From learning to sign 'milk' as a baby Lucy is now learning her alphabet at two years. There's always more to learn and very enjoyable. Thankyou! :)
Although Lucy started signing lessons from six months, she still enjoys learning new signs at the age of two and a half years. The songs are great. Very friendly atmosphere.
Lee
"It has been helpful for me to learn as my six-year-old daughter attended a baby signing class with her child minder. Now I can understand and sign with her.
My baby's first sign was 'hello' and once he had learnt it we could not stop him. It was a great experience ... It has been something I look forward to every week so I think that says it all!"
Lucas
"Both my son and I thoroughly enjoyed the course. Lucas definitely understands some of the signs like ‘milk’ so now we have started weaning him I sign to him to tell him ‘food then milk’ so he doesn’t get upset waiting!
Lucas was so fascinated watching the signs and listening to the singing. They always make him smile and giggle!"
Isla
My daughter can sign if she’s hungry, thirsty, what she’s like to do, what animals she’s seen...lots of communication! 'More' was her first sign, and 'all done', now she has about 40 signs.
Luke - 18 months old
I started going to the baby signing class that Deborah ran as Luke's older brother and sister both had delayed speech. I felt that if he had the same problem then it would give him some way of communicating.
As it turns out he does not have these problems and I think his language skills are quite advanced. The course has helped him to be able to express his needs, he will tell us if he wants food - and what kind (unfortunately this is usually chocolate :) he can tell us if he has hurt himself or is ill. He has even learned some colours and letters! He is able to recognize about 10 letters.
What is great is he doesn't just sign all this, he will speak and sign at the same time. As he has been learning to speak, the combination of the sign and the voice has made him easily understandable to us. He is now managing to speak in short sentences, like 'daddy's blue car' and 'my drink'. I think the signing has provided a link for him to assist his speech development and we are really happy with how it has helped him."
Robyn - 16 months
"I'd been signing a few basic signs to my little girl since she was about 6 months but she never really seemed very interested. Then we did a Hands Up 2 Sign course with Deborah in Lancaster when she was 15 months old and all of a sudden things clicked for her and she started using signs all over the place! A month or so later and she has a range of at least 20 to 30 signs including food, animals and even some more abstract things like 'open'. It's been a fantastic help to us at home to know what she wants and being able to communicate with us has definitely made her a much happier baby."
Emily - 16 months
"Emily is keeping us entertained. She is signing especially when she sees something she likes in books- mostly animals, trees etc. Or for really vital things she'll sign them - like swings, trike, cheese! The other thing Emily keeps doing is spotting tiny pictures of things like birds, ladybirds, flowers etc. on cups and signing them so that we have to go in search of the thing she has spotted!
Mark's mum was very touched yesterday. When she arrived Emily signed "friend". When I go to get up Emily up in the morning she signs 'books' straight away! I'm really pleased we've done signing with Emily. So thank you so much for all your help and encouragement to keep going ...
I'll certainly recommend signing and your course to friends in the future."