Sign To Succeed

Learn Baby Sign Language - Winter

2010-03-14T15:05:00.003-07:00

Most children probably already know and love the hokey pokey song, so I’d like to introduce to you a way to have a little more fun with it and learn baby sign language signs at the same time. In the cold winter months, you can’t help but to draw more attention to winter clothing and what you can do to keep warm outside. Your students will have a lot of fun singing and will be able to easily learn more vocabulary words and more about the winter season.

You can introduce the idea by teaching the sign for winter, which is to shake fists and arms in front of body as if shivering. For the song, instead of using body parts, I suggest you substitute winter clothing to put in and out of the circle, such as this:

You put your right mitten in,

You put your right mitten out

You put your right mitten in and

You shake it all about

You do the hokey pokey and

You turn yourself around

That’s what it’s all about

Continue the song and substitute “right mitten” with the following signs:

Right/Left mitten – Hold out one hand and keep the opposite hand in a fist as if putting on a glove

Right/Left boot – 1) Pretend to pull a boot onto foot, 2) Make upside down B’s with hands and put together, or 3) Sign shoes - Bump fists together

Hat – Place arms/hands over head as if to put on a hat, or pat your head

Scarves – Make the motion of wrapping a scarf around neck

Coats – Pull arms/hands over shoulders as if pulling on a coat

Snow pants – Make sign for snow by trickling fingers down in front of self, and follow by the sign for pants by brushing hands up on legs

Socks – Point two pointer fingers down opposite each other

Remember to have fun while singing and signing with your students. They’ll become much more engaged in the activity and learn while doing so. Stay warm!

You can find more ideas to help you learn baby sign language at www.babysignlanguageonline.com/blog.

Learn Baby Sign Language - Thanksgiving

2010-03-14T15:05:00.001-07:00

With Thanksgiving coming up in just a few weeks, I thought it would be great to share a great Thanksgiving song that you can sing and sign with your child or pre-school classroom (and have fun learning baby sign language at the same time). For this particular song, you will need to know the following signs:

Thanks– Bring your hand from your chin and direct it towards the person you are thanking.

Thankful– This will be the same as “thanks,” but use both hands

Sun– Make a circle in the air above you and then open your fingers to point down on you like the sun’s rays

Moon- Make a crescent shape with your pointer finger and thumb next to your eye and extend it out toward the sky

Friends– Link your pointer fingers together and again the other way

Family– Sign the letter F with both hands by making a circle with your pointer finger and thumb. Then, form a circle in front of you with your hands

See– Bring your pointer and middle finger out from near your eye

This song is sung to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star:”

“Let’s Be Thankful”

Thank you for the sun so bright

Thank you for the moon at night

Thanks for friends that play with me

Thank you for my family

Thanks for all that I can see

I am thankful yes indeed

This is a fun song to sing during the Thanksgiving holiday season. Children will have fun singing the song and they will be learning more signs as well.

For more fun ways to learn baby sign language, visit www.babysignlanguageonline.com/blog.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Learn Baby Sign Language - Valentine 2

2010-03-14T14:52:00.001-07:00

This Valentine’s Day, I have a fun song to share that you can sing and sign with your students or little ones at home while having fun learning some baby sign language. Not only will your babies be learning baby sign language, but it will also allow them to actively participate by using gross motor skills. This is just another way to ensure they will remain engaged in the activity.

You will only need to learn and teach one sign for this fun activity: Valentine. To do so, start with your hands open and palms facing toward you. Then, draw the outline of a heart starting at the top with your middle fingers. Each time the world valentine repeats in the song, you and your students or children should sign it as well.

The song is sung to the tune of “Do You Know the Muffin Man” and the lyrics are as follows:

Will you be my valentine?

My valentine, my valentine

Will you be my valentine?

And jump around with me

Will you be my valentine?

My valentine, my valentine

Will you be my valentine?

And skip around with me

In this example, I used jump and skip as movement words. When these words are sung, you and your students or child should act out the word. You can continue to sing the verse using any different gross motor movements you can think of to add. Some others I suggest are sneak, tip toe, twirl, or hop. Most importantly, have fun!

For more fun ways to learn baby sign language, visit www.babysignlanguageonline.com/blog.

Learn Baby Sign Language - Snowflakes

2010-03-13T15:04:00.001-08:00

Since it seems like the snow is falling more and more often these days, I’d like to introduce a fun and easy song that will help you to learn baby sign language while you sing and sign with your child or students. For this particular song, you only need to sign the word snowflakes. It repeats often throughout the song, so children will hear the word frequently. This repetition will make it easier for them to recognize the word and understand its meaning.

To sign snowflakes, use the sign for snow. For this, start with your hands held up and wiggle your fingers as you bring your hands down, as if snowflakes are falling to the ground.

The following are the lyrics to the song, which is sung to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star:”

Snowflakes, snowflakes dance around

Snowflakes, snowflakes touch the ground

Snowflakes, snowflakes in the air

Snowflakes, snowflakes everywhere

Snowflakes, snowflakes dance around

Snowflakes, snowflakes touch the ground

This is a great activity to do with your child or students in order to get them moving around and more engaged in their learning experience. Plus, they will have a lot of fun with it. Enjoy the snow!

For more fun ideas to help you learn baby sign language, visit www.babysignlanguageonline.com/blog

Learn Baby Sign Language - Sun

2010-03-13T14:51:00.003-08:00

Learning and using Baby Sign Language signs is a great way to keep children focused while keeping their interest both in the classroom and at home. Children usually have fun when they learn new songs. You can even sing songs that children already know and teach them signs to add while they sing.

In the summertime, one particular song that would be great to sing is one that many children may already know: “Oh, Mister Sun.” The words you would sign in this song are sun, shine down, tree, children, please, and play. To sign sun, draw a circle in the air with your finger and then open your hand to form rays with your fingers. To sign shine down, wiggle your fingers as you bring your hands towards you to act as the sun’s rays shining down on you. To sign tree, hold one hand up, your arm bent at the elbow, and wiggle your hand. Children is signed by acting as if you are patting children’s heads in front of you. To sign please, rub your hand in circles on your chest. To sign play, form the letter Y with both of your hands. This is done by holding your thumb and pinkies out, with the rest of your fingers down. Then you will wiggle your hands to sign play.

The following are the lyrics to “Oh Mister Sun.” You can teach this song and the signs to your children or students (sign the words in italics):

Oh Mister Sun, Sun, Mister Golden Sun

Won’t you please shine down on me?

Oh Mister Sun, Sun, Mister Golden Sun

Hiding behind a tree

Oh, these little children are asking you

If you could please come out

So they can play with you

Oh Mister Sun, Sun, Mister Golden Sun

Won’t you please shine down on

Please shine down on

Please shine down on me

Go ahead and teach this song along with the signs to your children or students and add more joy to music time in your day. Let’s all start enjoying the sun this summer!

For more fun ways to learn baby sign language, visit www.babysignlanguageonline.com/blog.

Learn Baby Sign Language - Apples 2

2010-03-13T14:51:00.001-08:00

If you are interested in learning some new baby sign language activities to teach your students or child, I have a great song for you to learn, sing and sign. With the Fall season quickly approaching, I have a gross motor activity that is great for introducing children to the changes they’ll be seeing outside in their world. Some of these things that are often seen and talked about during this time of year are: apples and nuts.

The signs you will need to know for this song are apples and nuts. To sign apple, take the knuckle of your pointer finger and twist it next to your cheek, with your remaining fingers in a fist. To sign nuts, flick your thumb out from behind your 2 front teeth.

The following are the lyrics, which are sung to the tune of “Ring Around the Rosie:” Words in italics are signed.

Ring around the apples

Pocket full of nuts

Apples, apples

They all fall down

To make this even more interactive for students, have them turn in a circle for the line “ring around the apples.” Also have them fall down to the floor during the line “they all fall down.”

You can also substitute words other than ring, such as march, stomp, or jump. Any action word you can think of would be a great way to make it more fun for children and engage them in the activity. This is how it would work:

March around the apples

Pocket full of nuts

Apples, Apples

They all fall down.

Jump around the apples

Pocket full of nuts

Apples, Apples

They all fall down.

Keep going until you run out of action words. This is a great song to teach to help children learn the words apple and nuts. The best part is that they will have fun doing it!

For more fun ways to learn baby sign language, visit www.babysignlanguageonline.com/blog.