Talk First Baby Signing
TalkFirst baby signing classes are fun and lively. Come and learn to sign with your baby and enjoy quality time together. Classes include a mix of themed signs, rhymes, music and games which have been specially developed to appeal to babies up to 30 months.

Monday's 12 - 1pm Devizes
Thursday's 11 - 12pm Calne
Friday mornings 10am St Michael's Church Hall, Lyneham
Tel: +44(0)1249 817700
www.freewebs.com/josbabysigns
Email: josbabysigns@btinternet.com

New classes start soon, so please book a place, call 01249 817700 for either venue.

Each class envolves learning 3 or 4 signs, with a leaflet given out of the signs learnt that week, then we sit down and sing some songs with the children and finally comes the tea and coffees and chance to have a chat and meet new people. It's very informal with the children having a chance to play with all the toys and of course the other children!

Background on Signing with Babies
Ask any parent, and they will tell you that the hardest thing about having a toddler is trying to figure out what the child wants. Aside from crying, very young children do not have the ability to verbally communicate their needs.

So it is then up to the parent, to identify which "cry" it is. Is it an "I'm wet and need my nappy changed" cry, or perhaps an "I'm hungry" cry, or maybe the "I'm sleepy" cry?

Parents are often amazed at the ability to determine what my child needs by the way she cries. I also look at the clock, which helps. If it's 11 am and my daughter is fussy, it means she is ready for her nap. If it's 6.30pm, it means she's hungry and wants to eat.

But then there are the times that I've checked her nappy (clean), put her down for a nap (not sleepy), or tried to nurse her (not hungry) and nothing seemed to be what she wanted. I'm sure she was just as frustrated as I was for not knowing what she wanted. That's where using signs comes in.

Parents can begin teaching their babies signs as young as 6 months of age. Children younger than 6 or 7 months lack the capabilities to understand what is being shown them. After a few months of consistent use of signs to represent common actions or objects, a child may begin using the signs shown to him as early as 9 months.

Using signs allows a small child who has very few verbal skills to communicate with his parents or caregivers. Studies show that using signs with babies helps them to actually learn to speak earlier, stimulates the parent-child bond, and may even improve education results at a later stage.