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6 Comments

  1. Check your local library, they may have some resources you can borrow there.

    Signing Time is a video series that is pretty good for young kids learning basic sign language. They keep it fun with songs, etc. There older videos are more ASL-based I think but they’d all be a good start for your daughter
    Here is their website: http://www.signingtimekids.org/
    You may be able to find some cheap used videos on amazon or ebay, or you could check your library

    Is there a School for the Deaf near where you live that uses ASL? Sometimes they offer programs in the afternoon for hearing kids where your daughter can meet some Deaf friends her age, or they may offer kid-friendly sign language classes.

    Good luck! Your daughter is young, so if she’s exposed to it enough she could probably become fluent.

  2. We do signs with my son, and have most of his life, we’ve done a lot of stuff based based on the free websites out there (another poster listed our favorites already) but I noticed a HUGE difference in his signing when we started watching the Signing Time videos.
    http://www.signingtime.com/
    We have checked some out at our library. He also has a speech delay, and his therapist even uses these and has loaned us some. He asks to watch the videos instead of other movies, and some of them (like Leah’s Farm) are so catchy I even enjoy them. I especially like them because the girl, Leah, is truly deaf, the adult on the video is her mom, and they truly know and use ASL, so the signs are prefect every time. They show possible variations.

    You have to be aware of what’s out there in the world of signs too. One video we checked out at the library, “I Want to Learn Sign Language,” was awful!!! It thought several signs as fact when they are slang, one version of many different signs for the same thing, or even essentially made up, and it was SOOOOOOOO boring. Also beware of anything marketed as “baby signs” most of them are not true ASL but modified signs for baby dexterity. Many Baby Einstein signs are not correct either.

    I highly recommend the Signing Time videos though. While my son did 50+ signs before the videos he know does so many I have to scan my brain to even remember what it is he’s signing. I think he might know more then me! To buy the videos are are $22 a piece, but you may be able to find them at a *Mart store cheaper, I haven’t purchased any yet.

  3. Go to half price books and check for books or dvd’s there first. She will enjoy it more if you learn it with her. You can also find several used book and dvd’s on amazon.com for cheap. Signs For Me is a great children’s signing book.

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