Discussion – Baby Sign Language Classes

Behavioural strategies for preschoolers…

Max — Wed, 21 May 2025 05:55:19 +0000

From Tabitha, a clinical registrar Psychologist. Here are a few strategies when working on managing our little ones big emotions to make it easier on everyone involved. 1.Setting clear boundaries and expectations: • Use simple, directive and concise language – less is more! e.g. “use a quiet voice” rather than “when you yell in public it’s not okay.” • Demonstrate and model the…

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Key word signing for inclusive education

Max — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 05:35:27 +0000

In early childhood education, creating an inclusive learning environment is essential for supporting all children, regardless of their communication abilities. One simple yet powerful tool that educators can use is key word sign. This strategy enhances communication, reduces frustration, and fosters a more inclusive space for children with diverse needs, including those with autism and behaviour…

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Are we seeing a language crisis in our kids?

Max — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 06:40:52 +0000

If you’ve been reading along for a while, you’ve probably noticed that I am SUPER passionate about language development in our kids. There’s lots of reasons for that, but the main one is that language is a gateway into our children’s minds. There is a direct correlation between language scores and cognitive ability, play skills, social and emotional skills and of course literacy and numeracy.

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Signing for autism – easy & empowering

Max — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 06:55:01 +0000

Language and communication difficulties are a defining feature of autism, though the severity and details vary from child to child. For 30% of children with autism though, speech difficulties are severe and even non-verbal (You can read the research here). It’s really important that we don’t assume that because someone cannot express themselves verbally, that they have no capacity or desire to.

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Is baby sign language really that great?

Max — Tue, 14 May 2024 06:58:18 +0000

The first blog I ever wrote, which was over a year ago now, focused on the benefits of baby sign language. I started that post with a disclosure about how in the literature there was a bit of a debate about whether or not baby sign language was beneficial for typically developing babies… What I’ve realised in the last year, though, is that I am a professional. I have a Bachelor of Early…

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Baby sign language vs Key Word Signing

Max — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 06:11:40 +0000

The image for this post is a bit artistic and I’m channeling my creativity here… but in a way, you could say that baby sign language and key word signing are siblings. They come from the same gene pool, but they manifest differently, and at times have different purposes. What do I mean by that? Key word signing is generally used by families and practitioners (speech therapists, teachers…

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How does sign language help infants?

Max — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 06:07:16 +0000

As a teacher and a mum, I’m very passionate about supporting language development. (You can read why on my blog – Why the focus on language? It’s the foundation of learning.) And language development starts WAY before infants begin to speak. In fact, language development begins while a baby is still in the womb. They are developing neural pathways in the brain when they listen to their mother and…

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Why the focus on language? It’s the foundation of learning!

Max — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 06:24:33 +0000

It is now well understood that the first 3 years of a child’s life are a critical period development, and language plays a pivotal role in shaping all areas of learning and development. In this blog post, we’ll explore why supporting oral language is so important for children under 3, delving into the profound impact it has on their overall development. 1. Brain Development and Cognitive Skills…

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Auslan vs. Baby Sign Language

Max — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 07:29:47 +0000

As an Auslan interpreter I’m in the incredibly privileged position to have a deep understanding of Auslan, a skill that I use when teaching families to sign with their babies. However, often I hear people use Auslan and baby sign language interchangeably, but they are actually quite different. Firstly, let’s look at Auslan – Australian Sign Language. It’s the language of the Australia Deaf…

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The benefits of baby sign language – Australian Sign Language

Max — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 07:38:41 +0000

First of all, I would like to acknowledge that within the literature, there is some debate about the benefits of signing with your baby, and even less with a focus on Australian sign language. There is currently a lack of robust research in this area for typically developing children. However, there is quite a bit of research into the benefits of using visual cues (or key word signing) for…

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