REVIEW: Signing Hands: Baby Signing Basics by Lizzie Betts

Chopsy Baby is reviewing…  Signing Hands: Baby Signing Basics
By Lizzie Betts
With illustrations by Jo Cauldrick
and BSL sign graphics from Cath Smith

This new illustrated guide to help parents and carers get started with baby signing is out now from LittleLearnerBooks.co.uk.

The book takes its users through those first useful baby signs and includes tips from an experienced baby signing teacher.

Baby signing is best started at around six months of age, when babies can sit up and start to make simple gestures.

Founder of Little Learner Books, Shelley Ensor, said: “If your baby is clapping and waving, this suggests they have sufficient control over their gross motor skills to make simple first signs such as milk, eat, bed and cuddle.  By having ‘Signing Hands: Baby Signing Basics’ on your bookshelf, even if there are no signing classes near you, you can still give your child a great first step towards communicating and expressing themselves clearly”.

Reviewed by…
Chopsy Baby’s Jen Smith

This book introduces parents and carers to baby signing basics, by providing topics and concepts pivotal to the early years.

A total of 38 basic signs have been found to be common parts of a baby’s daily routine and are all included, such as eating and drinking, family, feelings and outdoor fun.

There is a full introduction and plenty of helpful tips to get you started.

All the signs are clearly illustrated, with user-friendly graphic instructions.

There are plenty of first song ideas based upon the vocabulary that parents will build up working through the book.

The wide paperback book is easy to flip through and importantly, stay open during use.

Jen says: “I think baby signing is a really important activity to do with your child. It can help them to communicate easily and earlier, before they can even speak.

“There is less frustration on their behalf when they want something but can’t actually tell you. If they want milk, more, or something else, a simple hand gesture cuts out the guessing game and tantrums.

“I can understand any scepticism from parents though. With my first child, I thought it was a pointless thing to do, but with my second, I can really see the benefits of signing. My older child even joins in and has really taken to MAKATON.

“I have even found it useful when communicating to other people on the opposite side of a room or telling them something I don’t want the children to hear.

“Lizzie Bett’s well designed simple book, with its practical easy to follow graphics and pretty illustrations is an ideal starting block and reference point.”

Best of all…
The simple and easy to follow instructions will have you signing to your baby in double quick time.

If you already attend a baby signing class or music session, this book is likely to be largely compatible to the system you are using.

Could improve…
Nothing.

Basically…
This lovely book is ideal for a first step into the world of baby signing.

You can buy from…

£10.99
www.littlelearnerbooks.co.uk