Anyone got any experience of sing/sign classes?

[Lysa]

Not sure if this is the right area to ask this question but I assumed it could come under the "development" banner. I just found out about a sing/sign class and thought about taking my ds1 when he is about 7 months, Just curious to see if anyone has any experience of this, good or bad. I just dont know if its just an East Dulwich indulgent exercise or a really useful tool. To be honest its a way of me and the wee man getting out together which I hoped might be fun!

Any thoughts ? Thanks

No experience yet but am starting classes tomorrow with ds. He's 9 months today and definitely ready for it now. I know you can take them as early as 7 months but in retrospect I can see he wouldn't benefit as much from it then as he would now. Now he will love the singing and understand so much more. We have the DVD too, which is good and I've been using signs with ds since he was 7 months.

Like you, the classes are mainly something just to get out of the house and give ds a fun experience. I reckon it will be really fun and don't see it as indulgent at all. I'll try to remember to let you know what it's like after I've been tomorrow!

Thanks Bron and Celandine, I think I will get the DVD and give it a go until I join the class in a couple of months. Its sounds fascinating, and amazing that the little babies are ready to communicate much earlier than they are able to speak. I cant wait to see how to teach him new skills, I had not heard about it before.

We have just been to a music class and he totally loved it he was skwirming-sorry dancing in my lap, it was lovely

Hi

I did a sing and sign class with ds1 when he was about 12 months old. Probably a bit late looking back but he really enjoyed it and started signing himself quite quickly. He could sign things like bird, food, drink, cat and others. He still does the occasional sign and he is 28 months!

I'll be taking ds2 in a couple of months; he is now 5 and a half months.

HTH

Hi, just to let you know how we got on today at our first class. It was quite small but I actually knew a couple of the other mums already which was a nice suprise. The actual class was short - 30 mins - and the lady was lovely. I think the oldest baby there was about 14 months old, otherwise they were all around 9 - 10 months. Most of them were crawling around the floor when we were doing the signing but this didnt matter. It's nice to have something structured to go to, and it's another opportunity to meet mums and let DS be social and in a noisy environment.

DS enjoyed it immensely, especially when they got to look in a bag and take out a toy, and also bang musical instruments togther. There was lots of gestures going on so I'm sure they don't learn anything while they're there, but they just get used to seeing hands move, and you learn them with the songs so you can use them at home. I would recommend the DVD too cos if I didn't have it I would have been a bit lost and forget the signs as soon as I left (although lots are obvious).

All in all, a good experience though if pushed I would say I was a little disappointed at the swiftness of it all and was hoping for a leaflet showing all the signs, but I guess the class has to be quick to accommodate restless toddlers! Anyway, good luck and enjoy

I think Karen99 is starting a class soon , will have to get her on here and ask what she thinks. I would like to do one, as I try and teach dd myself off of "sign with me" web site. Dont lynch me, I know its ASL, but hey Im trying!!!!

soory didnt mean to sound flippant , juts rushing to post b4 dinner. I ove wathcing other mums do it, karen99 just taught me some new ones today , so really chuffed as dd thought it hysterical. When have more time will sit and read this thread properly!!!

I've been taking ds2 to these (we started at 10 months). I find the pricing structure a bit of a rip-off - you pay for the lessons, and although you get a basic handout (between 1 and 4 signs), you have to pay a lot more for the booklet of signs, and at the halfway mark you are asked to pay £6.50 for a certificate of attendance - a laminate with their handprints on!
Also whilst the lady taking ours is a competent signer, I'm afraid that she can't sing for toffee .

That said, ds2 really enjoys them, some of the songs are quite catchy, and it is something that we do just together - everywhere else he is being dragged along because his brother is doing something.

As for signing, I think it is worth doing, but don't expect miracles. We signed with ds1 at the same age (partly because our nanny knew Makaton) - he didn't really learn to sign but instead learnt new words at a rapid rate - he still has a huge vocab compared with some of his peers. Now that we're signing with ds2, ds1 is also picking them up, which is helpful in public situations as you can prompt him to say "please" or "Sorry" or whether he needs the toilet very discretely (as long as he is looking at you!).

Thanks everyone, and thanks to Celenadine for the update as promised. The classes sound really fun but I am still a bit unsure if I should wait. I emailed the tutor & she advised that most of the babies are at least 7 months. The only thing is ds is 6 mths and if I wait (she will keep me a space) we will be joining the class very late, loads of the mums will have already met and the babies will have a head start, it could be confusing palaying catch up and I might feel a bit out of the loop if you know what I mean. However, if i start now the tutor thought I might put pressure on myself or more worryingly on my son to acheive and start signing before he would be able to (ihope that I wouldn't be like that as I am only proposing to do it for the fun). I suppose I have to think about it some more, but the course begins thursday so i need to think quickly.

Lysa - have you seen the SE london meet-up thread?

Lysa, can't you start a completely new course when your ds is a few months older? Ours run for 10 weeks and I assume they're all the same, so maybe you'd only have to wait a further 10 weeks or so. Either way, you're bound to get a class before he's one and IMO I'd advise you leave til later to get the most fun and impact out of the classes. Maybe you could buy the Babysign DVD in the meantime and practice some of the signs yourself at home. I did this when my ds was about 7 months and it was handy cos I knew lots of the songs and signs already. Not sure if it made any difference to ds though.

I suppose it depends upon your motives for going. If it's mainly for meeting new mums and getting out and about then it doesn't matter when you start. If however you want him to get more out of the experience himself and interact more with other babies I'd wait until the next session starts. At any rate, I wouldn't expect him to absorb much of the signs anyway - that's more your task, while he just gets used to the usage of gestures, so I shouldn't worry about him being behind.

Let us know what you decide!

Hi Lysa, it's a difficult one isn't it. Agree with what celandine says. My ds is just 10mo and has only just started pointing and using his arms actively (eg. waving movement to Wheels on the Bus, whereas before I had to do it for him). The timing seems right for us now and we're starting on Friday at a Tiny Talk class rather than S&S. The lady that does this says it's ideal to start at the beginning of the term (which was actually last Fri but I went to an MN meetup instead!) and runs for 10-12wks. It's pay as you go which is good too incase we miss one. She said she goes through the same signs each term so if you start halfway you can continue into the next if you want to learn the ones you missed (though you most likely will have picked them up by then anyway).

We are also doing a Twinkle Tunes class on a Wednesday which involves the babes playing with different instruments. We started this last month and ds didn't know what to do with a xylophone except bash it so I'm hoping this term he'll be able to do more as his abilities have increased so much. The 3/4 classes we went to before Easter were fun all the same and I have met some mums. Just got used to seeing ds throw things rather than 'shake' or 'bing' them.

If you can pay as you go why not go to a few and see what it's like. If you have to pay for a term I'd suggest leaving it for another month or so. HTH
Hi Melsy! Your dd probably thinks they're crazy signs as I didn't really show you 'properly'. As long as she knows what you're talking about that's all that matters

I think I will wait until a new course starts. I will check with sing and sign to see when that is and if it is in 10 weeks that would be just perfect. Me and ds are going to "monkey music" classes, he loved his first one last week so at least we are getting out and trying new things together in a group situation. My motivation for starting this class was to find another activity that included my baby rather than highlighting the restrictions of this new addition to my life. However, the last thing I want to do is confuse him or bombard him with too much information so we can wait a few months or so. I will try the dvd and see how it grabs me.

In relation to getting to meet other mums, I will check out the SE London meet up thread as this sounds most interesting Blu!

Thanks again everyone for your help its been a new experience chatting on the web but a very pleasant one xx

Monkey music sounds great! (where do they come up with these names?!) I think you're making the right choice. It is worth asking if you pay for each class when you go or if you have to pay for a full term up front. You can also find out about things going on in your local area on the Netmums and Families Online websites. I use them for info rather than chat. HTH.

Your ds is just coming to the age where he can really interact with other babes. You'll soon start finding other things to go to and before you know it you'll have a very hectic daytime social life! Enjoy