Where can I get Makaton signing books?

[ThePrisoner]

I had some limited training ages ago, as I have minded a child with special needs, but really need to update myself as I don't use it as much now.

Does anyone know if such a book exists? Or a decent website?

The makaton foundation sell them. You can't get them elsewhere really.

However, they cost an arm and a leg - roughly 3x the equivalent BSL book. But your local library should have them FOR FREE, go into a large town branch and look - ours has them under "health" for no adequately explained reason .

Thanks for that - I've just looked at their website, and it's really hard to decide what I should be looking for. I will check out my library but, in the long-term, I want something of my own.

I have emailed them for some advice but, if anyone can personally recommend anything specific that they do, I'd be appreciative of any suggestions - I don't want to do another workshop, and don't want videos, but have no idea as to whether their "pocket books", for instance, are any good?

Am I just going to have to get the "starting out pack" here - is it any good (albeit that it has stuff in it that I don't want).

Or is this better?

We have a pocket book and it's great, very portable and clear.
Alternatively have a look here at the \link {http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/somethingspecial/signs/index.shtml\something special} website.
or the hardback first signs books from link{http://www.forestbooks.com/pages/Categories/SWB.html\here} which isn'tMakaton but the sereis was useful to us, they who also have Makaton resources and I've always found them more helpful/faster to deal with than Makaton direct.

I'm a salt and use Makaton a lot.
I'd go for the core vocabulary which encompasses stages 1-8. Costs about £30. Can't your school or salt photocopy or provide stuff for you?
That's what we do.

What I have got out of the library is the core vocabulary (signs) book which is a thick A4 thing with a spiral binder. The library seems to have that, the symbol equivalent and the pocket books. None of the other "resources" so I can't comment on eg the "starting out" pack.

Personally I think you need all the stages because although Makaton works on a framework where you teach stuff in stages, you're bound to need one or two signs that aren't in stage 1-4, regardless of what stage your LO/mindee is at. I mean, if you have a child obsessed with balloons, you're not going to wait till stage 8 to use the sign, are you?

Check this woman's website and dsvds out too.

She isn't aiming particularly at the special needs population but her stuff is excellent and i often recommend it to families.

Phew ... lots to check out - I think I will be spending some money!

moondog - the child I childmind is at school, is no longer supposed to use Makaton, and I am pretty sure that they won't offer me any help. I want to improve on what I already know so that I can more confidently "sell myself" as a childminder who can use it, ideally with children who need to use it (rather than the babies I mind, when I do basic signing prior to them learning to talk).

I've been checking out all the recommended websites - I have some of the WOW books already, which I love. I've never looked at the CBBC/Something Special website before, but will be going back to it (have just sat watching Justin!)

Having said that I didn't want videos (or DVDs), would they actually be a good idea to ensure that I am doing it correctly?

And finally, I know that Makaton is a fairly basic sign system, but are the signs you use very different to those of BSL?

the sing and sign dvd is only £5.99 on bensonsworld.com at the moment.

Yes,fairly different I thnk (not really familiar with BSL though.)What a great idea.My God,you would be snapped up in seconds round here!

DVDs are great because you can sing as yuo sign which is fun,educationla and maintains fluency which is pretty hard work otherwise,esp. if you don't use it a lot.

Best of luck!

Have received some info from Makaton Foundation, and am busy working my way through it all! And mentally adding up the pound signs.

I've looked at the other links posted, and some of them are for baby signing - someone I know used different signs than the (basic) Makaton I did, so not sure if one of us was doing it wrong, or if it is actually completely different??

No,noone in wrong,just slight differences between each system (in the same way as when you speak there are dialect and accent variations.)

Many thanks