Now taking registrations for Spring 2013 classes - to register click here
Photo by: Sarah Cramer of Cramer Photo.
Gillian Dennis is an Independent Certified Instructor for the Baby Signs® Program teaching classes in Charlottesville, Virginia and surrounding counties.
Gillian became interested in baby sign language well before her first child was born in 2007 and began introducing simple signs to her son, Jack, when he was barely 4 months old.
The day he used his first sign, "cat", remains one of the highlights of Gillian's experiences as a mother. She was thrilled to be able to start communicating with her son when he was only 7 months of age.
Jack's vocabulary continues to be very advanced and he never ceases to amaze his parents with his comprehension and logic. Gillian is convinced that teaching her baby to sign has enhanced his communication and inter-personal skills; however, when she first embarked on this adventure she had no idea that she was also giving Jack's intellectual and emotional growth a head start. She was especially excited to learn that research has shown that by the age of 8 years, children who use baby signs as infants have an IQ that is on average 12 points higher than that of their non-signing peers.
Gillian truly enjoyed teaching signs to her second son, Henry, who at 18 months was using over 95 signs and even making little 'sign sentences'. By 19 months he had his language explosion and added over 90 words within 3 weeks. In fact - it was on the day that he added 16 new words in one day, that Gillian stopped counting the words and just enjoyed the adventure! Henry, at 25 months old was talking very clearly. He was making long and coherent sentences, for example "I can't build a tower with those blocks, Mummy! They are too squashy!"
Gillian's boys are now 3 and 5 and she really can't get a word in edgewise! :-)
Gillian is eager to share her first hand experience of the benefits of using the Baby Signs® Program. To find out more about her classes and workshops visit her Calendar or send an email.
'Like' her facebook page and keep up to date with local baby signing news and events (including photos, videos, and news articles; as well as the opportunity to learn the 'Sign of the Week'). Please note that you do not have to have a facebook account to see the page - come take a look!
This workshop is especially designed for parents and will teach you all you need to know to begin using the Baby Signs® Program at home. You will learn about the research that supports the use of baby sign language, as well as which signs to choose in order to teach your baby how to sign successfully. It also explains what to expect as your child embarks on the signing adventure.
Class fee is $55 including the recommended Baby Signs product kit (retail value $39.99) OR $25 for tuition only.
'Sign, Say and Play' Class Description
The 'Sign, Say and Play®' class is a series of six theme-based classes offered over a 6 week period. The 50-minute sessions are designed for parents and babies to attend together. The themes covered are 'mealtime', 'bedtime', 'bathtime', 'getting dressed', 'pets' and 'going to the park'. A total of 37 useful signs are taught using a large, friendly puppet (BeeBo®, the Baby Signs® Bear), that children just love. We sing songs, play with theme-based toys, read books, have circle time, and play with a parachute and bubbles. The class consists of lively, fun activities that engage the children and encourage them to explore, make friends and learn. Parents learn too - there are two separate elements of parental education; the first section is focused on baby sign language and the second segment focuses on tips to nurture a child's emotional and intellectual development. Everything that is taught has a firm research based background and the class has been put together by child development experts.
Class fee is $125 including the the recommended Baby Signs product kit (retail value $49.95) OR, $75 for tuition only.
'MORE Sign, Say and Play®' Class Description.
The 'MORE Sign, Say and Play®' class is an extension of the 'Sign, Say and Play' class. It is a series of six theme-based classes offered over a 6 week period. The 50-minute sessions are designed for parents and babies to attend together. The themes covered are 'Feelings', 'Outside', 'Safety', 'Farm', 'Zoo', and 'Birthday'.
Class fee is $125 including the accompanying Baby Signs product kit (retail value $49.95) OR $75 for tuition only.
Please note:
All play classes are subject to a minimum enrollment of 4 participants. In the event that you sign up, but the minimum enrollment is not met, I will endeavor to reschedule you as soon as possible.
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