Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire:

Katja O'Neill

I have been signing for 5 years and am in the process of studying towards BSL level 3.

As a co-ordinator for the worldwide Sign2Me network, which bases its teaching on the award-winning programme by Dr Joseph Garcia, I have access to the largest network of Baby and Child Signing Instructors.  This gives me the opportunity to network with highly experienced Speech and Language Therapists, Sign Language Interpreters and teachers who successfully use Sign Language to teach Hearing children.

I have 3 children, all of whom can use basic sign language.  Having singed with my youngest, Hannah, from birth, I was amazed at the difference this has made to her confidence, her developing verbal ability, and the lack of temper-tantrums during the first 2 years of her life.
Additionally, I have observed, that as we used simple finger spelling techniques to sign about family members ('G' for uncle Glen, 'L' for Lauren etc), she picked these up with great ease, even before she turned 18 months.
By the time she was 2, she could fingerspell 10 letters, knew their sound and point them out in a book - and I honestly did not push her to do this.
Now at 2 1/2, she knows all but 4 letters of the alphabet, their sounds and how to fingerspell them - and is starting to blend simple 3 letter words (c-a-t, d-o-g).

After doing research into this and liaising with my colleagues, I found that programmes to teach phonics through Sign Language has been researched and put into practice successfully in the USA and Canada.
I developed my own programme, based on UK EYFS requirements and focussing on learning through play and song.  Having road-tested this programme over the past 14 months in Nurseries and private groups, I have seen phenomenal results in children 18 months upwards.

I often lecture in local Child Care Courses in the University of Hertfordshire and have given guest talks for organisations like the Preschool Learning Alliance.


Peterborough

Brenda Devitt

I have a sister that is profoundly deaf and is a proficient BSL user. I became really interested in sign language when I had to keep interpreting for my sister and I could not sign! A lack of qualified interpreters made it difficult for deaf people to have equality and accessibility to information and services. It meant that they suffered and missed out on vital things. I decided to do something about it and started to learn the language properly.

I have obtained BSL levels 1,2,3,4 and a postgraduate Diploma in BSL/English Interpreting. I am currently a freelance interpreter, and work in a variety of settings. I have taught BSL level 1 very successfully for a few years, with most of my classes having a very high pass rate. One class obtained 100% pass rate! I have worked closely with a Deaf man helping him with his training as a teacher. He is now a successful BSL teacher in Birmingham.

I have two children and yes I did teach them sign language! I did not have the fantastic program that is available to parents today. Never-the -less I used sign language in everyday activities and both Naomi and Mikhail at a very early age were talking to me. I have to say to any parent, that it gives you such a buzz and is truly satisfying, an experience not to be missed. When your child conveys to you, through sign, what they want it is amazing and so rewarding. I can honestly say that I never had the ‘terrible twos’ period of behavioral problems that I see parents go through with their children. At the time when I was teaching my daughter I was not aware of any research and the benefits of signing to hearing babies. I did it with my children and now I understand why it worked. That’s why I want to do these classes and workshops because I am bursting to tell everyone the joy they can experience with signing with their children.

I carried on teaching Naomi sign language. At the tender age of 13 she obtained her level 1, at 16 she passed her level 2 and at 18 she was awarded her NVQ111 in both receptive and production. Quite an achievement! Naomi currently works as a Communicator for the deaf in London. She plans to take her level four and interpreters level soon. Mikhail is 13 and he is a fantastic signer. It is nice to know that the signing with your babies does not have to stop once they can talk. They can carry on learning the language and maybe serve the deaf community in some way in the future.

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