At our Singing Hands toddler signing classes, our primary focus is on learning language in a child-centred way so that it is motivating, engaging and most of all, fun. And by fun – we mean for your toddler AND for you!

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This is the same goal as for our baby signing classes but now the children are 16m+ and are beginning to vocalise and move around, we add new songs and activities to promote their language and learning development.

If you see a crocodile, don’t forget to scream!

If you see a crocodile, don’t forget to scream!

Maia signs DUCK

Maia signs DUCK

All our tutors are lots of fun too!

All our tutors are lots of fun too!

Our courses last for 10-weeks (each class is 40 minutes long) followed by a drink and snack so that the children and parents can socialise together at the end. Our classes are based on building a familiar structure but where the key words, songs and activities rotate every week. This familiar format enables the toddlers to begin to learn the class routines including coming forward for the story, matching the pictures from the colour bag, giving out and tidying up the instruments and sharing the props with their classmates. These are all useful and relevant activities which help them develop new skills in preparation for starting nursery.

As with our baby signing classes, we start the class with a ‘hello’ song so that the children and adults learn each other’s names and this in turn helps to build friendships within the class – an equally important reason for coming to a Singing Hands toddler signing class. After this, we introduce a set of key words to build on signs that we have learnt in baby signing classes but now we are introduce other themed vocabulary such as ‘wild animals’ ‘pets’ ‘vehicles’ ‘under the sea’, seasonal signs and much more. These key words rotate on a termly basis so there is always something new to learn.

Dylan signing BREAD

Sukey signing JELLY

Toddler Signing and music classes Yasmin Makaton sign BIRD

Yasmin signs BIRD

In our classes we always involve the grown-ups and toddlers in some fun activities as a way of teaching new signs and practising ones we already know. In our toddler signing classes we do a ‘colour bag’ activity to learn new colours each week with exciting new vocabulary to explore. We also have a huge and varied collection of big story books with relevant early years’ vocabulary that the children enjoy chanting and signing along with us. Again, these colour bags and stories are rotated on a termly basis ensuring that you learn new activities even if you come back again and again (like most of our families do).

Exciting stories to teach signing but also to develop attention and listening skills

Exciting stories to teach signing but also to develop attention and listening skills

What’s in the PURPLE colour bag today?

 

After these keywords and activities we move onto the singing. At our toddler signing classes, many of the children are up on their feet and they love hunting for our Poppy-puppet whilst we sing “Where is Poppy?” The rest of the new signing vocabulary within the course is introduced through songs – anything from emotions, number songs, mini-beasts, farm animals and jungle animals to new songs about colours, weather, the alphabet and much more.

We found POPPY!

Freddie loves big AND little Poppy!

Do not worry if you are new to Singing Hands and have missed out on our baby signing classes, you will still be able to join in at toddlers and the tutors are always willing to help you learn any signs you need to know.

Fantastic REINDEER sign!

Signing RABBIT for Little Peter Rabbit

Signing MONKEY for Five Little Monkeys

Signing MONKEY for Five Little Monkeys

As with our baby signing classes, our toddler signing language activities are delivered with our tried-and-trusted multi-sensory approach. Our classes strive to appeal to children’s different learning styles so that everyone in the class is able to learn in their own unique way.

For example, with a song we will:

  • Say/sing the word (auditory)
  • Use sound props such as instruments/thunderers/rainmakers (auditory)
  • Sign the word (visual)
  • Show symbol in the folder (visual & pre-reading skills)
  • Prop/toys to see and touch (visual & tactile)
  • Encourage the children and parents to copy (kinaesthetic – i.e. learning by doing & moving)
  • Use scented props where applicable (olfactory)

All our classes include lovely sensory props to meet these objectives above – we both come from a special needs background but we know that this sensory approach works for all children. We all learn in different ways and need to experience different visuals, sounds, textures and environments to understand new concepts. As the children are older in these classes, this multi-modal approach enables the older children to become active learners in class by joining in more and more each week.

Meeting Incy Wincy spider

Meeting Incy Wincy spider

The toddlers love all our different colourful ribbons, scarves and toys

The toddlers love all our different colourful ribbons, scarves and toys

Every song has something interesting as a prop – it might be a big rubber spider with a rainmaker and water spray for Incy Wincy spider or voile scarves for Peekaboo, twinkly lights & finger puppets for Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star or sparkly blue fabric and fishes for One, Two,Three, Four, Five. Our parachute and rainbow handles are always a much-loved favourite by the toddlers and these help develop their fine and gross motor skills in class.

Listening to the RAIN

Listening to the RAIN

Our large wooden FROG guiro – great for promoting attention and listening skills

Our large wooden FROG guiro – great for promoting attention and listening skills

Our tutors sing live to bespoke backing tracks prepared by a renowned professional musician.  We sing in a comfortable key for adults to join in and at a much more user-friendly pace than many other classes because we want our families to be able to sign along as they sing.

 

Dylan and Mummy having fun

Dylan and Mummy having fun

 

Time to make some noise!

Time to make some noise!

 

Parents comment again and again how much they love our wide-ranging repertoire of songs including classics from over the years alongside original Singing Hands tunes and other songs that you might not know from your own childhood. We love to introduce you to these to help you build your nursery rhyme repertoire.

All our backing tracks have lovely arrangements with a wide range of musical treatments to suit the theme of the song. There are all different types of songs for you to enjoy including a range of hello songs, warm-up songs, call-and-echo songs, songs in the round, song with harmonies, lively knee-bouncers and songs for moving about as well as calming down songs at the end of the class before we sing goodbye!

Toddler signing and music classes Ani with shaker

Ani with shakers

Shake them & STOP song!

Shake them & STOP song!

Classes run during the school term time – please click on the button below to find out about available classes near you and come and start your toddler signing journey with us! We look forward to seeing you soon.

What our clients say:

We have been attending for almost 18 months now and I truly believe that the classes (and hours of watching your DVDs before we joined!) have really helped develop my daughter’s language and communication skills.  Even though she is a very good talker now she still loves to sign and when she says certain words, which is very useful across a busy soft play room! My youngest daughter, Georgina, first attended at three weeks’ old and now aged one she loves to dance and wiggle about in the classes. Vanessa and Helen are fantastic teachers. They are always so welcoming, fun and patient with the children.  The class has a very special atmosphere and we will really miss it!

My 21-month-old son and I discovered Singing Hands over a year ago and it remains one of the highlights of our week.  As a baby, he was mesmerised by the signing, songs and activity.  Now he just can’t wait to throw himself into the middle of the room with all the other children to sing, sign and dance to all his favourite tunes.  You have certainly helped him find his voice and it is a joy to hear him practising the songs he has come to know and love, every single day.  See you on Tuesday!

Thank you very much for all the great mornings spent with you this year.  We will think about you every time we sing and sign the songs we have learnt from you. We would have loved to continue but it is now time for E to start nursery….hopefully I can return with another baby very soon! Thank you!

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