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Sign (ASL) & Music Classes:(a.k.a. "Mommy & Me"; Daddies, babysitters, & grandparents welcome!!) Learn American Sign Language through songs and musical play with other parents and babies or toddlers close to your child's age. Go home each week with new vocabulary and new tunes to enhance communication between you and your child! Whether you intend to incorporate sign language in your life for the long term or simply during this pre-verbal/developing verbal time, watch in awe as your baby or toddler discovers the world of language. See the research come to life, as music and sign language both aid in the development of language and literacy. LEVEL ONE classes are designed for newborns through age 12 or 15 months; vocabulary is "need based." LEVEL TWO classes are designed for young toddlers, 12 months through two years; vocabulary is "interest based" with review of the basic signs. LEVEL THREE classes are designed for older toddlers, 16 or 18 months through age three; we focus on combining words and signs, and developing more complex language. (take a look at our links page, articles page, and stories page for some great information!) We offer these classes in various neighborhoods;see our schedule.
Drama Sign Classes: Creative Dramatics classes that focus on teaching sign language vocabulary through games, stories, movement to music, and role play. Designed for preschool and school age children.
Tutoring: Ask about individual and small group ASL tutoring for children of any age, Deaf or Hearing. Academic tutoring for Deaf students available in Queens & Long Island.
Workshops: We offer sign language classes/workshops for parents, teachers, school directors, playgroups, etc. Schedule and location vary/set for your needs. We are providing several day care centers and preschools with sign language workshops for the children and the staff. Baby Fingers can be found weekly at Roosevelt Hospital Preschool Center (Lora) and at Love A Lot on the Lower East Side (Jay). If you are interested in workshops and/or staff training at your site, playgroup, new mommy event, contact Lora.
School Workshops Available... "Introduction to American Sign Language" Contact Lora to set up a workshop at your child's preschool, elementary school, or middle school. Music Therapy: Individual and small group music therapy can be scheduled and designed to meet the needs of your child, in your space or ours. Lora, a board certified & licensed music therapist, specializes in early childhood (birth to age 9) speech/language delays, autistic spectrum disorders, Deaf/hard of hearing, Down's Syndrome. Our staff includes another music therapist as well as a drama therapist. Contact Lora for details.
Parties: We will design the interactive workshop or entertainment you will love for a baby shower or child's birthday party, including sign language and songs, puppetry, storytelling, active music making, information for parents, and a gift for the expectant parent or birthday child! Baby Fingers Board Books can also be purchased from Lora at a discount (10 or more books) as party favors. Ask for details! NOTE:
Our schedules are subject to change. Contact us for class fees and to set up a class visit. If space allows, you can visit a class and join us part way through a session for a pro-rated tuition.
Refund/make-up policy Contact us for tuition and fees. We offer discounts for referring a friend and for siblings. Ask for details.
"Become an early partner with your child as together you dance with the words of ASL. Both your fingers and hands and your child's fingers and hands can create meaning in the air as you silently exchange messages in sign language. For your child, this dance will activate formative links in the developing brain; teach phonics, vocabulary, word recognition, and comprehension; become a precursor to the recognition of print; provoke positive feedback from others; give access to Deaf people; engender feelings of self-worth; and ultimately aid reading and spelling and communicative ability in general. It is a dance with words, to be enjoyed from babyhood, through childhood, to adulthood." ~Dr. Marilyn Daniels, Dancing With Words: Signing for Hearing Children's Literacy.
Kindermusik Village: Ages newborn to 18 months.
Focus: Nurture the bond between parent and child through music and language. Activities include musical play and reading books, which aid the baby's visual and auditory tracking, and language development. A wonderful complement to our music and sign language program.
For more information: www.kindermusik.com/parents/parent.asp and www.kindermusik.com/parents/village.asp.
From numbers, to the alphabet, to full sentences, you can learn the basics of ASL in a fun and creative environment. Soon you'll be able to sign words about your family, pets, and home; things at school; days of the week; colors, sports, and more! Learn to communicate with deaf friends, or have private conversations with anyone anywhere. Join us for ASL through songs, games, and interactive learning!
Our Adult ASL program has begun! Check out the schedule for details.