I had gone searching for Thanksgiving songs on dltk and PreschoolEducation.com to try to replace the tired old Halloween songs that Fischer wants me to sing everyday. I found a few good ones, but this is the one that is stuck in my head ALL DAY LONG! Do you want to hear the low velvety voice that sings it to me all day? Go here and push play.
As I've mentioned here and here, we LOVE Signing Time (ST) at our house!!! In fact Fischer and I were quite starstruck when we spotted three of Signing Time's stars at the farmer's market a few weeks ago!!! Recently a Signing Time representative contacted me about reviewing the two new volumes of Baby Signing Time (BST). While Fischer and I never spent much time with the Baby Signing Time videos, I thought this might be a fun way to get myself acquainted with them. Not to mention, I had a feeling Fisch would really dig them!!
Both, Baby Signing Time Volumes 3 and 4 are excellent quality and do not disappoint when it comes to teaching plenty of relevant and age-appropriate signs (approx. 25-30 per video). Rachel introduces each sign with a cheerful and expressive demonstration and description. She is accompanied by an illustration of the word as well as the printed word itself. Each sign introduction is followed by Rachel singing background to many many video images of babies and toddlers practicing the signs. The "model" children are of all races and abilities, and are signing in a variety of settings. The children are shown signing in homes, parks, and yards as well as staged in front of fun patterned backdrops. Not only are there plenty of examples of each sign being performed, but there are ample examples of the word or concept itself. For example, the word "sun" shows real and animated images of the sun, as well as children playing in the sunshine and putting on hats, sunglasses and sunscreen. The word bug might show images of real live bugs, children dressed as bugs, toy bugs, animations of bugs, etc. One of the things I love most about the videos (as a mother of a hearing and typically-developing child) is the vocabulary. Each video reinforces a number of vocabulary words and concepts. For Fischer, this made a huge difference in his speech when he started talking. We would go to the park and he'd be talking about "exploring" on a "path" and looking for "owls" when his speech was brand new!
Baby Signing Time is baby due to the specific vocabulary and concepts taught, the age of the models, and there is a bit more animation than in the regular series. Also Alex and Leah, the stars of Series one and two and the PBS television program, are not in these videos. Their animated diapered counterparts are featured along with a baby Hopkins (the ST frog).
Babies and children and even adults learn the signs easily from both the baby and regular series because each sign is taught with a visual demonstration, a verbal explanation, and plenty of time to physically practice. Three learning styles are used to reach every kind of learner.
Baby Signing Time Volume 3: A New Day:
Some of the signs taught: day, new, outside, wind, rain, snow, sun, cloud, sky, tree, grass, flower, leaf, stop, go, wait, again, bug, up, down, star, moon, night, and good. You can see how many of these signs are immediately relevant to the everyday life of little children. You can start using them right away. There are also 9 new songs performed to help make connections and give practice opportunities to the new signs. Rachel truly does have a beautiful voice and I have never found the songs mind numbing or ear plug worthy!! Of course I'm always a fan of the very last song on each video and this one does not disappoint. "Tiny Hands" is a beautiful song that you want to play behind a slide show of your own beautiful babe. Here is a little preview of BST volume 3:
Baby Signing Time Volume 4: Let's make Friends
Some of the signs taught: friend, play, share, nice, feel, sad, cry, happy, laugh, opposite, hot, cold, yes, no, dirty, clean, you, me, apple, pear, carrot, peach, juice, bubble, balloon, telephone, game and music.
The DVD features 6 new songs and one of my old favorites, "Show Me a Sign" (which is also featured on Signing Time Songs Vol. 1-3 Music CD).
I do like that this video reminds parents to start teaching about emotions early. You know these concepts are important to children. Specifically, I believe it to be important to get a jump on feeling identification for children who have the types of delays evident on the autism spectrum.
Here is a sneak peak of BST volume 4:
While all of the signs in these two volumes of Baby Signing time can also be found on the videos in Series 1 and Series 2, I can see the benefit of showing little ones examples of little ones signing. Also, yes those signs are in other videos but they are not all in one video, they are scattered through the many different themed videos. If I was starting over with an infant, I think the relevance of the vocab in BST is great and would make for a good start. Fischer started with Series 1, volume 1 "My First Signs" at 13 months and took off from there. By 21 months he knew over 250 signs and was talking and pairing the two. So I guess either way is great (although BST volume 1 has words like "diaper" - not featured in any of the other series)... I am just a major fan of the program and I recommend it to all parents. Whether a child is developing typically, showing delays in speech, or is experiencing life with a more severe disability.... communication is the key to unlock their world. So why not?
Two quick notes:
I am just kicking myself for not videotaping Fischer doing his signs before he could talk!!! Grrr.
On BST volume 3 when Rachel is singing "Tiny Hands", images of tiny babies are being shown and then it shows clips of 3 year old Alex and 5 year old Leah in their first DVD and now... and I nearly cried!! Ok I did cry a little. I don't even know these kids but it was really touching to see how they've grown and in less than 2 years time they feel like a part of our family because we've watched them grow through the DVDs.
Anyway, poke around signingtime.com and see what you think. Be sure to check out the links on the "About Us" page. Whether you are interested in the videos or other products or not, it is an inspiring story.
Fischer and I recently had the opportunity to attend an incredible international children's music festival. There were choirs, dancers, and orchestras from the United States, Japan, Kenya, and Nepal. It was a four hour performance and we both loved it. I couldn't believe how well Fischer did (that is a really long tome to sit!!!). During the performances Fischer and I whispered about the different instruments used, and since then we've been reading and talking a lot about them. We picked up Those Amazing Musical Instruments by Genevieve Helsby at the library and have had a good time learning. The book includes a CD-ROM to listen to all of the different instrument sounds. The book is obviously "too old" for Fisch, but we've loved looking at the pics and listening to the sounds.
Fischer loves to fall asleep to his music. Over the past 2 1/2 years we have definitely developed some favorite tunes.
Our favorite Lullabye CD is Nicolette Larson's Sleep Baby Sleep. Every single song is beautiful and very soothing. When we listen to it now, it immediately brings me back to the teeny tiny days of rocking Fisch to sleep. So sweet. This music is specifically for the tiny ears of newborn infants. Fischer and I both still love it.
Most of our other favorite tunes are on compilation Cd's that we made through iTunes. Here are a few of the songs that are near and dear to our hearts:
Step By Step - Cedarmont Kids Cedarmont Worship for Kids, Vol. 1 (Fischer's Favorite)
Before I Knew Your Name - Chris Rodriguez & Dennis Patton
Blessed Be - Alison Krauss
Baby Mine - Michael Crawford
Rock a Bye Baby Blue - Mary Stahl
Hush Little Baby - Mary Stahl
What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Godspeed (Sweet Dreams) - Dixie Chicks
Momma Will Rock You to Sleep - Netha Larsen-Schrimpf
Daddy's Love - Chris Warren
Beautiful Boy - Céline Dion
A Mother's Prayer - Carnie Wilson & Jim Brickman
He Gave Me You -Sierra Sing Me to Sleep
Now Thank We All Our God - Brian Green & Toni Becker
As I walked into Costco today, I could hear the singing and drumming coming from the breezeway in front of the building. As I came closer I could see a large group of children singing and dancing, They were the Singing Children of Africa and they were singing to benefit the Samson Chivatsi African Appeal, an organization that is feeding, educating, and housing many children in their village called Utange in Kenya. I listened, I donated a few dollars for their brochure and then I walked in to Costco with my giant cart to begin my shopping. As I walked in and saw all of the TVs and electronics, I had a fleeting thought about what those kids might think if they were to come in the building. Then a few moments later, I saw them! They were taking a tour of Costco, an employee was pointing out the meat department and telling them of the cleanliness of the kitchen and the butcher equipment. Then he started talking about catering, then he was pointing out the mountains of water bottles stacked to the ceiling, and saying how people here love bottled water and buy a lot of it....
I suddenly felt very sick, very embarrassed, very ashamed... very sad. I rushed to another aisle to get away from them, and had to keep moving till they were out of my sight and out of my earshot. I couldn't take it. I stood there next to the sky scraping stacks of toilet paper, and burst into tears. I just couldn't imagine what they could be thinking. How do you go from extreme poverty, no food, no clean water, no sanitation, never having been in a car, going for years just praying for an education, watching your family and neighbors die from diseases that they cannot get treatment for... to the other side of the world... to Costco! I was so embarrassed as I stood there with piles of meat and fruit and giant what-nots in my cart. I wanted to leave my cart and leave the building and go home. I just cried.
These children sing of hope and the future and they praise God every chance they get for their many blessing... what?
How can a child live in a mud hut that washes away in the rainy season, watch their parents die because of insufficient medical care, go many days starving and thirsty and dirty and sit outside a school and beg to be let in to learn... think that God loves them?
I don't get it. I believe that God loves all of his children, but I don't understand how entire countries can be in such need. How do they know God loves them? I can understand faith and hope and prayer... but how could it not be shattered after walking into a Costco in the US and seeing everyone trotting around with enormous carts full of enormous food? Someone please help me understand how God can let this happen, for so long?
Nothing against Costco, I shop there and I find that it helps me spend less and stay closer to my budget, I'm just saying that I couldn't handle being seen by these kids. I don't even know what they were thinking, or if they were comparing at all, or if they were happy or sad or in disbelief, or if they were just plain angry (I think I would be). These children are on tour for about 17 days, then they go back to their orphanages, back to their very poor village, back to porridge.
Now, I know that these particular children are quite lucky to be sponsored by the charity, and probably have very bright futures ahead of them, and like we've talked about before... they're education effects the entire community. It was just such a huge eye-opener, I didn't quite know what to do or how to react.
I know that guilt is the wrong emotion, and that it is not my fault that I can get groceries easily and have clean water to drink and ... and that they do not have these same opportunities... however I sort of felt like them seeing me with my cart was a little too 'in your face". Am I making any sense?
I need to do more. I need to do something. I realize that the people of Africa have been on my mind all week, with the Matsiko Children's Choir on Monday, the letter from Renee's friend about Mother's Without Borders on Wednesday and now the Singing Children of Africa on Friday. I have to do something. I'll start with prayer for understanding of how this can be, and hope that you all can help me to understand also. I'm going to do something. Please do something.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to see the Matsiko Children's Choir. These children hail from Uganda and have come from devastating circumstances. They are at risk and orphaned children who have been scooped up by the International Children's Network (ICN). The children are given all that they need and a chance to join this choir and travel the world as ambassadors for their country. They sing in churches, schools and other venues to relay their message to the world. They are raising money for the children of Uganda to get clean food and water, medicine, shelter, safety and an education. Their stories are unimaginable, yet they sing of hope and thanksgiving and a future for themselves and their communities. They have a large responsibility to get an education and help their villages and their country. The ICN provides an opportunity for people to sponsor a child for $30 a month. The sponsor "parent" is providing the supplies, education, and health care with their money. The children are sponsored through ICN until they have completed their course of study (university or vocational school). Sponsors not only donate, write and receive letters, they also have the opportunity to actual meet their child in their home! The ICN appears to be currently sponsoring children in Guatemala. Peru and the Philippines. You can go to their site and actually see pictures of and read profiles on children who are waiting for sponsorship right now.
This is Eric, he is one of the children who sang with the choir last night.
ICN educates children all the way through the university level and allows sponsors to meet their children face to face. In addition to these two unique qualities, International Children’s Network has one of the highest financial giving ratios at over 95% to the intended purpose!!! These three attributes define ICN as a sponsorship organization and are the main reasons why ICN is so significant in sponsoring a child and trusted with every penny and pound. International Children’s Network wants its sponsors, and anyone else who may be interested, to personally see how ICN operates behind the scenes. ICN is committed to meeting the needs of deserving children around the world in order to allow them to be a helping hand for their nation, instead of another hand out.
As we've read before, education is the key to saving a child, his or her family, their village/community, their county... the world.
Obviously we do not always have the means to do exactly what we'd like to help, but there is always something... some small way that we can do our part. Check out the MatsikoCd's.
Signing Time is having a 5 day special (now through June 1st). You can download MP3s of complete CDs for only $5. The CDs are usually between $10-$14, Awesome deal. You can just burn your own CD or whatever. Rachel Coleman writes and sings all of her own songs, and she has a beautiful voice. Fischer loves to hear the songs, he always claims that they are his "favorite". The songs are fun and I find myself singing them here and there. I really like the songs on her Shine CD, they are mostly songs she has written for her daughters and reflect her thoughts and feelings on raising daughters with disabilities. I also really like the Magic Words song on the Volumes 1-3 CD. Lots of goodies, I thought I'd pass along the info to you.
Jim Gill leads concerts of music & playthroughout the country at schools, libraries and theaters.A concert with Jim Gill is an active sing-along and clap-along. Jim bangs out energetic rhythms on his banjo while everyone sings, claps, jumps, dances and even sneezes along.
My mom and I took Fischer and BFF to a Jim Gill concert recently and it was SO much fun! They loved it! They danced and sang and jumped and hugged and had a fabulous evening. It was really crowded so I didn't get very good pictures, but I wish I'd had my video camera because it was sooo cute! Jim did an awesome job of engaging his jam-packed audience of little ones. Everybody seemed to be having a fantastic time groovin' with him.
I guess you can pick up his CDs at your local library, I have to check it out. You can also buy them on his website or at his concerts. I think his music is perfect for little ones and/or for classrooms who have students who need a lot of actions and interactive songs to keep their students' attention. I would have loved to use this with both my second graders and my students with special needs - who were a little bit older.
Fischer and I went on a little playdate this morning and I was reminded about a few Children's music CDs that I wanted to mention here.
First is from a funky little group called The Jimmies. I have a copy of the CD on hold for me at the library; I haven't listened to the whole CD yet, however, I really like their song "Do the Elephant". It is all about sneezing and coughing into the crook of your arm. Obviously a good lesson in hygiene and not spreading germs, the tune is catchy and if you act it out with the your little one (tossing your arm/trunk across your face to sneeze or cough into your inner elbow) they might just remember it when it comes time to blow germs! Well maybe after you have modeled it a thousand times, but still... they'll know what you are talking about when you say "honey, do the elephant!" Listen to it on their website or on Amazon.
The second CD is from Ralph's World. The music is quirky and silly, but my favorite is the "Coffee Song". It makes the CD bearable to listen to for mom! It is definitely the kind of song that gets stuck in your head, but it will kind of make you laugh. You can listen to it on his website. Here are the lyrics:
