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Welcome to Sunshine Sign and Sing parents portal.
Key word signing is a brilliant communication tool for any child and can be easily incorporated it into your home to make your life and your child’s life easier. This page includes the starter 24 signs that are included in the Starter Pack being used with your children in the centre so you can practice at home with your little one and links to the products being used in your centre so you can order your own should you wish to continue their signing fun at home.
What is key word signing?
Key word signing is a communication tool, it is the use of manual signs, gestures and facial expressions alongside the key words of a sentence. It is used alongside the spoken word and can actually enhance speech development as well as confidence, self esteem and bonding, reducing frustration and tantrums.
Why use key word signing
There are many communication tools out there but key word signing is one that is quick to learn, quick to use and can be used anywhere. It reduces frustration and increases bonding just by little ones getting their needs and wants understood. Your child’s early learning setting is using key word signing with their children, imagine the frustration of your little one if they had learnt this new communication skill only to go home and not be able to be understood. Key word signing can make your life easier and is fun too.
Research suggests that as many as 1 in 5 children will have speech delay by the time they reach 2 years of age. Key word signing provides an opportunity for children with a speech delay to have an alternative communication method. Research has shown that rather than delay speech, key word signing can actually enhance speech and language skills. By your Early Learning Centre adopting key word signing, this encourages peer to peer interactions from an early age.
How to incorporate it into your home
Simply using it every day, in your every day routine can really make a difference, you can start with just a couple of signs and increase as you grow in confidence. A fantastic way to start is to sign to songs, nursery rhymes in particular are brilliant. They have lots of repetition, are simple and many you already know the words. Nursery rhymes have many benefits for children and adding signs can enhance these benefits but can also add an extra element of fun and understanding. Signing to stories is a great way to incorporate signing into your home, it helps to link sounds / words and pictures and can help your child’s understanding of the story as well as make it more fun.
Products used at the centre
These are some of the products your child’s centre is using, you can have your own copies to share with your little ones! Visit our shop.
Songs & Signs Booklet
This booklet contains 10 songs containing signs to accompany the Starter Signs. It has the lyrics on one side with corresponding signs on the other. With the booklet you also get access to the MP3 songs so you can sing along at home.
Flashcards
These A6 flashcards contain the 24 starter signs. They have the signs on one side with a corresponding picture on the other.
Story Book
This book contains a story on one side with the corresponding signs on the other. In this story book you need to help Spotty Bear find things he has lost.
The 24 Starter Set Signs
Here are the 24 Starter Set signs for you to practice with your little ones at home
Mummy
Extend three middle fingers from fist, tap fingers on head twice
Daddy
With middle and pointer fingers extended on both hands, palms down, tap fingers together twice
Milk
Start with open hand in front of you, close hand as you bring it down, copy with other hand and repeat
Nappy
Thumbs on hips, tap first and middle finger to thumbs twice
Toilet
Tap pointer finger on blade of other open hand
Bed
Palms together, rest cheek on hands
Bath
Fists on chest, alternatively move hands up and down
Love
Both palms on chest over heart
Please
Fingers of flat hand starts on chin then moves forward and down whilst curling fingers into hand
Thank you
Fingers of flat hand starts on chin then moves forward and down in arc
More
Clawed hand on chest, pull out slightly
Finished
Thumb up from fist, twist wrist left and right
Eat
Tips of thumb and fingers touching, bring fingers towards mouth
Drink
Hand in cupped shape, bring hand to mouth
Book
Palms together, open hands so palms face up and close again
Play
Palms up, hands at side, move simultaneously in large circles
Stop
Hand out in front of you, palm forward
Share
Flat hand facing up, tap other vertical flat hand in the centre of flat hand, then turn top hand so it faces along flat hand and tap again
Sorry
Shake clawed hand across side of mouth
Home
Palm forward, with fingers slightly curved,
moved hand forward in an arc
Family
Middle and pointer fingers extended on both hands, palms forward and extended fingers crossing, move hands out in horizontal forward arcs, ending with fingers crossed, palms facing you
Friend
One hand around other fist, shake up and down
Brother
Fingers of fists together, rub fists up and down
Sister
Tap nose twice with hooked finger
There are more signs in our sign dictionary. There are also videos you can watch and much more information for you, head to our menu or home page to find out more.