TinyTalk is an international organisation,
founded by Katie Mayne in 2002, which runs baby signing
classes throughout the UK, Ireland and Australia.
In the UK, over 2000 young families a week come to our
classes to learn about how to communicate with their babies
and toddlers through baby signing. We also train childminders,
nursery staff and other childcare professionals to use baby
signing effectively in their workplaces. Many of our teachers
also work closely with their local SureStart providers and
libraries.
We were particularly excited to hear about the Family Reading
Fortnight in January 2007, since this coincides with the
launch of our new curriculum. One of the most important
new features is the TinyTalk Signed Book Time, which combines
the power of books with the visual aspects of signing to
improve both language and early literacy development.
Teachers will share selected texts with parents and their
babies in classes on a regular basis, demonstrating signs
for key words and making it an interactive and stimulating
experience for both parents and babies. Parents can then
use these same skills at home when reading with their children.
Discussing storylines, pointing at the pictures, making
the signs and saying the words is a powerful combination
for developing early language and literacy skills.
To ensure that all teachers are able to deliver the TinyTalk
Signed Book Time effectively and with confidence, we have
provided an initial selection of books for each teacher,
an approved book list of top quality and easily accessible
texts, both fiction and non-fiction, plus detailed written
guidance in the class teaching manual.
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