First 100 Signs: Online baby and toddler signing course

Why sign with your baby or toddler?

Communication is much more complex than just using words. We naturally use gesture, intonation and facial expressions to add meaning to the words we say. Signing is just an extension of this natural communication and it gives babies and toddlers a way to communicate with you before they can say words. Signing can help us bond and tune into our little ones, and research has even shown that it has benefits for cognitive and emotional development!

Our online course for parents and carers is the perfect way to support babies and toddlers to start signing and develop their first 100 words! Our course is broken down into four sections to help you learn more about early communication and guide you through which signs to start with and why. You’ll have access to a signing manual, banks of signing videos which you can watch on repeat whenever you need as well as our top tips for signing.

What you will learn from this course?

Module 01: Introduction to communication
In our introduction module, you’ll learn more about early communication development and the skills children need to have to be confident communicators. We’ll show you how signing fits into early communication and that it can be useful for everyone!

Module 02: Early Communicator Sign
Signs for early communicators’ helps you start your signing journey. We’ll show you the first 18 signs we’d recommend starting with as well as tips videos, handouts and an interactive quiz to help you learn the signs!

Module 03: Sign Word User Sign
‘Signs for Single Words Users’ gives you a wide range of signs from useful categories such as clothes, playtime, meal times and more to help build your child’s vocabulary bank. We’ll continue to share more tips and ideas on how to practise and use these at home.

Module 04: Word Combiner Sign
‘Word Combiner Signs’ gives you access to even more signs such as ‘feelings’, ‘weather’ and ‘describing words’ and provides ideas on how to build phrases with signs and words as well as giving you ideas for how to use these in songs and rhymes.

We’ve also included a bonus module where you can find information on gestures, a really important early communication skill which links to signing as well as BSL finger spelling.

Module 05: Bonus content
You’ll also have access to bonus features as well as a members only community where you can connect with other parents who are on the same journey.

About April Cottage Therapies:

We’re Laura and Charmaine, specialist speech and language therapists who have almost 20 years of experience between us in supporting families, educational staff and children to develop their communication and interaction skills. We have seen the benefits of baby and toddler signing first hand and have used them with both of our own little ones!