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March 9, 2006
Baby signing growing in popularity
Five mothers and five small children sit on colorful sheets on the classroom floor, surrounding a pile of stuffed animals, child-sized hats and fake fruit. “Kitty, kitty,” the mothers say, stroking the air near their faces. “Apple, apple,” they insist, rubbing their cheeks.
As teacher Natalie Smigel predicted, their children pay little attention, one hunting Cheerios and another burying his shy face in his mother’s shirt, until the adults break into a verse of “If You’re Hungry and You Know it,” when they stare awestruck.
It’s only the second week of the baby sign language course, so no one expects too much from the little ones. The “Baby and Me” workshop is designed to allow the children and parents to socialize with other learners, but the real work is done at home, with repetition and integration into daily routines, Smigel explained.
“Your baby is not going to sign here,” Smigel had told her class in the first week.
By Allison Ryan
http://www.newstrib.com/main.asp?SectionID=82&ArticleID=19834&SubSectionID=308
Posted by 4HL on March 9, 2006 8:33 PM
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