The announcement represents the latest triumph over family adversity for Rachel Colemen, co-executive producer and co-creator of the Signing Time! brand, who also stars in and writes and sings the songs for the TV show, CDs and DVDs.

Signing Time!, an edutainment program that utilizes an innovative approach to teach American Sign Language (ASL) to practically anyone of any age, was born out of necessity after Rachel learned her infant daughter, Leah, was deaf. She and her husband immediately started teaching ASL to Leah and by the time she was 18 months old, her sign language vocabulary far surpassed the spoken vocabulary of hearing children her same age.

Other parents took notice, including Rachel’s sister Emilie who started teaching sign language to her infant son Alex (who can hear), so that he would be able to communicate with his deaf cousin. By only 10 months old Alex had started communicating with his parents. ASL impacted the Colemans again a few years later when Rachel’s second daughter Lucy was born eight weeks premature with spina bifida and cerebral palsy. Doctors worried that Lucy would never be able to speak, but ASL greatly helped Lucy communicate with her mother.

The Signing Time! concept, from the first DVD to the current television series distributed by American Public Television to PBS stations across the country, allows Rachel to share the skills and innovative methods for teaching ASL she developed during those difficult times.

"One in every one thousand babies is born deaf,” Rachel points out. “For them and their families a solid knowledge of ASL can make all the difference…and that is what Signing Time! is about. Even families with no special need for ASL can benefit by opening communications between child and parents even earlier than with verbal communication.”

With an unparalleled multi-sensory approach, Signing Time! reaches children with diverse learning styles and abilities by encouraging interaction through signing, singing, speaking, and dancing. Featuring Rachel, Leah, Alex and their animated pet frog Hopkins, the Signing Time! series teaches hundreds of ASL vocabulary-building signs that are useful in daily life.

Signing Time! is packed with wonderful original songs, all written by Coleman, with messages of self worth, tolerance, and the joy of learning and growing. Combined with peer modeling, clever animation, fun activities, and endearing characters, Signing Time! makes learning to communicate through ASL extremely effective and infinitely enjoyable.

The Signing Time! television series has already started airing on some PBS stations while others will premiere it later in the season. Check local listings for times and stations or visit www.signingtime.com for more information.

Two Little Hands Productions, the production company behind the Signing Time! brand, is in pre-production on a second television series geared more toward the pacing and higher-entertainment content of cable and traditional broadcast networks.

About Two Little Hands Productions

Two Little Hands is the company that produces and distributes Signing Time!, a captivating, entertaining sign language video and television series that specifically targets children who are just learning how to speak, as well as children with special needs. The series makes learning American Sign Language easy and fun for little ones. Formed in 2002 by two sisters, Two Little Hands’ mission is to empower all children of all abilities to communicate with sign language. Two Little Hands Productions is located in Salt Lake City, Utah.