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Part of my summer "homeschool" for my kids includes picking it a few DVDs on topics we're studying. However, it can be hard to find something with enough educational value to have it add to their learning. In our situation especially it is important for them to hear about the study topic in English from a native speaker other than me.

For years we have enjoyed the Signing Time DVDs and not too long ago when Rachel and the Treeschoolers came out we all got really excited! Treeschoolers comes with activities you can do beyond watching the DVD and covers a large amount of material in 30 minutes.

 

Two Little Hands, the company which makes Rachel and the Treeschoolers, has been looking to get the show picked up by a TV network but they've been repeatedly told that the show is too educational for TV. Does that make sense? It is entertaining, fun and educational. If you are going to let your kids watch TV why not watch something useful?

 

To try and bring the rest of the Treeschoolers episodes to market they have started a Kickstarter fundraising campaign. Basically this allows us, the consumers, to have a direct hand in the creating of a wonderful educational series. Lending your support through pledging is risk-free. If you make a pledge and they don't raise enough money to support the current project then your money is not collected. If they do raise enough money your pledge is accepted and you will receive a return gift of your choosing.... Such as a copy of the new DVDs.

 

Why not hop on over to Kickstarter and take a look?

Rachel and the Treeschoolers campaign

 

Posted with Blogsy

Sign of the Week - The Letter "S" 今週の手話は「s」です。

Sign of the Week - The Letter "S"  今週の手話は「s」です。

The abc signs are for so much more than just fingerspelling names!  Letter hand shapes can often be found in signs. ABCのサインはスペル以外のときに使えます。"s"の手の形は色んなサインにあります。

Ok, so you may be wondering how and when to use the sign for the letter "s"... here are a few ideas!
たといば：

shoes くつ 靴           silver ぎん 銀          Saturday どようび 土曜日

Books for practicing the sign "s"
"S"のサインを練習するためのおすすめ絵本:

Chika Chika Boom Boom by Bill Martin

Dr. Suess's ABC Book

ABC Sign & Color by Susan T. Hall

もっと学びたい？この商品はおすすめします。
Want to learn more?  Here are recommended products:
ABC Signs DVD
ABC Signs Flashcards
ABC Signs Board Book

Don't forget to check out the other items in the Kotoba & Sign Store as well!


ABC Signs について

こどもたちと一緒に指文字を使うことで得られる有益なものがたくさんありますが、もしそのことの説明がなされないと、親たちはそのことに気づかないかもしれません。

－指文字を学ぶことは、英語を読んだり書いたりできるようになることへの大きなステップです。

－イニシャルのサイン（単語の最初の文字をサインであらわすことで、そのものを表現すること）は、その言葉を声に出して発音することへのステップになります。

There are many great benefits of using fingerspelling with kids but if they aren't explained parents may not know about them.

- learning to fingerspell is a big step towards being able to read/write English.

- initialised signs (those which use the first letter of the word the sign represents) provide an easy step into phonics.

たとえば、ある色とその色をあらわす単語をマッチングさせるワークシートをこどもがするような場合、その色をサインで表すことは（色を表すサインは、その単語の最初の文字を含むことが多い）、発音の手がかりを与えてくれます。

example - kid doing a matching worksheet where matching the color to the written word - signing the color (which often includes the first letter of the word) can provide key phonetic clues.

－少し上達した子や読むことを始めたこどもにとって、指文字は、新しい言葉を学んだり／覚えたりするのに助けになりますし、トリッキーな？こどばのスペルを学ぶのにも助けになります。読むこと－サインすること－書くこと

- for kids who are a little bit farther along and starting to read fingerselling can be used to help learn/remember new words and learn the spellings of some of the trickier words.  Read - sign - write.

ABCの歌は、単にアルファベットの文字を教えるだけでなく、それぞれの文字の一般的な音で始まる単語も教えてくれます。

The ABC Song not only teaches the letters in the alphabet but is also provides words that start with the common phonetic sounds of each letter.

わたしが英語を教えていたときの、こどもにとってのもっとも大きなチャレンジの一つは、聞くこと／話すことから、読むこと／書くことへの移行でした。多くの英語のテキストは、こどもたちがおよそ一年生で読むことができるように設定されていますが、こどもたちにどのように読むことを学ぶかについては教えていません。これは、ネイティヴスピーカーにとっても大きなチャレンジです。

サイニングタイムシリーズでは、イニシャルのサインを使ったり、アルファベットや大事な言葉（キーワード）のスペルを教えてくれることに加えて、それがいつも画面にサインに沿って表示されているわけです。

When I was teaching English one of the biggest challenges for the kids was making the transition from listening/speaking to reading/writing.  Many English texts assume that kids can read at about 1st grade but they don't go through the phonics and teaching kids how to learn to read.  This is a challenge for native speakers as well.

In the Signing Time series in addition to using some initialised signs and teaching the alphabet, the spelling of the key words always appears on the screen along with the sign.

サインを使うことは、こともたちが、目にする言葉をより早く学ぶことの助けとなります。

Signing can help kids to learn sight words faster.

Why Sign with Babies?

New parents often wonder about the benefits of signing with babies.

Experienced parents sometimes question it.

Strangers may question you when they see you signing with your child.

Here are some links to look at to learn more about the benefits of signing with infants/toddlers/preschoolers:

Mayo Clinic: Is baby sign language worthwhile?
American Academy of Pediatrics: These Hands Were Made for Talking
Baby Center: When can I start teaching my baby sign language?
Kotoba & Sign: Why Sign? どうして手話（サイン）なの？

Two Little Hands: Sign Language Research
Signing Time: Baby signing hits mainstream, book published by AAP touts benefits

Sign of the Week 今週の手話 Wind 風

This week the Sign of the Week from Signing Time is "wind"! 今週の手話は「風」です。

 Children of all ages are interested in understanding the world around them so having signs such as "wind" "sun", "cloud" and "moon" can help them to tell you what they are seeing and thinking about!

 Here are some videos from Two Little Hands where you can learn other signs to go with "wind":
Baby Signing Time Vol. 3 A New Day 
Series 2 Vol. 5 Going Outside 

Books for practicing the sign for "wind":
"Wind"のサインを練習するためのおすすめ絵本:
What Do You See Outside? (Baby Signing Time!) By Emilie De Azevedo Brown
Going Out from Child's Play
Maisy's Wonderful Weather Book by Lucy Cousins

親子工作　Would you like to do a wind craft?  Here is a Hand-y Craft Windsock with downloadable instructions.  Looks like a fun summer project!

Tomorrow 7/10 トイレトレーニング・ワークショップ

明日は竹の塚でPotty Timeトイレトレーニング・ワークショップです。参加したい方はHeidi先生にメールを出して下さい。

Potty Time Workshop in Takenotsuka tomorrow at 11 Am!  Please contact Heidi to sign up!