Baby Sign Language Basics: Early Communication for Hearing Babies and Toddlers, New & Expanded Edition PLUS DVD! [Paperback]

Monta Z. Briant (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2009

Since 2004, Baby Sign Language Basics has introduced hundreds of thousands of parents and caregivers around the globe to the miracle of signing with their babies – and left them wanting more!

Now, in this new bigger edition, Monta Briant provides more than 300 American Sign Language (ASL) signs, illustrated with the same clear, easy-to-understand photos and descriptions.

Baby-specific signing techniques, songs, and games are also included to make learning fun and open up two way communication quickly.

In this special DVD edition, parents will meet real signing families and learn how to make sign language a part of their every day interactions with their children. Also included on the DVD is a video signing dictionary featuring all the signs from the book. Just point and click and see the sign you want to learn come alive!

This book/DVD set is a must-have for all parents, grandparents, anyone else who spends time with preverbal children. After all, what parent or caregiver doesn't want to know what their baby is trying to tell them?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Monta Briant first discovered baby sign language when she was expecting her first child. She began signing with her daughter, Sirena, when she was 6 months old, and was so impressed with the results that she felt compelled to share what her family had learned with other parents and caregivers of young children.

Monta offers classes, workshops, and storytimes throughout San Diego County. Her Baby Sign Language Basics series of products includes everything parents need for signing success, including several books, an instructional DVD, flash cards, and the Songs for Little Hands Music CD and Activity Guide.

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Hay House; Pap/DVD Ex edition (June 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401921590
• ISBN-13: 978-1401921590
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,297 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Languages > Instruction > Sign Language

More About the Author

Monta Zelinsky Briant, a 7th generation native of San Francisco, moved to San Diego in 1998 with husband Paul Briant (of Cape Town, South Africa) in order to find more affordable housing, more sunshine, and start a family.

In 2000, Monta and Paul welcomed their first child, Sirena, into the world, and soon began signing with her. Signing with Sirena was such and amazing experience for Zelinsky-Briant family, that Monta felt compelled to share signing with other families, and began teaching classes in 2001. The classes eventually caught the attention of Hay House Publishing, and Monta's first book, Baby Sign Language Basics: Early Communication for Hearing Babies and Toddlers (Hay House 2004), quickly became the best-selling book on the topic, being published in a half dozen foreign language editions as well. In 2004, when the family welcomed a little brother, Aiden, to the family, big sister Sirena was a big help teaching her new brother signs!

Both children have outgrown signing as a primary means of communication, but they still remember most of their signs, and continue to find them useful in a variety of situations. Nowadays, Monta get's her baby-signing-fix with the little signers in her classes. "It always seems like a miracle every time a tiny baby does a new sign in class-- even though I've seen it thousands of times now, I get just as excited as the parents do!" says Monta. "I always walk out of every class I teach absolutely walking on air-- it's the most fulfilling job in the world".

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly what we wanted!, January 4, 2010

By 

Julie B. (Lincoln, NE) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Baby Sign Language Basics: Early Communication for Hearing Babies and Toddlers, New & Expanded Edition PLUS DVD! (Paperback)

This book and DVD were all we needed to teach our daughter sign language. It was easy to read and follow. The ideas and methods make sense and we've had a blast with it. We gave it to her daycare providers so they could get involved as well. We started teaching her signs at 10 mos. She is now 14 mos and signs regularly. She loves to use her signs and you can tell how tickled she is that she can communicate to use without just pointing and whining. Great product!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Intro to Sign Language, January 12, 2011

By 

NV (Pacific NW) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Baby Sign Language Basics: Early Communication for Hearing Babies and Toddlers, New & Expanded Edition PLUS DVD! (Paperback)

This is a perfect starter set to teach your baby sign. It has the right amount of detail, going into what steps to take to set yourself up for success, and what pitfalls to avoid. The first half of the book is an easy guide on how to teach your baby sign, the second half of the book is a dictionary/index with the words and pictures of how to sign them. The DVD is pretty basic, the most helpful being an index of all the words -- you can select the word and it shows you a video of someone doing the actual sign which is a nice supplement to the pictures in the book. Based on reviews, I purchased on Amazon the "Sign Babies ASL Flash Cards, Set One: First Words" also, and they are great. They are not laminated but I got them laminated at FedEx Kinkos for $10 and that has been a perfect supplement to this book. Highly recommended!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for preventing toddler frustration!, August 14, 2010

By 

Bradford P Crain - See all my reviews

This review is from: Baby Sign Language Basics: Early Communication for Hearing Babies and Toddlers, New & Expanded Edition PLUS DVD! (Paperback)

Remember how you learned about the mantra "practice, practice, practice," in school, sports, music, dance, etc. - you name your own childhood activity?? ... Well, it's true....repetition creates awesome results. Reading this book will give you all the skills you need to know to teach your baby/child how to communicate at an early age. It takes practice and repetition, of course, but don't all good things in life require this....plus a little patience? :o)

Monta Briant's book is really a lifesaver when it comes to combating toddler frustration! My 8 month-old son started with the sign 'fan', and now at 17 month-old son is really starting to 'blossom' with his signing skills. He recently started taking a keen interest in Monta's flashcards too. Particularly the photos of her signing, which he always ignored before! It is really exciting to see his signing vocabulary growing along with his new, increased hand-eye coordination. Ms. Briant is incredibly gifted at helping parents communicate with our kiddos! If you don't believe in baby sign language....doubt no more, just try it and you will be surprised!!