Product Details

• Actors: Rachel de Azevedo Coleman, Alex Brown, Leah Coleman
• Directors: Jon Pierre Francia, Emilie de Azevedo Brown
• Format: NTSC
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Two Little Hands Productions
• VHS Release Date: November 14, 2002
• Run Time: 30 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000090W7I
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #166,473 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even better than the first one!, May 19, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Signing Time! Volume 2: Playtime Signs VHS (VHS Tape)

The "Signing Time" video series is targeted to young hearing children (intended audience: 0-5 years), though it is a wonderfully non-threatening way for persons of any age to learn sign language. Parents don't need to already know sign language in order to help their children learn the signs in the videos. The videos are quite thorough - with each sign being demonstrated once by Rachel (mother of a deaf child, and co-creator of the series), and then multiple times in a variety of situations by a variety of children. (Note that volumes 2 and 3 are a little less repetitious than Volume 1 - for better or worse, depending on your preference.) The narration on the videos is done primarily by young children. The signs are linked well with the objects, emotions, etc., that they represent. The children in the videos are "real" - demonstrating the signs in their own imperfect ways, according to their abilities - much the same as when children learn to speak with their voices. There is cute animation and fun background music with sound effects that make the videos pleasing to watch.

I purchased volumes 1-3 of the Signing Time video series a few weeks ago (along with the music CD containing all the songs in these volumes). While volume 1 ("My First Signs" - with 18 signs) is very good, volumes 2 ("Playtime Signs" - with 28 signs) and 3 ("Everyday Signs" - with 32 signs) are even better. For starters, I thought Rachel looked too serious and tense when she demonstrated signs in the first video, whereas she appears more relaxed and inviting in the newer videos. Perhaps more importantly, though, the latter two videos make much broader use of Rachel's musical talents, with catchy, original songs sprinkled throughout the video (as opposed to only an opening and closing song in the first video). Another change is that in the 2nd and 3rd videos, words are presented in groups (e.g., hot & cold, friend & play, etc) rather than individually. I was disappointed that there isn't a parent's guide with the videos, but I have found helpful information on the signingtime.com website. If you need to be convinced of the benefits of teaching sign language to your hearing child, or you want to see clips from the videos, check out that website.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have for every Childs Video Library, August 19, 2003

By 

pmpdchefokie (Oklahoma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Signing Time! Volume 2: Playtime Signs VHS (VHS Tape)

We bought the 3 volume set along with the music CD when Leah's mom was featured on "Good Morning America" about 1 1/2 years ago. My girls (2 and 5) still just love them. They ask for them over the typical Disney and Nickolodean videos we have. Everyone who has ever watched them is so captivated by the original music, the animation, and all the different children signing. I actually forget there is a purpose to watching them too. As far as content, the videos contain what I'd consider the most, needed, important words that babies and children would use (except "please" and "thank you").

I also love the fact that they give many different examples of the word being signed like "water". They show an ocean, a child drinking from a water fountain, Leah splashing in animated water puddles, a baby taking a bath, children in a swimming pool, etc. as well as lots of children showing the sign for "water".

This video is such a fun way for children (and parents)to learn sign language and we have loaned them out on numerous occasions to nieces, nephews, and friends so that they can learn and enjoy them too. Everyone loves them!

One thing about these videos that I have not seen mentioned yet in the reviews is that actual written word is flashed on the screen before they actually go into all of many different children doing the sign. Great pre-reading and word recognition exercise as far as this mom is concerned. It seems like they thought of everything. I just wish there were more then 3 out there.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb, March 26, 2004

By 

apoem "apoem" (Bosque Farms, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Signing Time! Volume 2: Playtime Signs VHS (VHS Tape)

This is an excellent video. The first one was good and this one is even better. It ties words together so that children can begin to use two and three signs in a sentence. For instance- Share and please are tied together. The words are flashed up on the screen and then the adult shows the children how to make the sign. Then you will see several different children and several examples of this items and then the adult will show the sign again. There is more singing and more signing in this video.

We have learned a lot as a family with this one.

Enjoy.