69 of 70 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Correction, December 18, 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: Signing Time! Vol. 1: My First Signs DVD (DVD)
I'd like to correct the reviewer who said that the Signing Time videos don't teach the words "please" or "thank-you". I own all three DVDs in the set, and I know those words are taught. Volume 2, "Playtime Signs", teaches both of those words. It even includes a song about them, called, "Magic Words". Currently, the desciption of the Volume 2 DVD on Amazon.com lists the wrong words, so don't trust it. For accurate information about the videos, visit the Signing Time website at www.signingtime.com. You can also see video clips there.
A strong point of the Signing Time videos is the fact that each word is demonstrated by several different people. This is important, because everyone signs a little differently. Other videos, which generally use only one demonstrator, have left me wondering how exact I have to be in imitating the sign in order to have it recognized as the intended sign.
This video is the first one in the series, and was made a year or two before the latter two videos. The producers appear to have learned a lot from making the first video, and the latter two are even better (they've added songs, present words in groups, have better filming, and moved the "Introduction" by Rachel into it's own segment, so you don't have to watch it every time you play the main feature). The latter two videos also include more words - about 30 each, instead of just 18, as in this video.
One thing that has disappointed me about the Signing Time videos is that they leave out a lot of important words that are commonly used with babies & toddlers (which is why I only rate it with 4 stars). I would rather learn "diaper" and "bottle" than "fish" and "bird". Happily, I discovered the "Baby See 'N Sign" videos, which do a great job of filling this gap. I would recommend "Baby See 'N Sign" to all serious baby-signers, in addition to the Signing Time series. The second "Baby See 'N Sign" video was made specifically from words that were requested by parents. The "See 'N Sign" videos aren't as cute as the "Signing Time" videos, but they are well-done, and they still hold my baby's attention. They also cover A LOT more words (60+ on the first video, and 100+ on the second). They're only available on VHS, which was a slight disappointment for me, but they are well worth having. Currently, Amazon.com only sells the first video, but you can order the second one from www.babyseensign.com.
I certainly hope the Signing Time people keep making more videos. It would be great if they would teach simple phrases, like "come here" and "I'll be right back", instead of just single words. I would also like to see more video snippets of children using signs as they play together, or interact with their parents, instead of just seeing children doing a single sign by themself. I also think they should show the object being signed in the same picture with the person who is doing the sign, instead of showing the sign, then the object, then the sign - each in separate clips. (To be fair, there are a few examples of someone doing a sign with the object present - but most of the time, that is not the case - and in some of the cases, they show a cartoon of the object instead of a real object, which I think isn't as effective.)
Overall, the Signing Time videos are well worth having, since the manner of presentation is very engaging, and they do an excellent job of holding a baby's attention.
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31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE ABSOLUTE BEST SIGNING PRODUCT AVAILABLE!!!, February 19, 2003
This review is from: Signing Time! Vol. 1: My First Signs DVD (DVD)
We LOVE these videos!! A year ago, I had purchased the "Sign with Your Baby" kit. It was really hard to stay dedicated to it, because it's only geared toward parents. I was disappointed. But just a week ago, I found and purchased these "Signing Time" videos , and my 21-month old son and I LOVE them!! We are both learning so much from them, and he has already signed 5 words! He loves to watch the children and babies using signs and imitates them, and when the songs are playing he gives 100% of his attention. I logged on to their website (signingtime) and purchased the 3 volume set and music CD. They have a few video clips so that you can see what you are purchasing. Check it out! They're very cute and soooooo worth it!!! By the way, my son has been requesting these videos, even over Blue's Clues and Baby Einstein.
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24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Educational and Entertaining! Great gift for any child!, June 26, 2002
This is such a fun way to teach your child better communication skills and a second language. We started teaching our son some basic signs that we had seen in a baby book when he was one year old (I wish we would have started even younger). We were amazed at how much it helped us to know what our baby wanted. He could express some of his wants without crying (like to tell us he wanted more of something or that he was all done) and we didn't have to play guessing games to figure out what he wanted.
Now that we found this Signing Time video, at age 22 months, our son's signing and speaking vocabulary has expanded immensely in just a few viewings. He loves the video and asks to watch it instead of his old favorites. This video is so well done with a mix of animation, real kids and music. Our 5 and 7 year old nieces love it too and remembered many of the signs after just one viewing. It is great quality, a super educational opportunity and exceptionally entertaining (even for adults). Every baby and young child should have one and parents can feel good about teaching their child a second language and helping them develop positive communication skills.
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