Product Details

• Actors: Talking Hands
• Format: Color, Live, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: Unrated
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Consumervision
• VHS Release Date: September 1, 2000
• Run Time: 45 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000524EH
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,429 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #4 in	Video > Educational > Languages > Sign
  #5 in	Video > Special Interests > Parenting & Childcare > Learning Languages
  #11 in	Video > Kids & Family > Sports & Activities

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Kids gobble cookies, blow bubbles, open and close a box of dress-up items, even sit on the potty to illustrate some of the 31 hand gestures taught throughout this excellent sign language video. Much like a mini video "dictionary," teaching focuses on word recognition alone--not the alphabet nor on full sentence structure--and covers a smart variety of simple verbs and nouns (based on American Sign Language and Signing Exact English). The format is simplistic but highly effective, and keeps the action moving. After the word appears on-screen, an adult carefully signs and pronounces it twice. Then, scenes flip open like book pages or spin like revolving doors to reveal several real-life examples; for instance, "grandfather" fishes with his grandson, eats cereal, and reads a book. More hand gesture repetition, performed by a culturally diverse group of grownups and kids, offers lots of practice time. Probably best used in the home or in a hearing classroom, this visually and audibly appealing 40-minute show comes from the folks who created Parent's Choice award-winning Baby's First Impressions series. --Liane Thomas

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent - educational & engaging, February 26, 2001

By	"americanexpatworkingmom" (Gordonsville, VA United States) - See all my reviews

We have had this video for just over a week and I put this one in for my 14 m.o. daughter each morning while we spend one-on-one time together. She watched it straight through the first time, sitting on my lap, and subsequently, when I do the signs for some of the words depicted as we watch the video, she enjoys it. Sometimes she walks right up to the screen to 'touch' something / someone she has seen. The video shows a sign and it is pronounced simultaneously, then other depictions of the person / object / activity are shown giving one the opportunity to practice (which is what I do with my daughter). The clips are very nicely done showing people, especially kids relating to each other and some animals, too. The words are probably the best vocabulary to work on with small children, including: eat, drink, milk, potty, mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, girl, boy, cookie, more, please, thank you, sit, stand, sleep, etc.

The tape has multiple speakers / signers presenting each word. I know nothing about American Sign Language, so I cannot critique the video from the perspective of quality. I can say that I generally consider the productions of Small-Fry to be top notch in terms of content and production quality, and this is a shining example. I really like the healthy diversity of the people shown, especially seeing kids signing.

I know that there has been work done recently on the value attributed to teaching an infant to sign - which ostensibly aids them developmentally and provides a means for communicating before the child is able to talk. While it is a little bit too soon to judge based upon our experience with this video, I can't imagine a more engaging way to demonstrate the technique to young children. I am sure that my daughters will pick-up some sign language - just how much will depend on how much I practice it with them.

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Let your hands do the talking, October 25, 2001

By	Monica Beyer "Creator of www.signingbaby.com" (St. Joseph, MO United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am an avid consumer of sign language products targeted at children because my [hearing] son, 2 1/2, has been signing for well over a year. Videos like this one help keep him interested in signing even as his spoken vocabulary continues to soar.

This video's high points are the number of signs presented, the variety of signs presented, and the diversity of people presenting the signs - they show people of different ethnicities as well as people of all ages. The one drawback of this wonderful video is that the adults presenting the signs seem automated. They don't show a lot of facial expressions, which we know is a very important part of signing.

I think this video is a great addition to any signer's video library. It will certainly boost your signing vocabulary as well as your child's and it will definitely keep him or her interested in signing even after he/she begins to speak.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for 3-Yr.-Old with Speech Disorder, June 11, 2002

By A Customer

A short time ago we purchased the Talking Hands video for our 3 year old daughter who has a severe speech disability. We had begun teaching her sign language out of desperation to help her communicate and to ease everyone's frustration. Since we ourselves are not familiar with sign language it was difficult to know where to start.This video was just the thing to get the ball rolling. Our daughter was glued to it from the first viewing, and began picking up and imitating the signs very quickly. I would encourage anyone to buy this video. For us and many others who have children with speech disorders, learning sign language is more than just a novelty.