Guest Post: Emily Patterson of Primrose Schools

If you have been following along with my blog for some time now, you are probably aware that my daughter H. was diagnosed this past spring with moderate to severe hearing loss on her right ear, and slight to moderate on her left side.  She now wears hearing aids.  It has been a struggle to get to this point, mainly because we have moved so much in her young life.

Recently, Emily from Primrose Schools sent me this article and asked that I share it with my readers. 

I think it was quite interesting.  Let me know what you think...

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Early Childhood Education – Acquiring Sign Language

One of the keys to surviving in a tilted economic system in which opportunities to achieve a decent standard of living will be limited is versatility – and the ability to communicate articulately in a variety of ways with the widest possible audience. This includes bilingual ability as well as the ability to communicate in non-verbal ways for the benefit of the disabled – primarily the deaf.

At the same time, a growing shortage of qualified interpreters fluent in American Sign Language has led to more career opportunities – and if current trends continue, it's likely that skilled ASL interpreters will have little problem securing lucrative employment in a society where such a commodity is destined to be in short supply.

Signing Before They Can Speak

A great deal of research has clearly demonstrated that the early years – ages 2 to five – are the best time to educate children in different modes of communication and language. This goes beyond the spoken word (though it is an optimal time for children to learn a second language); many young children have an aptitude for signing as well.

This is not as odd as you may think. As you know, many indigenous peoples around the world, including American Indian nations, have used sign language for centuries to facilitate communication with other tribes with whom they do not share a language. Some paleontologists and anthropologists theorize that Neanderthals – who apparently lacked the vocal mechanism to produce many spoken words – depended a great deal upon hand gestures to communicate.

In fact, recent research suggests that sign language is innate. An article published in the Boulder Daily Camera in 2003 presented strong evidence that babies as young as six months old communicate with their hands:

"...by 6 to 7 months, babies can remember a sign. At eight months, children

can begin to imitate gestures and sign single words. By 24 months, children

can sign compound words and full sentences. They say sign language reduces

frustration in young children by giving them a means to express themselves

before they know how to talk." (Glarion, 2003)

The author also cites study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development demonstrating that young children who are taught sign language at an early age actually develop better verbal skills as they get older. The ability to sign has also helped parents in communicating with autistic children; one parent reports that "using sign language allowed her to communicate with her [autistic] son and minimized his frustration...[he now] has an advanced vocabulary and excels in math, spelling and music" (Glarion, 2003).

The Best Time To Start

Not only does early childhood education in signing give pre-verbal youngsters a way to communicate, it can also strengthen the parent-child bond – in addition to giving children a solid foundation for learning a skill that will serve them well in the future. The evidence suggests that the best time to start learning ASL is before a child can even walk – and the implications for facilitating the parent-child relationship are amazing.

Co-written by Emily Patterson and Kathleen Thomas

Emily and Kathleen are Communications Coordinators for the Zionsville child care facilities, a member of the AdvancED® accredited family of Primrose Schools (located in 16 states throughout the U.S.) and part of the network of Indiana child care preschools delivering progressive, early childhood, Balanced Learning® curriculum.

Guest Blogger: Grace from Sense and Simplicity

Have you entered my Shaklee Giveaway??

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When Bette asked me to do a guest post, I was pretty excited - this being my first guest post and all.  I had to think long and hard about what I wanted to write about and even take some time to get more photos to accompany the post.  This post pretty much ties together some of my favourite themes - the colour blue, decorating, and taking photos.  You can see more of all three at my blog, Sense and Simplicity.

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Blue is the world's most popular colour, and just happens to be mine too.

I thought it would be fun to look at blues in nature and see how they inspire decorating.

The icy pale blues and gray-blues that you see in ice and snow:

can be seen in this lovely Swedish Gustavian-style dining room.

The soft gray seafoam blue in tumbling waves,

can be seen in this beachy blue bathroom.

The misty colours of rocks, lake, and the setting sun,

can be seen in this beautiful kitchen.

The periwinkle blues of the cornflower,

can be seen in this bathroom.

The pure blue of a summer sky,

can be seen in the simple blue and white bedroom.

The gorgeous blue in the forget-me-not flowers

can be seen in the blue of this cottage bedroom.

The darker purple-blue of a blueberry

can be seen in the blue backs to these bookshelves.

The deep blues of the sky at dusk,

can be seen in the inky walls of this blue living room.

What about you - what shade of blue inspires you?

Source:  All nature photos are mine.  Interior photos: Cote de Texas, Sarah Richardson via decor pad, Plain English Design, Completely Coastal, House Beautiful, Strictly Simple Style, House and Home, House to Home.