EARLY EDUCATION CENTRE COURSES
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Signing Hands has been working alongside Early Education Centres for many years now, helping educators learn more about the benefits of signing with groups of young babies, toddlers & Kindy kids and implementing the Signing Hands Programme in Centres.
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The benefits of using signing for both children and educators has been well documented and applies in both the home situation and groups.
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Far more important however, is the benefit to a deaf child entering your centre because you have chosen to teach this language to your children.
Early Education Centres, Family Day Care & Kindy programmes must consider the following question.
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If a hearing or speech impaired baby / toddler is placed in your care tomorrow, will there be anyone in the centre who can communicate properly with them?
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If the answer is no, think how isolated will that child feel at your centre? How frustrated will they become at not being understood?
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Having an adult to communicate with might help alleviate some stress for the child, but imagine how much happier they will be if their peers can communicate with them too. Just a few key signs can make all the difference.
Signing - 'rainbow'
signing the alphabet - the letter "c".
SPECIFIC BENEFITS TO USING SIGNING IN EARLY EDUCATION CENTRES
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Signs can be introduced successfully at any age as another means of communication – to be used alongside speech.
Within the baby rooms the benefits are:
+ early communication
+ reduced frustration and
+ enhanced language development
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In the older rooms the children can be encouraged to learn signs for behaviour / manners / emotions and much more – which will help to reinforce good behaviour and a kind & respectful attitude towards each other, the staff and other people’s belongings.
Children can be given clear instructions using signs. You can call a child’s name across the play area and then give a specific sign (don’t touch, gently, stop, wait etc) without embarrassing the child or having to raise your voice.
Toddlers and pre-school children love to learn signs, they love singing action songs and they pick them up as quickly as you can show them. Choosing signs which follow the themes / topics you are covering at various times will help to vary what they are learning. Learning to sign the alphabet also helps with letter and word recognition, making reading easier.
With all these benefits for both hearing and deaf children can anyone who looks after young children really afford NOT to know some basic Auslan signs?
EARLY EDUCATION CENTRE COURSES & CLASSES
Signing Hands offers a complete Early Education Centre programme including a staff PD training evening and a full day in centre with the course designer - Debbie Bundock. The programme includes online content for all staff to access, giving the appropriate signs for each age group and ideas for how to introduce them. Ongoing support is also provided. The cost for this full package is $2500.
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These programmes are currently running in:
Kidz Galore, City West, NEDLANDS
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Wanslea Early Development & Learning, JOONDANNA
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Compass Early Learning Centre, MERRIWA
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Leeming Childcare Centre, LEEMING
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Unicare Early Childhood Education, NEDLANDS
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Malvern Springs ELC. ELENBROOK
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Chuckles Day Care Centre, WARNBRO
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Wind in the Willows, BASSENDEAN
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Fremantle Early Learning Centre, BEACONSFIELD
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The Treasured Tots Family of Centres
MANDURAH
PIARA WATERS
BIBR LAKE
FREMANTLE
HAMERSLEY
BENNETT SPRINGS
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One Tree Bernice McLeod Early Learning, EXMOUTH
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We had the pleasure of working with Debbie and Signing Hands throughout 2012 as she trialled her Signing Hands Programme for child care centres with us, after being referred to us by one of our educators who had attended Debbie’s classes with her own child. Throughout the trial program, Debbie offered staff training sessions, a comprehensive resource file and video clips, and follow-up visits with staff – the program was a huge success in our Centre and we would highly recommend it to any early childhood education and care service, or any family that may be interested in attending Debbie’s classes.
In 2013 we went through the National Quality Standard Assessment and Ratings process, achieving a rating of Exceeding the National Quality Standard in all 7 Quality Areas. In 2014 we became the first education and care service in WA to receive ACECQA’s Excellent award; as part of our application report, we cited our involvement with Debbie Bundock and Signing Hands. This was of great interest to ACECQA and was mentioned favourably in our Final Decision notice and the subsequent media release; they recognised how positively the program improved outcomes for the children and families in our service.
We are proud to endorse Debbie’s Signing Hands program and will maintain our positive and beneficial working relationship with her as we continue to implement her program in our centre.
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Olivia Harper-Rummens
DIRECTOR
UWA Early Learning Centre
Debbie from ‘Signing Hands’ has been providing AUSLAN Key Word Signing classes to our Educators, Children and Families since 2018.
Debbie was great at explaining that the use of sign language does not replace verbal language and can aid in speech development. This has been an invaluable service, and added another level of communication for our children and families that are non-verbal or deaf. Her play based teachings have not only supported our centres philosophy, but she is always willing to integrate her classes to match our curriculum.
Her professionalism, friendliness, and knowledge of AUSLAN has enabled her to build trusting relationships with the educators, which often results in the staff having personal requests on songs or themed words they would like to learn. The children are always happy to see Debbie on her teaching days, which are then excited to tell their families what they learnt in class that day.
Many families have given positive feedback on our use of AUSLAN, as they either have people they know that use sign language, or they have noticed their child’s ability to communicate at a very young age has improved.
Signing Childcare Centre - Chuckles, Warnbro
Ann Brennan
Hi Debbie,
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Thank you again so much for last night. The feedback I'm getting from our educators is that it was one of the best professional development workshops we've had. Everyone seems very excited about it and I've already seen some educators begin to use some signs.
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Unicare Early Childhood Education
WEEKLY / MONTHLY CLASSES IN YOUR CENTRE
Signing Hands also offers classes for Early Education Centre students on a weekly and monthly basis.
Weekly classes are run in line with the school terms. Each week has a different theme and involves a lesson for each room, generally 30 minutes per class. The classes involve toys, puppets, songs, stories & play.
The Kindy groups make a craft each week and have music and dance time as well as the mat time, puppets, books and songs used in the baby and toddler classes.
Signing Hands works with each centre to create a programme to suit your specific needs and numbers.
The cost for these classes starts at $125/hour +GST, with a minimum of 3 hours being booked. A higher fee may be applied depending on travel times.
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Weekly classes lasses are currently run at:
Wind in the Willows - Bassendean - Tuesday mornings from 8.30 - 11.30am
Fremantle Early Learning Centre - Thursday afternoons from 1.30 - 3.30pm
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Monthly classes are run on a half day basis - 4 hours at a cost of $520 +GST
The time is split evenly across the number of rooms in the centre. Each month has a theme, covering all the important topics throughout the year.
Monthly classes are currently run at:
Chuckles Day Care Centre, Warnbro
Akidamy Early Learning, Perth
Treasured Tots Fremantle, Bibra Lake, Piara Waters, Mandurah, Hamersley, Fremantle, Bennett Springs.
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