I have taken a few classes with Baby Sign Shine, which I LOVED, and would HIGHLY recommend to anyone wanting to share this wonderful experience of communication with their child. Yes, you can ditch the classes and read a book, but that takes all the fun out of it. This teacher has a fun and interactive way of teaching parents and babies in a warm loving and friendly environment. I am still to this day very good friends with some of the moms I met while taking these classes. My daughter is now 3 ½ and still uses the signs we learned taking the baby sign shine classes. We use it to speak across a noisy room or at the park. We also are using it as a bridge to learning a second language and learning how to read books and letter sounds. It is so special to see that my daughter, who has been in Baby Sign Shine classes since she was 7 ½ months old, now teaching her brother and communicating with him. I also have a 19 month old boy who I have been teaching since he was 6 months old. The look in his eyes are filled with such satisfaction when, since he knows he can get his point across or understand what mommy is telling him. AGAIN, I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THESE CLASSES. This teacher is about to start toddler classes which we are looking forward to signing up for as well. As far as books and DVDs, yes I use those as well to reinforce what I learned and learned and now have expanded my own signing vocabulary on my own. With out the jumpstart and enthusiasm from these classes, I don’t think I would have taken my learning sign language this far.

I LOVE our Sign Shine class with Etel. Her passion for signing is contagious! Not only did Etel teach me a way to communicate pre-verbal with my 13 month old son, but now both of us have learned a truly valuable skill that will enable us to communicate with the hearing impaired. Jaxon and I have taken the beginner signing class twice as he was only 8 months old when we started last fall, and now he signs back ("more", "milk", "dog", "fish", "bird") and is eager to learn more signs. I feel that I have been opened up to a whole new culture. She turned me on to Rachel Coleman and the Baby Signing Time CDs and DVDs which are a favorite of ours. As a mother, Etel often shares tips which have helped me in relating to my child. I could rave further about Etel and her signing class, but quit reading my review and enroll before the class fills up. I can't wait to take her advanced class.

"We started signing with our son at five and a half months and he signed back at ten and a half months. It was a long time in the middle and sometimes I got impatient...but oh my god! I can not say enough about the joy that signing has brought to our parenting. It is all we talk about. The amount of times that signing has added peace and fun and clarity to our lives are innumerable. Now at 15 months, Jake has 86 signs and is adding them every day. To have missed signing would feel like it would have been to missed getting to know my child as I have. I just can't imagine what it would be like if the few words he can speak were my only window into his thoughts and feelings."

I have taken 4 classes with Etel and SignShine with my daughter. It was one of the best things I did for our family. My daughter is now 2 1/2 and knows over 50 words. She speaks now, but it is great to be able to use the signs to talk silently across the room or through a window or just use the beautiful hand movements with songs. Since she is a toddler who likes to have tantrums now and then, we get through them more smoothly using the feelings signs. When Bela was 7 months we started the classes, and I thought she would never sign back, but consistency is the key and then when she started to sign back at about 13 months, she wouldn't stop. Now I am teaching her to speak Portuguese, and using the signs have been a great bridge to learning the language as well. I also have a one year old, Alex, who learned much quicker and is now signing about 6 signs consistently. It is so great to see the look in their eyes when they see that you understand what they want. It is an amazing gift to share with any child and I hope you choose to embark on this special journey with them.

at 16 months my daughter has no "real" words but she can tell me exactly what she wants because she signs! i watch my friends stuggle with their kids crying and screaming for what they want while mine walks up and tells me that she wants a banana or a cookie and then says PLEASE! the best thing about her signing is that i get to see the world through her eyes...she points out things that i have stopped seeing in my old age and we get to enjoy them together. etel not only teaches you helpful signs but she also is a great parenting resource. with tips and suggestions that help us everyday. if you are going to take any class it should be this one, it's worth it's weight in gold!