I was taught sign language when I was 9, in the context of communicating with hard of hearing and profoundly deaf children. That early grounding convinced me of the value of signing for all children, hearing and non-hearing alike.
I began using baby sign with the children in my care, and when my daughter Katie was born I signed to her from the start. By 6 months she was already signing a wide range of words, from "milk" to "giraffe" and beyond, with her vocabulary growing all the time. When my second daughter came along, I carried on signing with her too, seeing the same joy and progress all over again.
Friends soon asked me to teach their children baby signing, which I loved doing. Convinced by the benefits of baby sign, I was inspired to design my Baby Sign Time and Toddler Sign Time courses, and so the journey started 15 years ago.
I've always worked with children, first as a nanny, then as a youth worker and a family day carer. Alongside Sign Time, I also teach signing at Cheeky Monkeys nursery and work as a teaching assistant at FCJ.
