Support Down Syndrome Research and Get Great Educational Products at the Same Time!

Down Syndrome awareness month

10/9/2014

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October is also Down syndrome awareness month. As a mother of a child with Down syndrome and a Barefoot Books Ambassador and Signing Time Instructor, this topic is near and dear to my heart.  Signing Time and Barefoot Books have played a huge roll in Ben's life.  Signing Time helped teach him to read before he turned three and Barefoot Books help keep him interested in reading.    To help give back, during the entire month of October 2014, I will donated a portion of my online and in person sales from ABC Barefoot Kids  and ABC Signing Kids to the LuMind Foundation for Down Syndrome Cognition Research (formerly DSRTF).

So why Down Syndrome research? In August 2014, our local Down syndrome support group, welcomed a special guest at our parent's night out event.    William C. Mobley is a Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurosciences at UCSD. He also serves as Executive Director of UCSD's Down Syndrome Center for Research and Treatment. and the Florence Riford Chair of Alzheimer Disease Research.   At this event Dr. Mobley shared with us some news of his fascinating research and let us know just how close we are to having a drug available to help prevent Alzheimer's not only in the Down syndrome population, but in the general population as well.  It helped me to realize just how much research is going on that will benefit our kids, and how much funding is needed to help keep this research on track. 
I chose the Lumind foundation because it supports lots of different research opportunities to benefit the Down syndrome community. 
The LuMind Foundation founders are committed to opening doors for people with Down syndrome. They established the LuMind Foundation in 2004 to identify and fund the most promising lines of cognitive development research.
So if you would like to join me in supporting Down syndrome research and could use some award winning children's books or Sign Language DVD's, Books, or Flashcards  to help fuel you child's passion for reading or to help them communicate before they are ready to speak, please use one of the following links to start shopping now:

ABC Signing Kids

ABC Barefoot Kids

Signing Time Holiday Sales

Our family started watching Signing Time when Ben was 18 months old.  We had one DVD and I would put Ben in the playpen and turn it on every day while I was getting ready for work.  Within two weeks he learned his first sign.  Luckily it was almost Christmas time, so we put Signing Time on Ben's Christmas (and Birthday) list to help build our library.  It took 3 years, but we finally got the whole set.  Even as we got more videos, I made sure that Ben watched the same video for at least a week so the signs could really sink in.

Right before he turned 3 we realized, quite by accident, that Ben had learned to sight read from watching the videos.  He was recently tested at school (he is in Kindergarten) and is sight reading at a 3rd grade level, mostly because he can read almost every word taught in the Signing Time program and many of those words are more complex words.

Signing Time made teaching sign language so easy because we were able use the DVD's to turn down time, (like when I was showering, making dinner, or driving) into learning time.  Plus the fun songs made it easy to incorporate sign into our daily routine.

Signing Time just announce their Black Friday / Cyber Monday sales .  They even have a Pre-Turkey Tuesday sale.  These DVD's only go on sale a couple days a year, so this is a good time to think about Holiday gifts and take a look at what they have to offer.  This is also the only time of year you can get a discount on their books and flashcards which are great tools for helping to incorporate sign into your daily routine.    Click on any of the links above or the ABC Signing Kids logo on the right side of the page to find out more. 

You can also sign up for my November Giveaway and try to win a free Signing Time DVD and a Barefoot Sing A Long Book by completing the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ben and I were on TV!

A few weeks back, I met 10/11 News reporter Bridget Fargen at a dinner meeting.   We ended up sitting next to each other, and during the dinner we talked about our families and backgrounds.  I was excited to hear that she knew ASL, and had taken it through high school and college.  She was equally excited that I am teaching sign language vocabulary to babies and children in the community. 

A few weeks later she called and asked if I would be interested in doing a story about how using how beneficial it is to teach sign language to babies and young children.  Of course, I said YES!  She came out and spent over and hour with Ben and I talking about sign language and how it has helped Ben to communicate and ultimately read.  Ben was not the most cooperative that day, as he had just gotten home off the bus and was tired, and was not getting any attention, so he kept making noise most of the time I was trying to talk.  But they did get the a clip of me explaining how we accidentally figured out he could read.  

I also directed her to Ben's Speech Pathologist, Staci who is quoted in the report.  The are a few other local Mom's in the report with their babies.  I showed it to Ben this morning and he was excited to see us on the screen and was excited to see Staci too, since we stopped going to her in August when school started.  

If you would like to check out the finished report, click HERE .

GIVEAWAY!

I have enjoyed the last 6 months of being a Barefoot Books Ambassador and am happy to help them celebrate their 20th Anniversary this month.  They are having a sale on the top 20 best selling books from the past 20 years.  Click here to go to my website and learn more about Barefoot Books 

As part of the celebration, I will be giving away one of the top 20 books pictured above and a Signing Time Video   (choose from Story Time, Practice Time 123, Practice Time ABC or Sing and Sign). Why give a way a Signing Time DVD along with a Barefoot Book to celebrate this Barefoot Book milestone?  Signing time and Barefoot Books are awesome together.  There are so many great Barefoot Books that have similar themes to Signing Time videos.  Reading and signing along with these books is a great way to incorporate sign into your daily routine.

Register using the Rafflecopter below.  Feel free to share it with anyone who might be interested!  Good Luck!




a Rafflecopter giveaway

$10 Signing Time DVD Sale

 * This sale is over now, but to be sure you don't miss out on the next one, please subscribe to this blog, or like the 

ABC Signing Kids Facebook page.

This awesome sale happens just once per year and this year it starts at 12:01am MST on Monday, June 3 and ends at 12:00am MST on Wednesday June 5.  This is a great time to build your collection of Signing Time DVDs to help the children in your life improve their vocabulary, fine motor, communication and reading skills while they reduce frustration.  This even includes the DVD and CD combination sets.  Go to signingtime.com to start shopping today.  If you are local to Southeast Nebraska, you can place your order through ABC Signing Kids and save shipping costs.
This sale is too good to pass up!

Ben's Brigade Fundraiser and Open House

This year we are starting the fundraising  for the 2013 Step Up for Down Syndrome walk a bit earlier, by hosting a couple of smaller fundraisers.  

This fundraiser will feature Barefoot Books, Signing Time and a variety of Crafts. 

Barefoot Books is a collection of high quality children's books that feature amazing artwork and culturally diverse and earth friendly messages.  This book line is new to our area, so if you have not ever heard of Barefoot Books, you should check them out.  Even if you can not attend the event you can still participate in this fundraiser on-line.  If you are local to Southeast Nebraska browse the titles here and send an email to abcbarefootkids@gmail.com with a list of books you would like to order.  If you are not local, you can order on-line to have the books shipped directly to you for a small fee.  

Signing Time is a series of products that help teach ASL Sign Language vocabulary to children.  Babies as young as 6 months can communication via sign and they love being able to share their feelings! Older children enjoy moving while they learn, which increases retention and can even help boost IQ. Ben has used sign to communication since he we 18 months old, and we found out that he was learning to read from the Signing Time videos that he was watching.  Because of Ben's success I became a certified Advanced Sign Language Instructor, an offer teach classes to families with young children, do story times at the local library and do workshops for parents and teachers.  Signing Time products include videos, flashcards and books.  Now until March 31, 2013, sign up for their Sign an Learn Club where for as little as $9.99 a month plus shipping, you can get a video sent directly to your home each month.  Or you can choose from entire sets of Signing Time products at wholesale prices.  This is a limit time option.  If you have ever considered starting a Signing Time program at home you should really look into the Sign to Learn Program while it is available.  Click here for details.

There will also be crafts like genuine stone necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Crocheted fashion scarves, dish cloths, blankets. girls tutu's, barrettes, and hair bands, Down Syndrome awareness jewelry, and calendars, hand made cards and much more.  

Please join us if you can, and  if you are not local, please click on the links and consider supporting Ben's Brigade on-line.

Thanks!

Signing Time DVD Giveaway

We are so thankful our little Ben has received so many benefits from the Signing Time program. To read more about how Ben first stared reading at age 2, click here.   Ben was recently tested on his sight reading list as school and was found to be reading at the first grade level.   Not bad for a 4 year old.   We would like to celebrate this achievement and the holiday weekend  by sharing the gift of sign with someone else.

We are proud to announce that....

ABC Signing Kids  will be giving away a 

Story Time DVD this weekend.  

This is a great DVD to add to your collection if you already love Signing Time,  and if you are new to Signing Time, it is a great DVD to use to introduce sign language to young children. 

How can you enter?   

There are a couple different ways.
1.  Like the ABC Signing Kids facebook page.
2.  Comment on this post about you or your child's favorite sign to use,  or what sign you would like to learn.
3.  If you are in Southeast Nebraska this weekend. come to the ABC Signing Kids booth at the Holiday Extravaganza Craft Fair, located at Josoff's Social Hall in Elmwood, NE on Saturday September 24, from 9-4, to enter the drawing in person.

Good Luck !

*Maximum of 3 entries per person.  Entry deadline 4:00 pm on Saturday November 24, 2012.  Winner will be announced on Monday, September 26, 2012.  Must live in the continental United States to win.

ABC Signing Kids

Ben's success with the ASL Sign Language program Signing Time has prompted me to become certified Baby Signing Time instructor, so I can share sign with others.  I have created the company ABC Signing Kids and I offer classes and sell the award winning Signing Time products.  I am currently taking more classes to work my way to become a Master Signing Time Instructor.
                                Click here to visit my brand new website.