Rating: 
Summary: THE ABSOLUTE BEST SIGNING PRODUCT AVAILABLE!!!
Review: We LOVE these videos!! A year ago, I had purchased the "Sign with Your Baby" kit. It was really hard to stay dedicated to it, because it's only geared toward parents. I was disappointed. But just a week ago, I found and purchased these "Signing Time" videos , and my 21-month old son and I LOVE them!! We are both learning so much from them, and he has already signed 5 words! He loves to watch the children and babies using signs and imitates them, and when the songs are playing he gives 100% of his attention. I logged on to their website (signingtime) and purchased the 3 volume set and music CD. They have a few video clips so that you can see what you are purchasing. Check it out! They're very cute and soooooo worth it!!! By the way, my son has been requesting these videos, even over Blue's Clues and Baby Einstein.
Rating:
Summary: Fun, educational, and entertaining for everyone!
Review: My wife and I have purchased all sorts of videos for our children. After 2 or 3 viewings, the children don't seem quite as excited to watch them. The Signing Time video is different. The kids have fun watching it over and over because they enjoy doing the signs with Alex and Leah. The music is fun and engaging and stays with you. This is definitely a quality video that will both entertain and teach your family the beginnings of sign language. It has been fun to see my 1 year old ask for more milk with signs before he has learned how to say it with words. Bravo Signing Time!!!
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Summary: Favorite Christmas Present
Review: I bought this DVD for my 7 month old Grandson for Christmas and he loved it. Gets so excited when his mom plays it for him at least once a day. What's more his mom, my daughter, loves it too. She had bought the signing books because she wanted her son to have the advantage of another way of communicating with her. She found the Signing Time DVD a better way of teaching. Two weeks ago I was on the phone with her when she became very excited Niko signed eat for the very first time when he picked up his Dad's Zone Bar. He was 9 1/2 months. Now I am ordering #2 for his birthday. Thanks from a Happy Grandmother.
Rating:
Summary: Catchy and fun for kids and adults
Review: My twins (not deaf) are 15 months and absolutely love all 3 of the Signing Time videos. They've watched them since they were 6 months old. In the past few months they have started signing to my husband and I. I have to admit that I'm a bit lazy about signing to them all day long. So it is amazing when they watch the viceo and give me a new sign afterwards. They love the kids on the videos and we all love the songs. We have no hearing impaired friends or family but I always wanted to learn sign language, so the kids are learning with me. This first video is a little more repetitive then the next two volumes. But it has a good mix of starting signs....milk, food, ball, more, mom, dad, cat, dog, airplane....etc. And there is a nice mix of kids of all ages.
Rating: 
Summary: Correction
Review: I'd like to correct the reviewer who said that the Signing Time videos don't teach the words "please" or "thank-you". I own all three DVDs in the set, and I know those words are taught. Volume 2, "Playtime Signs", teaches both of those words. It even includes a song about them, called, "Magic Words". Currently, the desciption of the Volume 2 DVD on Amazon.com lists the wrong words, so don't trust it. For accurate information about the videos, visit the Signing Time website at www.signingtime.com. You can also see video clips there. A strong point of the Signing Time videos is the fact that each word is demonstrated by several different people. This is important, because everyone signs a little differently. Other videos, which generally use only one demonstrator, have left me wondering how exact I have to be in imitating the sign in order to have it recognized as the intended sign. This video is the first one in the series, and was made a year or two before the latter two videos. The producers appear to have learned a lot from making the first video, and the latter two are even better (they've added songs, present words in groups, have better filming, and moved the "Introduction" by Rachel into it's own segment, so you don't have to watch it every time you play the main feature). The latter two videos also include more words - about 30 each, instead of just 18, as in this video. One thing that has disappointed me about the Signing Time videos is that they leave out a lot of important words that are commonly used with babies & toddlers (which is why I only rate it with 4 stars). I would rather learn "diaper" and "bottle" than "fish" and "bird". Happily, I discovered the "Baby See 'N Sign" videos, which do a great job of filling this gap. I would recommend "Baby See 'N Sign" to all serious baby-signers, in addition to the Signing Time series. The second "Baby See 'N Sign" video was made specifically from words that were requested by parents. The "See 'N Sign" videos aren't as cute as the "Signing Time" videos, but they are well-done, and they still hold my baby's attention. They also cover A LOT more words (60+ on the first video, and 100+ on the second). They're only available on VHS, which was a slight disappointment for me, but they are well worth having. Currently, Amazon.com only sells the first video, but you can order the second one from www.babyseensign.com. I certainly hope the Signing Time people keep making more videos. It would be great if they would teach simple phrases, like "come here" and "I'll be right back", instead of just single words. I would also like to see more video snippets of children using signs as they play together, or interact with their parents, instead of just seeing children doing a single sign by themself. I also think they should show the object being signed in the same picture with the person who is doing the sign, instead of showing the sign, then the object, then the sign - each in separate clips. (To be fair, there are a few examples of someone doing a sign with the object present - but most of the time, that is not the case - and in some of the cases, they show a cartoon of the object instead of a real object, which I think isn't as effective.) Overall, the Signing Time videos are well worth having, since the manner of presentation is very engaging, and they do an excellent job of holding a baby's attention.
Rating:
Summary: Great educational video entertains and teaches together
Review: Our family started with the first "Signing Time" video, and soon after got the complete set (3 volumes) of the Signing Time series, PLUS the music CD! (FYI for one of the previous reviewers who wanted more "signs" in the video, you should check out videos 2 & 3!). Our one-year old daugther already uses several of the signs learned from the first video to ask for "more" food, milk, etc. And our three-year-old LOVES the music and is constantly trying to master the signs in videos 2 & 3. As parents, we are glad that our children can learn a new language through such an enjoyable format. Plus, the movies don't drive us crazy! And for a children's production, that is saying A LOT! The music is original and fun, and we often find ourselves humming along with the tunes. Plus, we enjoy learning the signs along with our kids. We are thrilled with this collection and have even given several copies as gifts. Every child who watches these is drawn in and mesmerized at the fun animation, music and signs.
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievably good
Review: We've had a foster son (soon to be adopted) since the end of october. When we got him, he was 16 months old, not walking or talking. By Thanksgiving we had him beginning to walk, but we couldn't get him to talk. We'd had ECI in working with him and we worked every day with him, but he could not talk, nor understand what was being said. After many months of work, he could say only nite nite, bye bye and ba (for Barney). Then just before Easter I ordered the Signing Time Videos on the suggestion of a new speech therapist we han't started working with yet. In the course of the Easter weekend, he learned 7 signs AND the corresponding words. It has been unbelievable. He now knows and uses over 20 signs and words...and he understands what we are saying to him. It is nothing short of a miracle. The tapes feature Alex and Leah and Leah's mom Racheal. The new sign is introduced and repeated by children. The concept behind the sign is also shown (show a cookie, say the word cookie, then show the sign for cookie.) My foster son is fascinated by this approach. It is very watchable for adults as well...I now know over 150 signs from just these 3 videos. The songs are wonderful as well, and now my little guy is trying to sing these songs! Having sign language introduced in such a clever, high quality set of tapes, using children to teach other children is just simply fantastic. Anyone with a baby or toddler should buy these tapes and use them with their kids. You'll be amazed at how quickly you and your baby pick up the signs and can communicate with each other...This isn't just for kids with speech delays...but any kid. There's even a body of research that suggests that teaching signs to your baby increases IQ test results later in life...probably due to the fact that the kids who sign early in life learn to communicate so much earlier and have so much more experience than their peers. I can't recommend this series of tapes any higher! Clearly this is a must buy for any parent. My 6 year old even loves watching the tapes and teaching the signs to his brother.
Rating:
Summary: High Quality Production & Endlessly Entertaining
Review: Our favorite over the Baby Einstein Series (which turned out to be a big yawn for our newborn to toddler). Bought the whole Signing Time series after seeing the first and loved it so much. Quality production, that grasped our son's attention at 6 mos, and is still his favorite. Found it helpful in calming him down at mealtime. Goes into show quickly on DVD format we have, which is helpful with a fussing child. Other DVD's take more time and steps. Music and acting is of professional quality, natural, and well done. Intellectually stimulating but in a very fun and entertaining way. Preferred this video over Talking Hands. Actually haven't found any other videos yet to match the quality, and entertainment value of Signing Time, but we've only started our collection with Baby Einstein, Mommy & Me - Playgroup Favorites, Sesame Street, and a few others. Signing Time tops them all, and is even enjoyable to watch repeatedly as an adult.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Sign Language Tool Available!
Review: I got a LOT of Sign language videos and books our of the library before I bought these. I just could not learn signs from a book. I needed to see it. I like these dvd's the best because they're fun and use music to help teach some of the signs. My son likes these because of all the kids signing. Even my husband likes them and has learned these signs. This is the DVD we started with and these were the first signs he used. We got these at 9 months and 13 months he started signing MORE, MILK, BIRD, DOG, AIRPLANE all in a one week period. We can't say enough good things about Signing Time! and we are eagerly awaiting volumes 4,5, and 6. I just wish we got these when he was born. I won't wait to start signing with my next child.
Rating:
Summary: AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!
Review: I bought this for my 1yr old niece for her birthday and I am very impressed with it! We watched the video together, and she watched it the whole time and even did a few "baby signs" kind of like babble :) I know sign language myself and do some interpreting and I absolutely recommend this video. I have seen others that I thought were not so great...but this one is fantastic!
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