Baby Signing for Dummies

290 Pages·2006·4.99 MB·English

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Baby Signing
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by Jennifer Watson
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Baby Signing
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
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Baby Signing
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by Jennifer Watson
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Baby Signing For Dummies®
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
111 River St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2006 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2006927728
ISBN-13: 978-0-471-77386-3
ISBN-10: 0-471-77386-7
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
1B/RS/QZ/QW/IN
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About the Author
Jennifer Hill Watson is the mom to three signing children. She
began signing with her first daughter when her daughter was about
6 months old. At 41⁄ years, her oldest now has over 300 signs.
2
Jennifer’s second daughter is nearing 300 signs at age 31⁄. Her son
2
has 116 signs and 154 words at 19 months.
A former teacher, Jennifer has taught in both private schools and
Houston public schools. She teaches signing classes for babies
and their parents in the Houston area and helps lead the Houston
Signing Babies support group both on the Web and at regular meet-
ings. Jennifer also speaks at national conferences to teachers on
using American Sign Language in the classroom.
Jennifer works with McGraw-Hill/Wright Group’s Early Childhood
Division as an Early Childhood Consultant and teacher trainer. She
volunteers as director of a preschool choir and leads confirmation
classes with sixth graders in her church.
She has a bachelor of science from Texas Wesleyan University in Fort
Worth, Texas. Jennifer and her family currently live in Katy, Texas.
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Dedication
For my very own signing babies, Darby Grace, Aidan Elizabeth, and
Cole Thomas. And for my wonderful husband, Billy — their amazing
signing daddy.
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Author’s Acknowledgments
What a joy to acknowledge just some of the people who helped
make this book possible. I feel like I’ve just birthed my fourth baby,
taking five months of hard labor to push this book out. You don’t do
that kind of work all alone.
First and foremost, a hugethank-you to Beryt Nisenson, who got
this ball rolling in the first place. Beryt helped me get started teach-
ing classes and then gave me the contact to potentially write this
book — and it worked out. Additionally, she provided limitless sup-
port and love before and during the writing of this book — as I’m
sure she will after this book is finished. You’re an amazing inspira-
tion in so many ways. I’m so grateful you’re my friend. Thank you.
Another thank-you goes out to Jessica Faust, my agent and communi-
cator throughout the entire writing of this book. Thanks for finding
the Web site and contacting us, as well as supporting me directly
throughout.
Generous appreciation goes out to Sandy Blackthorn who held my
hand while I organized my thoughts, let go as needed, and then
turned my thoughts and words into For Dummiesthoughts and
words. You’re a great teacher, Sandy! More appreciation goes out to
my project editor, Elizabeth Kuball, who coordinated it all (wow!);
my acquisitions editor, Tracy Boggier, who has supported and
directed throughout; my technical editor, Nancy Mitchum, who
helped keep the ASL as “pure” as it could possibly be in this setting;
and my illustrator, Lisa Reed. Your support and guidance have been
invaluable throughout this project. Thank you.
About halfway into this project, I took a fall, broke my left wrist,
andhad a cast on until after the book’s completion (roughly three
months). Needless to say, that made typing just a bit difficult.
Thank you to my typists (you know who you are) for being my
“fingers,” and sometimes my brain, until the end of the typing.
Andthank you to all the editors for all your patience, understanding,
and support through the broken-wrist fiasco. Thank you to Doni for
providing my family with meals every week and giving my family
the chance to eat healthy as I wrote the last quarter of this book.
What an amazing friend.
Karen H., thanks for the coffee breaks. I’m going to miss you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to Heather for supporting me with
phone calls, e-mails and prayers from start to finish. Without you,
this book may not be here. Love you, girl.
And to those of you in Mother’s Share Group, in Generation Acts, in
the office, at church, and beyond who encouraged me with a quick
smile or word as I attempted to put one foot in front of the other in
the writing of this book, thank you. A special thank-you to those of
you in these same groups who took me “out” in various and sundry
ways when I needed a break.