We love recieving updates from families who have found our classes and books helpful. It is just so thrilling to see how the gift of communication has made such a difference in their lives!
We especially appreciate getting pictures of your babies signing! Keep those letters and Emails coming!
I attended Baby Sign Language Classes with my daughter beginning when she turned six months old. This was rejuvenating for me as I met some wonderful mommies and babies who were 'like-minded' , progressive and fun! I believe I have made some life-long friends and gained a huge support system in raising my first baby. This was such a rewarding experience, I must recommend it to all mommies, daddies and babies!
It was a fabulous class for my daughter because she learned how to communicate by signing, without frustration, with her mommy, daddy and grammy. After taking these classes, she was able to sign when she wanted 'more,' when she was 'hungry' or 'thirsty,' and was even able to differentiate on some of her specific needs and wants. She enjoyed learning but mostly she absolutely loved the class activities, songs and interaction with other babies.
Monta is a very committed, creative and knowledgable teacher. She welcomes parents and children with open arms. It is a relaxing, easy-going and fun atmosphere. No one can do any wrong with our very supportive, patient and kind Monta!
Since we attended this class, she has also published additional books and tools to help you learn with your baby ASL Sign Language! If you would like more information, I recommend checking out the web site or just giving Monta a call!
Holly
Aryanna Signs PLEASE
Ava wants 'MORE'
Monta, Ava is now 12 months old and wanting to know what everything is! It is so exciting to be able to communicate with her as she learns the signs for the objects/ actions/ animals around us! I would like to ask you to recommend more extensive signing dictionary to help us keep up with her.
I did have this one picute of Ava when she was 9 months old, signing "MORE" while we wre playing games on the floor. Not the greatest picture of her, but you can see her signing! It's too bad I can't send a video- we made a tape before Ava and Daddy before he left for the war in Iraq. There is a precious segment of him tickling and kissing her. When he stops, she signs for "MORE". It's so cute! Now that she's a little older, she is also signing MILK, DRINK, EAT, PLEASE, HELP. TELEPHONE, HAT, BATH, SHOES and LIGHT. She understands several other signs, too. It is so exciting for us to be able to communicate with her like this. I am so glad we took your class!
Thank you so much,
Christie
Hi Monta! My name is Heather. I took your baby sign language workshop in November, then took your Sing, Sign and Play class in March at La Mesa. I am so glad I heard about your classes. I started signing with my son when he was almost 10 months. About a month later he signed "more". Before taking the Sing, Sign and Play class he could sign about 5 or 6 signs, but soon after starting that class he started picking up every sign I taught him. I am amazed at how much this has helped both of us. He is now 15 months old and has not said anything,but signs all the time! One day he was came up to me while I was doing something and asked for help. I didn't think he had realized what he was doing until I asked him what he wanted and he went over to the drawer he wanted open and signed for help again and pulled on the drawer. He can now sign : cat, dog, more, eat, drink, help, hear, music, bird, up, down, bath, cookie, and more I can't think of at the moment. People are amazed when they hear he can sign. I want to thank you for opening up communication between me and my son.
Sincerely,
Heather
P.S. Please feel free to share my letter. Anything to help other families to experience what ours has!
Heather
Avery on the beach
Dear Monta, I just had to write and tell you that Avery & I had a sort of 'signing eureka' the other day... I was signing BOAT and pointing and signing and pointing, and she looked me straight in the eyes, squealed with delight, and signed BOAT right back. I laughed, kissed her, and said "Yes, that's right!" and then she proceeded to show me all the signs she knew-- pointing to my breast and signing MILK, pointing to the water bottle and signing WATER, pointing to a DOG and signing DOG and so on. It's as if she had this breakthrough where she realized everything has a sign to go with it. It was really, really cool. Now I'm challenged to name everything I can think of with their signs!
Just thought you'd like to know. (Avery will be 11 months next week)
Take care,
Holly
Hi Monta,
I wanted to write you so long ago but couldn't find your e-mail address. We took your class oh so long ago (when my daughter was 6 months, she's now 2 1/2 years). I just wanted to thank you for the great class and the great start we received using the sign language. My daughter was an amazing signer. It brought so much joy to our lives (and to hers too I think). We learned so much about her through the signing--- mostly how amazingly observant she was at such a young age. The signing showed us how much she really knew and understood. We were continually amazed and delighted. From that she turned into an incredible talker at a pretty early age. We now have a 6 month old son and are looking forward to when he starts signing.
Thank you again and take care,
Michelle
Keegan Signs PLEASE 15 months
Monta:
I took one of your baby sign language basics classes when my son was about eight months old or so (maybe a little younger). I had been doing sign language with him since he was about 3 months old. It just didn't seem to be working and I was getting frustrated!
My mom and I took your class, and things started to happen!! I learned to try the signs he's interested in first, and not the stuff he can cry for! So, within a month he was signing "airplane," "fan," and "light." But, only those 3 for many months.
You were right, once he got that first real sign ("more"), the helpful kind, a light just went off in his head! It's like he understood the magic of communication! The week he turned one, he learned 3 signs, and has been learning them just as quickly ever since! He is only 14 months now, so he's really only been signing for 2 months, and he knows well over 25 signs. It is so fantastic to be able to have conversations with my son, and understand exactly what he's talking about. You also mentioned studies that show their vocabulary is better sooner when they sign-- that is true as well. He knows over 40 words, and is already at the point where he will try to copy anything we ask him to say. It's fantastic!! So, I just wanted to thank you for teaching us such a wonderful thing, which we will definitely teach to our 2nd baby as well (who is due this May!). Keep up the great work. You make it fun and exciting, and all parents should read your book and take your classes!!
Tiffany
Monta,
I have a 19 month old daughter that has mild autism and it was recently brought to my attention that sign language could help her communicate with me. I went a bought your Sign, Sing, and Play Kit, and since I have had it (three days) she has learned 5 new words!
I absolutely do not mind you posting my email on your testimonials. I would love to get it out there to other mothers with autistic children. I want you to know that you have been a blessing to my family. I was almost heart-broken when I saw that you were in San Deigo, because I would love to attend some of your classes. For now though your Sign, Sing, and Play kit has been extremely helpful to me.
Thank you so much. Please let me know if you have ever worked with autistic children and any suggestions you may have. Thank you once again.
Sincerely,
Jennnifer Kirkpatrick
Dear Monta,
I never had the privilege of attending one of your classes, but I just wanted to thank you for writing your book on baby sign language. I just recently started getting internet in my home, so I was unable to contact you until now. It was four years ago that I picked up your book and knew instantly I would teach this to my son. What a wonderful tool this has been and what fun we have had teaching signs to our first child and now to our second. My first son, Trevor, learned about 35 signs. I almost gave up ( we started way to early and got discouraged- just what you said not to do), then out of the blue, his first sign around 10 months old- "all done." Then it was a piece of cake from there! He always had double the "vocabulary" of all the kids his age because he could speak all the words they could, Plus sign that many more! It was truely amazing. Then we had our second baby in 2006 and have really enjoyed teaching him. Trevor had stopped using all of his signs, but seemed to still remember many of them and has really helped teach our baby, Braydon. Braydon cought on even better than Trevor learning his first sign around 8 1/2 months and learned very quickly he could tell us what he wanted with his hands. We couldn't teach him fast enough! I think the sky was the limit with him (or at least my knowledge of signing)! I know it may not be much to some people, but we were able to teach him almost 50 words in sign! and about 8 of those signs were ones that he actually made up! Yes, I didn't know the sign, so seriously he made them up! When he was about 18 months old, we were looking at pictures in a book. One was a flying bat. So I was saying, "look it's a bat, can you say bat (just trying to get him to speak it because I know he has the ability to now) and I could see he was thinking about it, then tapped his butt and said "bup!" Now every time we see a bat, he signs it by tapping his butt. So often I tought him how to sign and say a word at the same time, now he thought he would do the same for me! Kids are so smart, and sign language really proves it!
I will never foget the day Trevor came up to me yelling at me to unscrew a water bottle lid. He was 15 months old and within two days we tought him "Please," "Open." That one sign alone saved us many frustrating days. "Open" was one of our most used signs for both of my boys, and seemed to be very universal for so many things! I didn't know the sign, but I made it up quick. We held our hands out, like praying hands, and opened them (I think it is actually the sign for book, maybe?)
I just wanted to make sure you knew how much your book helped us and to Thank you for writing it!! It has been such a fun experience helping my children communicate with me and my family. We have made so many great memories teaching our boys to sign. I tell everyone who will listen about the benifits of sign language! Thank you!
Sincerely,
Jennifer
P.S. Feel free to use all or portions of this letter and pictures on your web site If the pictures come in the correct order the first one is Braydon signing "pig." Picture #2 Braydon signing "ni-night." #3 Trevor signing "Deer," #4 Trevor signing "cold," #5 Trevor signing "please."
