Babies Can Sign has been set-up and is run by Vicki Gilbert BEd (HONS).
I have been teaching for over thirteen years, originally as a PE teacher but I quickly moved to specialising in working with disabled people, including those with hearing impairments and gained my BSL (British Sign Language) Level 1 qualification. I have taught extensively in Further and Higher Education, also on a freelance basis.
I had heard about the SIGN with your BABYTM programme and taught myself using The Complete Learning Kit, in preparation to use with my first child, Hope (you can see her using the sign for bird at the top left of this page when she was 18 months old).
My husband and I found it amazing to be able to communicate with her long before she could speak, she was proficiently using about 100 signs by the age of one and could clearly tell us what she did and didn't want!
I am now excitedly signing with my second child, Jack, who is 2 years old, despite now being a fluent speaker with an extensive vocabulary he still keenly signs and never ceases to amaze me.
I'm always so excited to share this amazing tool with other parents and carers. It is truly wonderful and really does open a window into your child's mind.
I love to hear all the signing stories people tell me in class, by email and text! It's such a priviledge to share in those special moments that parents and carers have with the children. Also it's such a joy when a baby signs for the first time in class (frequently this is the sign for 'bubbles' as they get so excited!)
Come along and join us!
I teach in Harrogate and Yeadon as well as running the Child Care Professional Training and concentrating on Business and Educational Development.
| | Berni Bazely
Hi, I’m Berni. Married to a slightly younger man (the long-suffering Garry) and Mum to the gorgeous and sensitive Alice (nearly 2).
I’m fairly new to signing. When I was pregnant with Alice, my husband shouted to me one day to come and look at something on the internet – obviously I was intrigued! He had found the Babies Can Sign homepage while surfing the net (still not even sure what he’d been looking for to be honest!) and he said ‘I’d like to do this with our baby – what do you think?’. I like to think of myself as someone who will have a go at anything – so of course I said yes. Little did I know that finding that website would end up changing my life – in SO many ways!
I started classes with Alice when she was 7 months old and thought it was the best money I’d ever spent. Not only were the classes a HUGE amount of fun but also I loved the fact that both Alice and I were learning something together – it was nice to give my Mum Brain a work out!
I can’t tell you how immensely proud I felt when Alice signed for the first time – she was 10 1/2 months (in that ‘magic window’ of 10-13 months, just like Vicki had said!). I always thought that her first sign would be milk – but it turned out to be music!
Communication with Alice had now begun – and once it began it just spurred me on. I ended up doing the course (Beginners, Intermediate & Advanced) twice through, and enjoyed every minute of it!
Before I had Alice, I worked in the design and marketing industry. Whilst on Maternity Leave I was made redundant. My previous career hasn’t been a complete waste of time either – my ‘talents as a designer’ sometimes come in handy when we need new flyers, posters, etc!
I have now gained BSL Level 1 and have joined the lovely team at Babies Can Sign (teaching in Saltaire, Bingley, Harden and at nurseries) and feel very fortunate to be doing something I am passionate about – I now have a ‘Signing Tot’ so I KNOW it works and is an invaluable skill for both parent and child.
| | Ruth Sen
Hi, I’m Ruth; I’m married with a gorgeous five-year-old son, who now is in full time education. This gave me a lot of free time on my hands and now I have joined a wonderful team of teachers at Babies Can Sign.
I was born with a hearing impairment and have a medium hearing loss in both ears. I can also lip-read since childhood, which is an invaluable life skill.
I first learned to use Sign Supported English 20 years ago, and because I had a grandmother who was severely deaf and with my own hearing loss I have always felt an affinity with sign language that in 2000 I decided to learn BSL. I joined an evening class in Leeds to qualify to BSL Level 1 and have obtained two parts of Level 2, third part I hope to complete next year. I also go to many groups where those who have hearing loss/ problems meet socially. This opened up a whole world for me and I particularly benefited from meeting people in a similar situation as myself.
I have experience in teaching basic signing to friends and family with children and adults.
When my son was born in 2003 I decided someone in my family should learn to sign with me and benefit from this wonderful language too.
Also when my son was born there wasn’t many opportunities for signing with babies so it is a great honour to be able to share and teach sign language to others.
I teach in Otley, Adel and Horsforth, as well as nurseries. |
Karen Capitano
My name is Karen and I have 3 daughters and a grand daughter aged one.
I worked as a childminder for 10 years and a Rainbow Leader for 5 years, when my children were younger.
I have gained Level 1 qualifications in BSL, Communication tactics with deaf people and Communication and guiding skills with deafblind people.
I worked for Leeds Deaf Blind Unit as a medical communicator guide and have worked with adults and children with varying disabilities.
Working with babies and small children is particularly rewarding, as you get to see how much fun and enjoyment (as well as being educational) the children get out of the sessions.
I teach in Chapel Allerton, Burley in Wharfedale and from September in Rothwell. Also Horsforth and Queensway Children's Centres as well as numerous nurseries. | | Helen Hattersley
I’m Helen Hattersley, the Business Administrator for Babies Can Sign. I deal with all phone and e-mail enquiries and as such am often the first point of contact that people have with the business. I try to provide as much information as I can about the services we offer, and hopefully to help find the venue and course which best accommodates each person. My other roles within the company are varied; they range from dealing with all financial matters to sending out Customer Satisfaction Questionnaires to ensure that we provide an excellent service to you.
I myself am the mother of two girls aged 4 and 7. Both of my children are now in full time education which has allowed me to increase my responsibilities within the company. Although I am not actively involved in the teaching side of Babies Can Sign, I have lots of correspondence with parents who have attended the courses. The vast majority speak with great enthusiasm about the benefits it has brought them in being able to communicate with their children before they have full speech.
| | Sarah Harman
My name is Sarah and I teach baby and toddler classes in the Pudsey and Calverley area and Baildon from September.
My daughter Kate and I attended Babies Can Sign classes when she was 7 months old. We both had great fun and gained a fantastic new way of communicating with each other.
After we finished the advanced course I jumped at the chance to train as a teacher and join Babies Can Sign.
So, after all the training and British Sign Language exams – here I am!
I really love teaching my classes and watching others get the same enjoyment and learn the same skills as I did.
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