About Us

KATJA O'NEILL - founder of Signing Babies

I first found out about the amazing benefits of using signing with babies in 2003.  As there were no local classes in Hertfordshire at the time, I started studying sign language and launched Signing Babies the same year.

I became a qualified Sign2Me presenter for Hertfordshire, as I wanted to belong to a recognised organisation. Their programme, Sign with your Baby, is a worldwide, award-winning baby signing programme. 
Sign2me ensure that their presenters are qualified in sign language and have a good knowledge both of child development and of how signing can be incorporated in the early years with maximum benefit.

When I had my third baby, I signed with her from birth. The difference has been amazing! Being able to communicate with her from the age of 6 months has shown me what potential our babies have, even at this young age. 

Hannah is 4 now and I am amazed how she is still using her signs even though she talks well above her developmental level. It's really lovely to have this special, beautiful language, and she is starting to communicate with deaf people and their children as well.

 
I have since gained my level 1 and level 2 in British Sign Language and am about to complete level 3.  My goal is to become an interpreter and to carry on teaching Baby Signing to parents and Child Care Providers.

JULIANNE NIGHTINGALE - instructor for St Albans and Hertford   

My interest in sign language was born over 10 years ago when I used it to help my teaching of children with language difficulties. My work with British Sign Language continued when I qualified as a teacher of the deaf and worked with deaf children in Hertfordshire.

The arrival of my first child meant a break in my teaching career with the start of the challenging role of motherhood. I already knew of the benefits of using sign language to augment speech and understanding but was amazed at how soon it helped me to communicate with my baby daughter. At 9 months she was able to sign “milk” and by 20 months she had a vocabulary of over 30 signs. With the arrival of her sister she has enjoyed using sign language all over again. Both of my children have been to Signing Babies classes and we continue to use signing at home. Signing certainly doesn't stop with the onset of speech. It helps to clarify what they, and indeed what I, want to say. I will encourage them to use it as another 'hook' for their learning long into their school career.

Having enjoyed the benefits of sign language both in my teaching and with my own children, I am keen to share my experience and expertise with other parents and their babies in my Signing Babies classes in St Albans and Radlett.


PIPPA MARTIN - instructor for Luton

Finding out at the age of 4 that I had lost most of the hearing in one ear sparked my interest in sign language. I was lucky enough to attend a school with a hearing impaired unit which ran basic signing classes for any interested students, and this was where I first learnt a few signs. Although I’ve not had many difficulties with my hearing it was a good introduction to how signing can work. In 2001 I decided that I should take this interest further, and I passed a BSL Level 1 course in 2002.
When I was pregnant I heard about baby signing, and thought it was a fantastic way of integrating a natural desire to communicate with the signs that had fascinated me as a child. Signing with my baby is an interesting experience, and one which I discover I take for granted so much when other people comment on his communication skills. It’s also amazing to watch him use these signs with other people and to be understood. I look forward to him using new signs and am amazed how quickly he can pick these up now.  It has certainly made motherhood more rewarding!
Now I want to share my knowledge and experience with other parents to help them give their babies the best start in life.  I look forward to teaching for Signing Babies in Luton!

JENNIE CURTIS - instructor for LUTON

I have been brought up within a deaf famly with both my parents and grandparents being deaf, and I have been signing all my life. I decided to take my British sign language exams a few years ago and qualified in Stage 1 & 2 and I am about to complete the NVQ level 3 In BSL. I hope to eventually to become an interpreter for the deaf.

I became a mother 2 years ago to Lexi and decided that I wanted my her to sign so that she could communicate with our family, when we started attending baby signing classes I realised how beneficial it is for not just my daughter but other babies/children who had no deaf background. It amazed me to see my daughter and other children communicating with us before they had even spoken their first words. It’s a wonderful way to communicate with your children and it stop’s them becoming frustrated because they can tell you what they want. My daughter did a term of signing before she did her first sign at 8 months but from then on there was no stopping her. I now have another daughter, Maisie who is 5 months and I am signing to her already.

I am excited about doing baby sign and sharing my experience and knowledge with the parents who take their children to Signing Babies.

As a new mum 3 and half years ago, I was keen to get out and about to meet other mums and provide Holly with some entertainment.  A friend recommended Signing Babies to me and I thought it sounded brilliant.  I wasn't disappointed.  Holly loved all the songs, puppets, instruments and toys and even before she could do any signs she was clearly enjoying waving her hands about to the songs and trying to copy and join in.  For me, it was a great way to meet people and actually felt like I was learning something myself.  By a year she was starting to sign words like milk, drink, dog and duck and seemed to be talking lots with her signing.  It certainly stopped a few of her tantrums because when I couldn't understand what she was saying I could ask her to sign it.  Even at 3 years old I didn't want to stop the classes because in every lesson she was picking up new signs and really looked forward to the songs, making me play the CD over and over again in the car. 

By now I felt that I had learnt a huge number of signs myself, and when my friend started doing the level 1 British Sign Language course it turned out that I knew more signs than her.  That got me thinking and I booked myself onto classes to take the professional BSL level 1 qualification.

I had my second baby Lucy last Christmas.  At just under a year old she had only been signing for drink and bye, but seemed to be paying attention, laughing whenever I signed to her.   However a couple of weeks before her 1st birthday she suddenly started a burst of signs, signing 7 new signs in 2 weeks and by her birthday was signing drink, milk, more, again, food, bubbles, bye, mummy, and tidy.

Now I hope to teach signing to more and more babies and complete more levels of BSL and at some point teach in a deaf school and perhaps become an interpreter, or perhaps a bit of all of the above mixed in with looking after my children as they start nursery and school.

BECKY REYNOLDS- instructor for North Hertfordshire

I am based in Hitchin, married and have 2 children Jake who is 3yrs and Summer who is 8mths.  I am partially Deaf and have been since birth. I have a twin sister, who is Deaf.

British Sign Language (BSL) is a strong element in my life, having used it all my life with my twin sister, working as a Advice Worker for Deaf BSL People and having a strong bond to the Deaf Community, it is a beautiful language that I love using. I passed my Level 1 and 2 in BSL approx. 10 yrs ago, completed my NVQ level 3 in BSL in 2006 and in 2010 – completed my NVQ level 4 (now level 6) in BSL.

When I had Jake, I attended a Baby Signing class and, over time, was so excited when he was communicating back with me with his needs... I now use BSL with him to help reinforce what I am saying and if we are in a Softplay area an he can see me from a distance then I can “sign” questions to him. I am now teaching signs to Summer too.

Seeing a friend progress into the route of Signing Babies and having the skills myself, it seemed that this was a natural progression into the next chapter of my career.. and what a fun chapter it will be!

I look forward to meeting you and your little ones and starting your signing journey...