High 5 Speech Therapy
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  • Home
  • About
    • What is High 5 Speech Therapy?
    • About Emily
    • Praise >
      • Therapy
      • Classes
    • High 5 in the Press
  • Therapy Services
    • Speech & Language Therapy
    • Feeding Therapy
    • Summer Buddies & Lunch Buddies: Therapy Groups & Camps
    • Free Daycare & Preschool Screening Program
    • Scholarships
    • COVID-19 and Therapy
    • FAQ
  • Get Started
  • Resources
  • Contact + Locations

Why teach my baby sign language?

  • Communicate With Your Child Earlier: Children can start intentionally signing as early as 8-11 months – much earlier than talking.
  • Intelligence Benefits: Studies show that babies who learned to sign have a higher IQ by 12 points in elementary school, plus they maintain attention & remember information better.
  • Verbal Language Benefits: Research shows that babies who were
    taught to sign had longer oral sentences and a higher vocabulary at age 2.
  • Literacy Benefits: The area of the brain used for understanding symbols is activated when learning signs, increasing children’s reading and spelling skills.
  • Benefits for Parents, Too! Parents who sign with their babies have been shown in studies to be less stressed, have a deeper connection to their toddlers and respond more easily to their children when they are upset.

What are the classes like?

A certified pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist teaches caregivers and their children American Sign Language signs in weekly themes. We practice signs while:
  • singing songs
  • reading books
  • moving to music
  • playing with fun sensory toys including a parachute, bubblemaker, shakers & scarves
  • children engage with peers 
  • parents chat with fellow parents 
  • learning strategies support speech, language, feeding, positive behavior + literacy development 

High 5's baby sign language class was recently featured on grand rapids' wood tv!

Video below + full story and pictures here.

Check out our full schedule!

Class Schedule
RSVP for a class

Want to know more about the Classes?

Classes for children + their caregivers:
Drop-in Baby Sign Language Class

Classes for caregivers:
Busy Parent Workshops

Classes for educators:
Educator Workshops
If you have a daycare/preschool class, mom's group, church group, parenting club, or just a group of mama friends that wants to work with us to offer a workshop or class through your group at your location, contact Emily! I would love to work with you!
 

drop-in baby sign language classes

**First class always FREE - come check it out!**

Beginner level: no previous knowledge of signing or ASL needed.

Target Age: Ages 2 months and up to 24 months or until child is communicating verbally without frustration. This class is also appropriate for older toddlers with a speech/language delay as it helps decrease frustration and lays a solid foundation for language learning.

This class is being offered as a drop-in class with a 16-week curriculum that rotates. The drop-in style class allows for maximum flexibility and convenience and the rotating curriculum allows for repeated exposure to high-frequency signs for both you and your child.

In our drop-in Baby Sign Language classes, a 
certified pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist teaches caregivers and their children 120+ American Sign Language signs to use for functional early communication. Classes are 60 minutes in length and are created for hearing parents/caregivers to attend with their hearing babies. Signs are taught in weekly themes, including everyday signs, alphabet, animals, emotions, family, playtime, bedtime and opposites. We practice signs through direct instruction, interactive games and songs, so every class includes:
  • singing songs
  • reading books
  • moving to music
  • playing with fun sensory toys, such as a parachute, bubblemaker, shakers & scarves
  • children engage with peers 
  • parents chat with fellow parents 
  • learning strategies support speech, language, feeding, positive behavior + literacy development​
Check Our Class Schedule
RSVP for class!
 
 

busy parent workshops

These half-day workshops are geared towards busy parents who are unable to take a full 8-week class. Learn how to enrich your child’s language development by increasing vocabulary and building self-confidence through the use of American Sign Language (ASL). This workshop is an introduction to the benefits of using ASL with your child. Children are not only auditory learners they also learn visually and kinesthetically (touch and experience). Using sign language with your child encompasses all learning styles. Your child will hear you when you say the word, he/she will see you make the sign and will also experience/feel the word as he/she learns to sign.

​This workshop is designed for the busy parent; you will learn recommended first signs and easy techniques for successfully integrating signs into everyday life. Over 100 signs will be introduced. Fee includes a full color MSH™ curriculum book.
Check Our Class Schedule
Register for a Class

educator workshops

These workshops are designed to give teachers the tools to incorporate American Sign Language (ASL) into the current curriculum. As educators, we know that there are different types of learning styles in the classroom; auditory, visual and kinesthetic. Using sign language in your program encompasses all learning styles. The students will hear you when you say the word, he/she will see you make the sign and will also experience/feel the word as he/she learns to sign. These workshops are designed to suit the specific needs of the school. Teachers will learn about the research supporting the use of sign language in the classroom, they will be given resources and will be provided with vocabulary specific to classroom use.

 

Please contact Emily if you would like to set up a workshop - I will work with you to schedule this at a time that works best for your team.
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Picture High 5 Communication Resources

About high 5 speech therapy

cell: (970) 988-6718


fax: (616) 344-0005
emily (at) high5speechtherapy.com