Signing Time! Volume 4: Family, Feelings & Fun DVD Reviews

• You won't be disappointed

  
  By A1R1MASK3AYY7D on 2004-12-20
  The *theme song* isn't as catchy as it used to be (they changed a few of the words and slowed it down) and are only 1/2 hour long, per volume, but other than that the new videos are every bit as good as the first three... and the other songs are all wonderful.
  
  They've added a cartoon character named Froggy, who acts a lot like the puppets in "Baby Einstein", introducing each new theme.
  
  The new songs won't let those of you down who enjoyed volumes 1-3, and she covers several words in volume 4 such as: "Grandma, Grandpa, Cousin, Aunt, house, home, outside, tree, grass, leaf, clouds, rain, snow, hat, coat, boots, gloves, grumpy, excited, surprised, afraid, love (and the compound sign "ILY")... and those are just the words I remember.
  
  Rachel's wearing colored paint (latex?) on her hands, which is a bit distracting, but I think the idea was so that the children would be able to tell which fingers she was using.
  
  My three year old is trying to sing one of her new songs even as I type this. LOL I should mention he's speech delayed, and Signing Time has been very instrumental to his language skills. The songs, the children in the videos, and the bright colors all draw him in and get him excited enough to want to share what he's seeing. Getting him to *want* to talk is half the battle, and signing time makes it easy.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Signing Time does it again...

  
  By A1187BNHGJ1G8W on 2005-03-28
  Rachel has such a way of teaching kids to sign and have fun the whole time. There have been signs I've been working with my son for a few years that he showed little interest in. Until we got this volume and suddenly, he started signing them enthusiastically! As with the previous volumes of Signing Time, William (4½) quickly learned all the signs in it. He loves singing and signing along with Rachel, Alex and Leah.
  I know some parents are concerned that signing might impede their child's speech development, but we have found just the opposite here. William has Trisomy 21/aka Down syndrome and apraxia. Signing Time has helped him with Total Communication~ when his speech hasn't been clear, the signing helps him refine the word. I've found that as he watches Signing Time and the repetition of each new word introduced, William is more apt to repeat the word with greater clarity each time. He loves to go around labeling things he's learned from the videos, and then he wants to know more, more more!
  This is another must-have for a video library!
  
  

• A must have for ALL PARENTS!

  
  By ALMMFNI74BLBU on 2005-01-06
  I have all of the Signing Time DVD's.. and this one is a must have! It's fun to watch and learn WITH your child! I have a 20 month old son that has full hearing and he can't live without these videos! He signs all day long! The songs are wonderful.
  I had downloaded "Beautiful Day" from the signingtime.com website before the DVD's were released and my son went CRAZY for it! I LOVE the song. It's so poppy and happy. Besides the "LMNO" song from the Vol. 5 ABC Signs, it's my favorite!
  I can't say enough about these DVD's... BUY IT! YOU WON'T REGRET IT!
  
  

• Signing Time Volume 4

  
  By A1VXOD67BV1F54 on 2005-08-03
  These DVD's are so wonderful, the songs and images are great!My daughter can not get enough of these videos, we have taught her sign language with this series of videos and she now has about 25 signs, some she learned on her own with the video that we never worked on with her once the tape was off. I highly reccommend this video
  Jenny
  
  

• Fun and educational series

  
  By AF5SUYOBO6UIX on 2005-08-24
  I really liked this volume of the Signing Time series. This is the first one I bought, so I don't know about the others. My baby is younger than they recommend using the series for, but she seems to like watching it, and the songs get stuck in my head, so she likes to hear them throughout the day. I like that they teach a lot of signs, and aren't overly cutesy--but just enough for kids to like it.
  
  
• Educational and Entertaining
  By A27ZDEAVPXNOE1 on 2006-05-30
  As the mother of twins, one hearing and one deaf, I have had the opportunity to check out many programs for teaching ASL to small children. This is by far the best series out there. Most other products are so boring that parents must struggle to stay awake during the production, and there is no way a toddler would tolerate a viewing. My 2-year-old twins request Signing Time all of the time. At home they want the DVDs playing almost constantly. In the car my hearing daughter starts asking for the Signing Time CD before I even have her strapped into her carseat. My 2-year-old deaf daughter is using 5-sign sentences, which is almost unheard of for the deaf child of hearing parents. My extended family owns a total of 6 sets of Signing Time. Whenever my daughters' cousins have a birthday they ask for the latest Signing Time DVDs. Children of all ages love this product.
  
  
• Great ASL Learning Tool
  By A1DYL0YG03Z2XQ on 2006-07-25
  I own the first four volumes of this series and feel that they are excellent resources for teaching young children to communicate effectively. My four-year old niece viewed them once and was using the signs very well within minutes. Reinforcement by other family members kept her using the signs for the full two weeks of her visit and she was teaching her toddler brother to sign as well. My infant granddaughters who are seven and eight months old watched the videos and seemed to be fascinated by the small children on the DVD and the bright colors and music. This series is great for parents and children and makes learning ASL fun. I am planning on purchasing the whole series.
  
  
• Signing Time is WONDERFUL!
  By A1ICDFSTBV9QLN on 2007-01-09
  My son was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Delay- Not otherwise specified when he was about two. We were in North Carolia at the time and were referred to TEEACH. It is a wonderful organization. They encouraged us to use visual schedules with him. That didn't really work for us, for many reasons.
  
  Anyway, we invested in Signing time and he and his little brother love the DVDs! Aidan is now three and a half and knows about a hundred signs give or take some and his alphabet. He is talking more and when we don't understand we ask him to sign and many times he can communicate that way.
  
  I think it is wonderful for everyone to know sign language. You never know when you might need it! You'll fall in love with Rachel and Leah and Alex. Great show!
  
  
• Time to Sign
  By A2VRQ5Q6JV3LUJ on 2005-01-02
  I studied ASL in college and was looking for a way to help my children learn a language that I have come to love. Signing Time has been an answer. I think the highlights in Family, Feelings, and Fun are the feeling signs. They help my three year-old express himself in a way I didn't know three year-olds could.
  
  
• Signing TIme -- WONDERFUL!
  By A24WKDO1E46NRJ on 2005-01-04
  I got Volumes 1-3 right after we had my 2 1/2 yr old tested for language delays. She barely missed the cutoff for services, but we were still concerned. She only had 30 word appoximations! Well, after watching the videos for 1 week, she had picked up 15 signs with the clear spoken word to match! by the end of 5 weeks, she could speak and sign all 100 or so signs from the set! (I also have a 4 1/2 yr old who has also improved with these videos. Plus, my 7 month old daughter is often enthralled with them. She recognizes the sign for "milk" and gets excited when we sign it!)
  
  My husband is Deaf, so we do use sign at home, but she refused to pick up EITHER language. These videos provided a way for her to communicate! Now she is picking up the signs/words from Vol 4-6 just as quickly, and she is stringing words and signs together.
  
  The songs are so fun! You will be singing them even if there are no kids around! I love these videos and what they have given to my daughter!! :)
  Jennie
  
  
  
• Fun for the whole Family
  By A1NVUR3VNCZXOW on 2005-01-05
  If you and your children already know and enjoy Volumes 1, 2 and 3 of "Signing Time" with Alex and Leah... You are going to LOVE Volume 4!
  
  Rachel Coleman's talent, personality and enthusiasm really explode in this video (in the series of 6 videos - so far) designed to teach American Sign Language to children of all ages and abilities.
  
  The pace is a little quicker in these new shows, Alex and Leah use their voices more, and there are some older kids (and even teenagers) demonstrating the Signs. This is definitely the 'next step' in learning more Signs to use in your daily activities at school and at home with kids of all ages.
  
  The Music is wonderful, again showcasing Rachel's singing and songwriting abilities. The songs are cute and catchy, and they teach us positive messages about Home and Family, expressing your Feelings, and going OUTSIDE to PLAY... All while teaching us lots of fun and useful ASL Signs!
  
  I highly recommend this video all to parents, grandparents, teachers and childcare providers. Learning ASL is a wonderful education in communication in which we can all benefit. Volume #4 is a natural progression to learning more ASL Signs and Songs to use with your children or students!
  
  
• Fantastic!
  By A3DRIJ42MNPU07 on 2005-01-05
  I can't stress enough how wonderful Volume 4 is! There are so many useful signs! I loved Volumes 1-3 and now Volumes 4-6 are fantastic also! My daughter loves watching them and we both get so much joy out nof learning ASL! It is great for our family! Thanks so much for such a wonderful product!
  
  
• A MUST HAVE!!
  By A3KJU1VI27599Z on 2005-01-06
  Rachel Coleman has done it again. This DVD is incredible! It is so much fun for children and adults. Put your kids in front of this and don't have one moment of guilt that they're watching tv. You will be amazed at what they learn in just one viewing. Signing Time has almost completely eliminated the terrible 2's in our home. Our toddlers can tell us what they want before they can speak it. We know when they're tired, hungry, hurt, etc. Signing Time has been the best thing that has come into our lives.
  
  
• Exceptional product
  By A35QR1BC93Y80I on 2006-02-25
  Signing Time has been one of the best purchases I have made for my daughter. She is two years old, and thanks to Signing Time has over 100 signs in her vocabulary. She loves to watch all 6 of the videos. I am also a speech-language pathologist and I recommend these videos to any parent who wants to teach their child to communicate before verbal language develops. It will open up a new world of communication for you and your child!
  
  
• It's a great video!
  By A2H9QQLEKT36W4 on 2007-01-15
  My grandchildren love this video! In fact, I have ordered 2 other Signing time videos to add to their collection.
  
  
• AMAZING
  By AD9QD6UGR76PJ on 2007-05-17
  These DVD's are amazing. My children (3) have all been signing from the time they were a year old. These are fun, lots of good songs.They are so engaging they teach the parents as they play them over and over. We love them and and given them as special gifts to all the new babies we know. I purchasesd these to increase the ability for my children to communicate and reduce frustration before verbal words were able to be expressed and these DVD's did an incredible job. They are all hearing with no special needs and these really helped them increase their commincation it gave them the abiltiy to express words before they knew how to talk. When my children were ready to talk their vocabulary increased faster than their peers as they already had words for so may objects and had put them together so just adding the verbal pieces was the only thing to master.Great item truly the best for teaching young children sign.
  
  
• We love signing time
  By A1G9UTDSO1KB7E on 2007-06-11
  My kids love signing time!! My daughter Emma loved them so much she included Rachel, Lean and Alex in her prayers.
  
  My daughter Anna has down syndrome and it has helped so much for her to know signs. It helped Emma learn to read and spell (by 2 1/2!) And helped my son John communicate before he started speaking.
  
  Well worth it! Here is our business dedicated to my daughter Emma: [...]
  
  
• One of the best Signing Time videos
  By A356XBUF46U0B2 on 2008-03-04
  My son has been obsessed with Signing Time since he started watching them on PBS at age 20 months. His language progress has never really been an issue, but he loves to sign anyway. We have the first seven DVDs and they are all great. "Family, Feelings, & Fun" has always been his favorite (mine, too!). Our other favorites are Vol. 7 (Leah's Farm) and Vol. 6 (Colors of the Rainbow). Enjoy!
  
  
• Welcome to Communication!
  By A18VQWDMNU2BTY on 2004-12-30
  This DVD and CD (the whole set of 6, actually) opened the door to new communication with my nondisabled 6 year old, who loved having a "secret language", my nondisabled 2 year old nephew and my speech delayed 2 year old daughter, I don't know how we ever got along without it! A MUST HAVE for any parents interested in seeing what their child has to say!
  
  
• Family, Feelings, Fun and Fabulous
  By A3GQWBQLT4I2X2 on 2004-12-31
  We discovered Signing Time while researching ASL (American Sign Language) as a 2nd language for our children. We knew we wanted to teach ASL as a 2nd language because of the many benefits such as earlier communication. You can communicate with your baby as young as 8 months old, maybe even younger. What a gift to know what your child needs before they can tell you with spoken words! For more information on the benefits of ASL check out the Signing Time website at www.signingtime.com
  
  In Volume 4 the songs are lots of fun and work well in a school setting as well as home. The song "What are you feeling?" shows signs for emotions. It is funny to see the kids sign scared and make scared faces. These signs are very helpful for getting children to tell you how they feel. The song about families is great because it talks about how everyone's family is different. "Your family's made for you and mine is made for me."
  
  We love that we get to hear Leah's voice. What a positive experience for children who are Deaf and Hard Of Hearing to see another Child who is Deaf proudly using their voice. Leah does a great job. It is also great for children who are hearing to see that children who are Deaf can and do use their voices. Alex does a great job as well. We love to see the 2 friends/cousins interacting together. We also enjoyed the addition of the frog Hopkins. He helps transition from one theme to another smoothly.
  
  One minor thing about this Volume that bothered us is that when Alex And Leah talk about their families the pictures are not of their actual families. Rachel explains the reasons for this on their yahoo site. If you are not familiar with The Coleman and Brown families you won't even notice but if you know Alex and Leah's siblings from other volumes of Signing Time you might be confused. This in no way detracts from the value of this volume. The only reason I mention it is because my kids were wondering why Lucy and Zack were not in the family picture and your kids may ask you too.
  
  We like that the written word comes on the screen first and then they show the sign. It is very helpful for practicing the signs. It is like a video flashcard. It also helps children develop reading skills because they start to recognize the written word that goes with the sign. We love watching the children do the signs because you see lots of different kids and lots of different skill levels. It gives you an idea of how your child might make the sign at different ages. Rachel also does the sign so you can clearly see the proper way to do it. She has paint on her fingers to help you focus on her finger positions. This is a new addition for Volumes 3-6. Some people find it distracting at first but I found it very helpful.
  
  Each DVD has a section on the menu of ASL tips. This is a good way to get additional information. On this volume they show tips on forming sentences, initializing, and word order.
  
  The song during the credits is a great way to learn additional signs that were not covered in the show. You can really add to your signing vocabulary if you pay attention. The new version of the theme song is a little slower (so you can sign along) and has an additional verse. Some may not like it as well as the original but we loved it. We love the original version too so make sure you get both. The older version is in Volumes 1-3. We liked the new verse "Where friends can meet and find we're not so different after all" Isn't that what Signing Time is all about?
  
  I highly recommend this volume of signing time as well as the other 5 in the series. As a mother and a teacher I can say it is truly the best educational tool I have found for teaching ASL to children (and adults too). I hope they make many more and I will buy them all without hesitation. These shows are a labor of love for these families and we are thankful they chose to share with us.
  
  
  
• More volumes to the perfect gift for any child!
  By A2CPBQ5W4OGBX on 2004-12-31
  We were so excited about the next volumes of Signing Time! These are perfect for expanding a basic knowledge of ASL.
  Volume 4 has helped my daughter tell me more of what she wants. She can now show me signs for all family members (she wants to see her cousins, etc.). She can now tell me so many more emotions. Before christmas, she was helping Daddy wrap a present for me and I asked what it was. She signed to me SURPRISE. :)
  
  Signing Time is a great way to introduce children to a second language, ASL. It is also the perfect way for babies to communicate before they develop speech. I can't count the times we've prevented a temper tantrum! These videos have really given my daughter confidence because she knows she can use signs to tell us what she wants, even when she does not know the word or cannot yet speak it clearly. The second 3 volumes have helped expand our signing vocabulary and really allow us to use ASL more and more. Be sure to check out www.signingtime.com
  
  
  
• We love it and can't imagine living without it!!!
  By A25X41PEZXA26P on 2005-01-02
  Very fun, exciting and keeps my children's attention. My son is 18 months old and I am amazed how quickly he has picked up and is using the signs! Older children can benefit too, my daughter is 9 years old and just loves watching it maybe even more than my toddler! Our family has become "Signing Time addicts", we just can't get enough! I'm so glad I have found these dvds it has already helped with communication and relieving the everyday fustrations my toddler has. Both of my children are hearing and I am proud to be using ASL in our everyday life. You will not be disappointed with these DVDs, you'll soon become addicted to watching them daily with your children too!
  
  
• Yet another great set of signing movies for kids & families!
  By A7IZ68GS7VZUY on 2005-01-04
  My kids loved volumes 1-3, so I purchased a set of 4-6 plus the CD for Christmas this year. My biggest mistake was letting my 21 month old daughter open them first. She wanted to watch them right away!
  
  If you've been bored or unimpressed by ASL videos in the past, Signing Time will be a refreshing change. It has engaging music and entertaining characters. The signs are presented in a way that makes them easy for adults and kids--even very young kids--to learn!
  
  My daughter asks to watch "Signing Time teal" (volume 4) every day.
  
  
• I love these!
  By A1EQ5DW29LUOYP on 2005-01-04
  I may be an adult, but these DVDs couldn't make it easier for someone like me - who learns better from a video than a book - to learn sign language. And 'Signing Time!' is FANTASTIC! The children modeling the signs are adorable, and Rachel Coleman's wonderful songs at the end help incorporate all the signs learned. I can't think of a better way to learn sign language - child OR adult - than with 'Signing Time!'
  
  
  
• can't get enough Signing Time
  By A34D601PVKXLS2 on 2005-01-04
  We just received volumes 4-6 of Signing Time and we love them! We've had volumes 1-3 for over a year and my 4 and 2 year old still love to watch them. Now that we have the new DVDs my daughter just can't get enough of them. I teach infant sign language so my children know a lot of signs, but since we've got the new Signing Time DVDs their signing skills have picked up so much! Both of my children are hearing and very verbal. . .I know that signing has played a large factor in their amazing vocabulary and signing skills! Our family HIGHLY recommends Signing Time!
  
  
• Amazing!
  By A129M7F1AVOS1R on 2005-01-06
  What can I say?? Signing Time has been an amazing gift to our family. I had heard of signing with your baby and decided to try it with my son when he was 9-10 months old. He is now 14 months and can sign about 20 words. All thanks to Signing Time. It's entertaining for kids and adults (ask my 13 year old)! And it's all ASL, so we are learning a second language. Kuddos to Signing Time!!
  
  
• Awesome
  By A2KYB1GAWICJ9J on 2005-01-06
  They just keep getting better and better, in fact they are so good, there aren't enough adjectives to describe them!
  
  
• fun and educational video
  By A2BFNIEY76S5ET on 2005-09-03
  I can't tell you how much my two year old loves this video. He has learned many of the signs and is getting better at signing. I think the videos have increased his overall interest in the topics covered. He dances around when the songs come on. I have purchased three of these videos and I hope to get more. They are well made, entertaining and sometimes even moving.
  
  
• fun!
  By APUZV0E9EA1OH on 2006-11-03
  this series is a fun and effective way to teach your children sign language. i have been looking for a long time and have not found anything that compares. watch out! you may learn some sign language too.
  
  
• Great Family Fun
  By A1XGP25EN55WS8 on 2007-07-08
  I get chills every time I hear the song about families in this Signing Time volume. It is such an uplifting program. Our entire family enjoys all of the DVDs is this phenomenal series. As a SAHM and former kindergarten teacher I highly recommend them for their educational value, in addition to their entertainment value. They have greatly enhanced my two year old's ability to communicate.
  
  

• Signing Time! Volume 6: My Favorite Things DVD
• Signing Time! Volume 3: Everyday Signs DVD - Revised Edition (Two Little Hands Productions)
• Signing Time! Volume 2: Playtime Signs DVD - Revised Edition (Two Little Hands Productions)
• Signing Time! Volume 5: ABC Signs DVD
• Signing Time! Volume 1: My First Signs DVD - Revised Edition(Two Little Hands Productions)