threelilprincesses.com

Tag: sign language

  • Listen with your eyes: the rainbow edition

    Listen with your eyes: the rainbow edition

    girl reading a book sign languageWHILE trying to build our new (non beer carton) doll’s house – I stress “trying’’ because we’ve run out of sticky tape, which is like trying to build a mud house without water – I asked Ella what colour we should make the door. Her response: “yellow’’. Not just “yellow”, but twist your fingers at the top of your forehead Auslan sign language “yellow”.

    She then proceeded to teach me black, blue, green and pink in Auslan. Did you ever doubt pink would be included? “Wait, I’ll get the camera,’’ I say and off I canter with the idea for another blog post. On my return, I find she’s gone all shy. No, please, not again. You’re never going to make it in Hollywood at this rate. *sigh*

    After some pleas, begging and chocolate bribery, we filmed “the news”. (Watch for her saying: “goodbye to the news”). So, finally, here’s a heavily edited version of a once-again shy Ella teaching the colours of the rainbow in Auslan. Please, leave your payment at the door after you leave. Ella said: “That’ll be 100 20 50 dollars, please.’’  Good luck figuring that one out.

    For another 100 20 50 dollars, you can click on the following links to learn: “how are you?’’ and “good, thank you’’; along with “mummy/daddy/brother/sister, I love you’’. Oh, and let’s not forget “stinky breath’’. We’ve already found ways to use that in everyday life.

  • Are our kids outsmarting us?

    Are our kids outsmarting us?

    I KNOW that you now know that I have a pretty clever li’l princess. And I don’t mean the part about her knowing how to whistle to attract my attention. Although, that is pretty darn clever.

    Princess Ella, at the tender age of 3.5 years, has taught me to sign. Surprisingly, we’re still talking to each other – and not just in Auslan.

    If you didn’t visit yesterday and have no idea what I’m talking about, let me recap. Ella’s child carer has taught her to do sign language, including: “how are you?’’ and “good, thank you’’; along with “mummy/daddy/brother/sister, I love you’’. Plus, there’s the little addition of me teaching her to sign “stinky breath’’. You never know when you might need that one.

    She’s also managed to learn the majority of the nursery rhyme The Owl and the Pussy Cat, which is no mean feat considering I can barely get past the first two lines in the spoken form.

    It leads me to the things I know this week:

    • If you want to learn a bit of Auslan, my daughter is the person to teach you.
    • Our kids are beginning to outsmart us in so many areas and that scares me.
    • Every time I turn the video on, loud and boisterous Ella suddenly turns shy.


    I’m linking up with Shae from Yay For Home as part of Things I Know. Click on the button to read some other great things you should know.

  • Give me a little sign girl (minus Peter Andre)

    Give me a little sign girl (minus Peter Andre)

    IF YOU think teaching a three-year-old can be frustrating, just wait ‘til that three-year-old tries to teach you sign language. Some of you would have already seen the video of Ella teaching me Auslan. And I’ve mentioned her patronising response of: “Good girl, Mum. That’s really wonderful. You’re doing a great job’’.

    Her latest lesson came while she was sitting on the toilet doing her business one night. Out of the blue, she came out with “Daddy, I love you’’ and “Mummy, I love you’’. If she hadn’t been sitting on the dunny, that moment might well have melted hearts.

    Rather enthusiastic with my newfound signs, we jumped on the laptop the next day to learn more via the Auslan signbank. Ella pointed at a few words, saying “Mum, let’s do that one’’. Let’s just say every word she seemed to pick was far from kid-friendly. Try booze, boobs and a devise for smoking illegal drugs. However, there was one I just couldn’t resist teaching her. You’ll have to see the video to find out.


    Yes, I’m sure her child carer will thank me for that one. Tomorrow I’ll have a video of her signing and singing to The Owl and the Pussy Cat.

    Does your child know another language – even if it’s Dora’s Spanish?

    Linking up with Where’s My Glow’s FlogYoBlog Friday.
    FYBF

  • FEATURE: Our kids give us a sign

    FEATURE: Our kids give us a sign

    THIS post could easily turn into one of those brag sessions about your kids. God, don’t you hate those parents? The ones who go on about all the wonderful things their child can do, while yours is sitting there scratching their bum?

    However, this one has to be told because, if anything, it just proves how incredible these little sponges are and why we shouldn’t underestimate what they’re capable of learning.

    Princess Ella is three and, thanks to child care, has learnt skills she couldn’t learn at home – basically because her mum just ain’t that clever! Sure, I could have taught her to click her fingers and whistle, but it’s not something I imagined she could do at age three. But she can, because of her childcarer.

    However, what’s blown me away most is her learning a new language. Sign language. And I’m not talking about flipping the bird – that’s still a few years away.  It’s strange to have her teaching me how to do something and then responding with: “Good girl, Mum. That’s really wonderful. You’re doing a great job’’. Patronising, or what?

    Speaking to other mums about this via Facebook, it seems they all agree that if their child has a good grasp of the English language, why not allow them to learn another language. Ella picked up a little Spanish from, dare I say it, Dora the Explorer.  One mum admitted her daughter became so good at her “Dora-led’’ Spanish, she became extremely agitated when her mum tried to explain the colour was “blue’’, when clearly it was “azul’’.

    To end this post, here’s a video of Ella teaching me to sign. Bear in mind, she’s a three year old and, just as she keeps strangely pronouncing “hot poppin’ popcorn’’ as “hotta hotta popcorn’’, she may well be getting some of these slightly incorrect (`how are you?’ and `good, thank you’ look a little too similar). She also wasn’t in the most cooperative mood this morning, so it’s only a small taste of what she’s learnt. I’ll try and upload more of her signing later.

    If you want to learn to sign or teach your child, then visit the Auslan site.

    OK, you now have permission to brag. Has your child grasped a second language? Or do they have a skill you never imagined they could do at their age?