Technology

Have I mentioned lately how much I love technology?! Well if I haven't, I do! It is amazing how many different ways you can keep your child engaged in learning these days from a computer to a cell phone. YES, a cell phone. Got to love the 21st Century!

A lot of people have asked me over the years, "How did you learn sign language?" In the very beginning, I learned some basic words from Christian's first speech therapist and then followed by a handful of other words from his Teacher of the Deaf.  Then they told me the net was a great place to learn! So after they referred me to some great websites aslpro.com and http://mybabycansign.com/  my learning began so I could teach him. Then as he got older and less interested in what I was doing, probably bored of the same repetitive actions while looking at a book or doing a skill. I went to YouTube (of all places) typed in everything from sign language, sign language music, baby/children sign language and so on and so forth. Letting him watch whatever was appropriate and interesting for him, whether he actually learned something from it or got entertainment out of it. It even taught me how to completely sign "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," and then I was able to teach him! Eventually I found clips of the series, "Signing Time," which he loves and will be getting on DVD for his birthday or Christmas hopefully. I am still deciding since I want him to speak instead sign now. The television needs its credit too. He has a few "My First Sign's, on DVD that he used to watch ALL the time. He loved the cat puppet and Marlee Matlin.

As of the last 3 weeks I have been downloading apps to my cell phone. At first I thought, all this is going to amount to is my 3 year old tearing up my phone. But because I am more concerned with my son's development and future then I am a phone that I will get tired of eventually. I tried it anyway and so far it has been going great (knock on wood)!  First app I installed was flashcards of the alphabet that made the letter sounds. Now, I have been doing this with him for a couple of years for our "work time," but I thought using my phone (because what kid doesn't like playing with a real phone) would be a fresh new way to get him more interesting in "working." It was a good idea. He attempts to say EVERY letter of the alphabet. Letters- A, B, C, D, E, G, I, M, P, S, T come out great while the rest still need practice. Another app is flashcards with animals on them and making the animal sounds to go along with it. Once again, we have done this exercise since he started speech therapy. But it is much more fun to him listening to a real animal sound then your mom or therapist trying imitate an animal and sometimes the imitations are horrible (but we try). I will be looking into getting shapes and color apps for the next few weeks to see which one's work best and one's that don't. I had another app that had about twenty-five story books downloaded on it (because he loves books and loves to read!!!!). But in the time it took to upload one, we could have read about three or four of his real books. So, I took that one off, would of been great otherwise. Last but not least after days of my daughter and I fighting over who was going to play Angry Birds (a game app on my cell). Yesterday, Christian decided to see for his self what we were doing. He very quickly became hooked just like his sister and I. Setting in my lap for almost an hour watching me play the game. Laughing so hard at all the birds crashing up he couldn't catch his breath. After about 10 minutes I let him play,  guiding his sweet little finger in the sling shot. After he finally laughed himself out, he would shout "Whoa!" when a lot of things came crashing down or say "Uh-oh," when only a few things fell. I don't think this is educational for him just a way to have fun. But I do use it to my advantage. In between new games he will sign, play more please. But I make him say a random word or at least attempt it and in reward, I let him shoot the next bird.  Whatever it takes to get the words to come out!!

I once said, it is amazing at how many ways you can help your child learn if you are creative in the way you teach. I did this blog to show that there are thousands of ways out there to help you. You just have to be creative enough to find what works for your child's situation.