A "Soapbox" for signing...

Jen Rolph text messaged me last night asking about signing books to teach Kami. Well, anyone who knows me knows that text messages are way to small for my soapboxes. Especially when it comes to sign language.
I prefer DVDs to books when it comes to learning sign language. (No matter what age.) There is a danger with books that you could reproduce the sign incorrectly and then you are just learning gestures.
The moms in my sign classes were always asking me for recommendations for sign videos so I am always doing research on this. Every 6 months or so I will search the library and Amazon for anything new. In my opinion the best bet for baby and child sign DVDs is the Signing Time collection. (Brenley has a link to the web site on the right side of her blog.) The woman that does Signing Time was a musician when she found out that her first daughter was deaf. She shifted gears and went to school to learn ASL. Her programs incorporate music and actual American Sign Language. (Many baby sign programs dumb down the signs to make them easier for babies and children to do. This offends me on many levels, I have watched many children, my daughter and nieces among them, learn these signs as early as 6 months. As a sign interpreter, I see the set backs deaf people have when they did not learn sign early, learning "home signs" and gestures from lazy parents.)
Books are a great way to help parents remember the signs when they are not watching the videos to help reinforce them throughout the day. Any sign book that says: American Sign Language on it will be great. I would get an adult sign book before a book for children, you are going to get more instruction and fewer pictures of children doing the signs incorrectly.
I hope this helps. When you guys are here in May, I can teach you some signs that will be useful for Kami to use everyday.