Signing Time! facts for kids

Signing Time! is a popular TV show for kids that teaches American Sign Language (ASL). It helps children from ages one to eight learn how to sign. The show is seen across the United States and is hosted by Rachel de Azevedo Coleman.

Learning sign language can really help kids grow their learning skills. Even babies and toddlers, some as young as nine months old, can use simple ASL signs to show what they need before they can speak. This can even help them have fewer tantrums! Older kids also benefit from learning a second language. For children with developmental delays or special needs, signing can give them a way to "talk" with their hands.

Signing Time! helps kids learn in different ways: by seeing, hearing, and touching. It connects with children who have various learning styles and abilities. The show encourages kids to communicate through signing, singing, speaking, and dancing.

In the series, Rachel Coleman, who writes songs and plays music, teaches hundreds of useful ASL signs. She is joined by her daughter Leah, who is deaf, and her nephew Alex, who can hear. They also have a fun cartoon pet frog named Hopkins. Kids learn signs for words, questions, phrases, colors, sports, and daily activities. Signing Time! makes learning sign language easy for the whole family!

How Did Signing Time! Start?

The idea for Signing Time! began in 1996 when Rachel Coleman's daughter, Leah, was born. When Leah was 14 months old, Rachel and her husband, Aaron, found out she was deaf since birth. They immediately started teaching Leah sign language. First, they used Signing Exact English (SEE), then switched to American Sign Language (ASL).

Rachel was amazed to see how quickly Leah learned. After just six months, Leah's sign language vocabulary was bigger than that of hearing children her age. Rachel's sister, Emilie Brown, and her husband, Derek, were also teaching Leah's baby cousin, Alex, to sign, and he learned very fast too.

A few years later, Rachel had a second daughter, Lucy. Lucy was born early and had spina bifida and cerebral palsy. Doctors worried that Lucy might never be able to speak or sign because of her cerebral palsy. However, after the first Signing Time! video was made, Lucy started to sign, and later, she began to speak! This made Rachel realize that signing could help all children.

Rachel and Emilie then decided to create videos for all children to make American Sign Language available to everyone. Together, they started their production company, Two Little Hands Productions.

How Does the Show Work?

Rachel Coleman hosts Signing Time! and is joined by her daughter Leah and nephew Alex. In the very first video, "My First Signs," Rachel was added to the show because Alex and Leah, who were only 3 and 4 years old, couldn't always sign clearly enough for viewers.

At first, Rachel didn't sing and sign at the same time because it can be tricky for those who want to see pure American Sign Language. But viewers wanted more songs and wanted to learn signs from them. Since Rachel is a musician, she wrote more songs. Now, Rachel sings many songs in each episode, signing the words as she sings.

During the show, Rachel introduces many signs related to a specific topic, like school or daytime activities. Then, Leah and Alex, along with many other children, sign along. After that, the words are made extra clear through songs.

The second season of Signing Time! has a new look with fresh signs and more original music. Each episode focuses on one theme, which has its own theme song. This helps kids learn the melody and feel like they are part of the show. New parts like "ABC Time," "Counting Time," "Game Time," "Story Time," and "Hopping/Moving Time" explore the episode's theme in a fun way. These parts use memory tricks, songs, stories, and games to help kids with different learning styles. They encourage kids to interact by signing, singing, speaking, and dancing.

Meet the Characters

Rachel de Azevedo Coleman

Rachel is the host of the Signing Time! series. She has spent much of her life working in entertainment. While performing with her band, she found out her daughter Leah was deaf. Her second daughter, Lucy, was born with spina bifida and cerebral palsy. Despite these challenges, Lucy now communicates using both speech and sign language.

Rachel writes and performs all the songs for Signing Time!. She used to sing for her band, but now she sings for Leah, Lucy, and children everywhere. Besides starring in the show, Rachel is also a popular singer and speaker. She has performed for hundreds of thousands of children across the country.

Leah Coleman

Leah Coleman is the reason her mom wanted to create Signing Time!. She was diagnosed as profoundly deaf at 14 months old. She quickly began learning American Sign Language (ASL) as fast as her parents could teach her. Leah could sign full sentences long before other kids her age could even speak. Her parents say she never threw a tantrum because she could communicate.

Leah loves reading, skating on her "Heelys," and playing with her sister Lucy. She has won awards in horse shows and even won her school Spelling Bee, even though she is deaf. Her favorite food is sushi, and she loves the color purple. Leah enjoys being on Signing Time! with her cousin Alex and teaching ASL to other children.

Alex Brown

Alex Brown was in the very first Signing Time! episode before he turned three. He learned to sign as a baby so he could talk with his deaf cousin, Leah. Alex loves riding his bike, rollerblading, making comic books, and drawing mazes. He also enjoys playing with his little brother, Zachary.

His favorite food is shrimp with shell pasta, and his favorite color is green. Alex is a talented singer and pianist, but he likes playing the piano more than practicing. He enjoys filming Signing Time!, especially when he gets to swing on the tire swing or have pillow fights on the set with Leah.

Hopkins the Frog

Hopkins the frog was first thought of as a gecko named 'Twerp.' He was supposed to be Leah's 'voice' and a gift from her grandparents. But since Leah's speech developed on its own, Hopkins is now a happy, little green cartoon sidekick. He loves to swim, paint, lift big pieces of fruit, and eat flies.

He is named after Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. In 1817, Gallaudet started the first free American school for deaf and hearing-impaired people.

Episodes of Signing Time!

All episode numbers come from the official Signing Time! website: http://www.signingtime.com/index.php?cPath=34.

Signing Time! Series 1

• My First Signs
• Playtime Signs
• Everyday Signs
• Family, Feelings & Fun
• ABC Signs
• My Favorite Things
• Leah's Farm
• The Great Outdoors
• The Zoo Train
• My Day
• My Neighborhood
• Time to Eat
• Welcome to School

Signing Time! Series 2

• Nice to Meet You
• Happy Birthday to You
• Move and Groove
• My Favorite Season
• Going Outside
• Days of the Week
• My Favorite Sport
• My Things
• My House
• Helping Out Around the House
• Once Upon a Time
• Box of Crayons
• Who Has The Frog?

Baby Signing Time! DVDs

• Baby Signing Time! Volume 1
• Baby Signing Time! Volume 2

Practice Time! DVDs

• Level 1 ABCs
• Level 1 123s

Signing Time! Products

Two Little Hands Productions offers many fun and educational American Sign Language (ASL) products.

• Baby Signing Time! DVD Series: This series is made especially for children aged 3 to 36 months. It puts a baby's day to music while teaching basic ASL signs for a baby's needs and surroundings.
• Practice Time! DVD Series: Practice Time is an interactive DVD that helps young viewers practice their signing skills with Rachel.

Other products include printed materials like board books and flash cards, Signing Time! clothing, and Signing Time! music CDs.