Unique new classes to help babies and toddlers learn sign language in Brinsley

The sessions will help babies and toddlers to communicate through signs.

The Tiny Talk baby signing classes allow parents to learn how to communicate with their baby before they can speak.

Kimberley Gavuzzi, who has set up the classes, said she left her role in teaching to pursue the idea.

She said: “By profession I am an early years school teacher. However, I have left the job role to focus my full time and energy in developing children's speech and language.

“Children's language and communication skills are an essential building block to support later learning.

“As a teacher, I found that many children were starting school with little or no speech and therefore using signs really supported their communication journey.

“My passion over my six years of teaching has been to work with and offer support to these children to help them progress.

“When progress is made, even just a little step the moment is magical.

“This is why I have decided to move away from teaching and purely focus on helping children to communicate their needs from an early age.”

The classes are suitable for babies and toddlers and focus on introducing British Sign Language signs through songs and play.

They also encourage babies to be able to communicate before they can talk by using signs.

Kimberley, who is a new mum herself, added: “There are currently only a few baby classes in NG16 and I think only one other that offers baby sign as part of its class.

“As a mum of a 10-month-old in the NG16 community I am always on the look out for classes to take him to.

“I feel introducing a new class into this area will be good for other families who are in the same boat.”

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The classes are run in blocks of 12 weeks, and each block covers the most important 50 core signs.

Sessions are held every Tuesday, from 10.15-11.15am, at St Andrew's Church Hall in Langley Mill.

They are also being run at Brinsley Primary School and Nursery, on Moor Road, every Wednesday from 10.30-11.30am.

The cost is £6.50 per family per class.

For more information about the unique new classes, visit tinytalk.co.uk/kimberleygavuzzi