Sing and Sign baby signing classes in... Cambridge

• About Me

  Baby & toddler signing classes in & around Cambridge

  
  
  

  Hi, I’m Katharine and along with my team we run Sing and Sign baby and toddler signing classes in Central Cambridge (Mill Road), Stapleford for the areas to the South of the City, Histon & Cottenham for the North Cambridge area.
  

  Our fun filled baby & toddler classes are easily accessible for Cambridge and many of the surrounding towns and villages (Histon, Impington, Milton, Cottenham, Willingham, Longstanton, Northstowe, Bar Hill, Over, Swavesey, Girton, Oakington, Great Shelford, Trumpington, Sawston, Linton, Saffron Walden, Linton, Grantchester, Ely, Cambourne and more!) bringing the fantastic benefits of baby signing to many families.

  Thank you for your interest in Sing and Sign.

  Spring term 2025
  

  You can register your interest for the Spring term now and you'll have a brief priority booking window in November when booking opens. Do so here. Spring term beings w/c January 13th. 

  
  Venue classes run:

  * Mondays in Stapleford with Terri 
  * Tuesdays in Cambridge with Katharine 
  * Wednesdays in Cambridge with Katharine
  * Thursdays in Cottenham with Lisa
  * Fridays in Histon with Jen

  In-person:
  

  Babes: 0-5 months
  Stage 1: 5-13 months
  Stage 2: 14-30 months
  

  Online:
  @Home is split into two stages. Joining a venue class at Stage 2 level is absolutely fine - there is always recap you don't need to have done Stage 1 before. However, if you are new to Sing and Sign and attending our @Home course, you might like to start with Stage 1. Watch a preview of our class @Home here. 

  Please contact me if you would like to to discuss your baby's needs in more detail.
  

  Babes is for newborns up to around 5 months of age at the start of term.  This is a lovely, gentle music and sensory class with a strong emphasis on communication.  The course introduces the basics of the Sing and Sign approach for those who are keen to sign with their babies. We also show you lovely adaptations of familiar songs to enjoy with your baby while you are face to face, during nappy changing, bath time, bedtime and during gentle playtime.

  Babes classes are scheduled for 45 minutes, with around 30 minutes of singing and signing and some time for socialising and play at the end. I welcome families to join Babes throughout the term. 
  

  Stage One classes are suitable for babies from around 6 months up to approx. 14 months and you can start at any time between these ages.  Babies start to sign back anywhere from around 6 months and continue to use the signs as toddlers to support clear speech development.  

  Toddling onto Stage Two is great fun and is suitable for little ones from around 14 months old up to two years old (can vary depending on the toddler).  The class is more physically active for them and we learn signs for colours, foods, the alphabet, the weather, counting and even beginning phonetic awareness and much more.  You don't need to have done Stage 1 - we still include the basic advice on how to sign with your baby and have some lovely songs to enjoy.

  Both stage 1 and 2 classes are scheduled for an hour with around 45 minutes of singing and signing and some time at the end for socialising and play.
  

  Sing and Sign stages 1 & 2 are designed to be repeated courses. Many families repeat each of these classes up to 3 times before moving onto the next stage! 

  All levels are enjoyed through our magic ingredients: music and fun!

  Twins are charged just once
  

  I may be able to accommodate siblings this term - please contact me first.

  To join our mailing list to be kept up to date with class information, free session dates, resource updates and offers, please click here.

  What Do Parents Who Come To Classes Say?

  Don't just take my word for it! Here's are some quotes from parents who have enjoyed Sing and Sign with me in Cambridge: 

  "Charlie signed 'pain' for the first time yesterday and then pointed to his cheeks.  We thought he was teething with his molars but now we know for sure.  We dosed him up with Calpol and Nurofen overnight and he had the best nights sleep he'd had for days!  Another big tick for baby signing!"  Adina, Charlie's Mum

  "Thanks for a great term! We've learnt a lot and Benjamin even does signs which I've not even shown him so he must be picking some up from you in class!  He loves the "faster" sign !! Hehe!"; Eleanor, Benjamin's Mum

  Maisie has loved the sing & sign sessions and I have learnt a lot too, keeping up quite a few signs at home; it's starting to pay off now which is just fantastic. Maisie can now tell me when she wants her milk, is hungry, wants a drink, is tired and she makes quite a few animal signs. It's great for me as there is less guess work, but Maisie also seems so pleased with herself that I am understanding her too.  Zoe, Maisie's Mum

  My Own Baby Signing Experience

  It really is a special experience when your own baby starts to sign and you realise that they are mentally ready to communicate with you, just unable to express themselves fully through speech - babies can sign a lot younger than they can articulate a range of words.

  I began attending Sing and Sign with my youngest child when he was 6 months old and we really enjoyed the songs, props and flow of the classes. We were amazed when he began to tell us what he wanted - asking for more (be that swinging at the park or food!) and later telling me all the colours of his beloved cars as we were out and about. He was a relatively late talker, but the signs meant we avoided too many communication related frustration tantrums and then when his little brother came along, we all attended classes again! Our second son was a much more active communicator and at 18 months had a “vocabulary” of over 80 signs and was stringing them together into “sentences”. Even aged 3 his nursery worker would tell me how he would sign for extra emphasis (as well as saying what he wanted) just to be sure we all understood!

  I began teaching for my predecessor when my youngest was 1 year old and have since taken over the Franchise and, along with an amazing team of teachers, am delighted to be able to keep offering these fun filled music-based signing classes!
  

  Sing and Sign Cambridge - Bookings Terms and Conditions

  Full terms and conditions can be found here.

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• More Info

  Find out what your baby is thinking and avoid toddler tantrums!

  Sing and Sign classes are being enjoyed now by many parents, carers and their babies and toddlers in the Cambridge area - classes run as blocks of 10 or 11 weeks and many parents chose to bring their babies or toddlers for two or three terms, to build up their signing vocabularies and because the babies get so much out of the classes - including lots of fun!

  There is a theme every week (emotions, people, nappies and bathtime...) and signs are learnt through songs and music, using props, instruments and toys that the babies and toddlers love.  Class sizes are limited to 12 bookings (twins count as one and pay once) to keep it enjoyable for all and to make sure you get the most out of baby signing. 

  The Sing and Sign approach makes it really easy for you to sign at home with your baby in between classes, and is incredibly effective in helping communication and speech development.

  How Much?

  Venue classes 

  * Babes courses cost £90 for an 11 week term Autumn 2024 including access to exclusive online resources. 
  

  * Stage 1 and 2 courses cost £96 for the 11 week Autumn term - this fee includes membership to the Jessie Cat Club, our online resources including top tips and video clips, a video dictionary of 250+ signs, a print out facility for your favourite signs and also some interactive Jessie Cat peek-a-boo games; as well as access to the @Home weekly lessons meaning if you are ill and miss a class you can join in online anytime that week - along with the whole family!
  

  * @Home classes cost £50 for a 10 week term - this fee includes a weekly class (pre-recorded therefore able to be viewed as often as you like for the 7 days it is available) and membership to the Jessie Cat Club.
  

  We cover a different class theme each week. You can re-enrol for subsequent terms and many people do, as the babies' participation and your own learning develop over time. 

  Twins count as a single booking - please check for spaces.

  I can usually accommodate siblings in stages 1 and 2 but please contact me first to check so we do not have too many in one class.
  

  Book early to avoid disappointment!  I always keep class sizes manageable, so places will be limited and filled on a first come first served basis. I will however keep a waiting list if classes become full. If you are not ready to enrol your baby, you are welcome to indicate your interest and will have the option of joining the waiting list. You can also see term dates, time/class availability here or via the Book Now link to the right.

  More About The Classes 

  I found the Sing and Sign approach the most appropriate for babies, many of the signs are the same as Makaton (often used in Early Years settings) and also uses signs from BSL and ASL – the point being that babies will most easily mimic the signs that are the easiest to form with their tiny hands.  We all know that babies love to copy, and the classes provide a fun and sociable way for parents to learn the signs while the babies enjoy the singing. 

  The classes run as a course, building up the signing vocabulary you are learning week by week so that you learn over 100 signs by the end of the course.  There is no pressure though and there is always a chance to catch up if you miss a week.

  Through Sing and Sign classes, parents and carers of baby signers gain a very special insight into what their babies are thinking.  Baby signing helps to avoid the dreaded tantrums by enabling your baby to tell you what they want.  As they become toddlers and start talking, the signs continue to help them to be understood while their speech may not be too clear.  Signing is also known to accelerate speech and studies have shown that gestures play a strong part in communication and language development.

  I’m really keen to help parents learn to sign with their babies and to have similar experiences to the ones I’ve enjoyed with my boys.   We go at a comfortable pace and I provide the individuals in class with as much support as they’d like.  Sing and Sign classes are relaxed and you can take whatever time you need to for your baby – whether they need feeding, changing or a nap!

• Nurseries

  Sing and Sign Nursery Affiliation Program (NAP)

  A growing number of local families are learning baby signing through Sing and Sign classes in the Cambridge area and would love to be able to have the continuity of their babies attending a childcare setting that supports baby signing.  The Nursery Affiliation Program offers a unique approach to bring baby signing into nurseries in a really natural and manageable way.
  

  OFSTED also view baby signing as an excellent communication tool and it has a strong connection with the goals of the EYFS Stage 1.

  Sing and Sign Nursery Affiliation includes a wide range of ongoing benefits, offering the best way to introduce signing, inspire staff and give parents confidence in your nursery’s approach. 

  Join over 100 Nurseries nationwide that have embraced better communication since the Sing and Sign NAP started in 2006.

  Please get in touch for more information at cambridge@singandsign.co.uk or on 07732 380191.

  
  

  CAMBRIDGE AREA SING AND SIGN AFFILIATED NURSERIES:

  Silks Farm, Huntingdon

  
  

   West Cambridge Day Nursery
  

   Edwinstowe Close Day Nursery
   Meadow Lane Children's Nursery, St Ives
   Sunhill Day Nursery, Granta Park

  
  Previously affiliated nurseries:

  • * Joint Colleges Nursery, Cambridge
    
  • * Harvey Road Day Nursery, Cambridge
  • * Sawston Nursery, Sawston
  • * Scallywags Day Nursery, Westwick / Girton
  • * The Wendy House Day Nursery and Pre-School, Impington / Shingay

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