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Signing Time!

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Signing Time!
GenreChildren's television series
Created byRachel Coleman
Emilie Brown
Directed byDamian Dayton
StarringRachel Coleman
Liam Coleman[2]
Alex Brown
Aaron de Azevedo
Voices ofClara Poulsen
Alex Brown
Zachary Brown
Theme music composerRachel Coleman
Opening themeSigning Time! Theme
ComposersRachel Coleman
Lex de Azevedo
Country of originUnited States
Original languagesEnglish
ASL (vocabulary only)
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes26 (list of episodes)
Production
Production locationSalt Lake City, Utah
Running time28–30 minutes
Production companyTwo Little Hands Productions
Original release
NetworkPBS member stations
ReleaseMay 1, 2002 (2002-05-01) [1] –
July 1, 2008 (2008-07-01)
Related
Baby Signing Time!
Practice Time!

Signing Time! is an American television program targeted towards children aged one through eight that teaches American Sign Language. It is filmed in the United States and was created by sisters Emilie Brown and Rachel Coleman, the latter of whom hosts the series. Between the years 2002 and 2008, it was aired by American Public Television in many cities across the US.[3] Signing Time! is produced and distributed by Two Little Hands Productions,[4] which is located in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Signing Time’s multi-sensory approach encourages learning through three senses — visual, auditory and kinesthetic — and reaches children with diverse learning styles and abilities by encouraging interaction through signing, singing, speaking and dancing.

The series teaches signs for common words, questions, phrases, movements, colors, sports, days of the week, everyday objects, and common activities.[5]

The segments for the show aired as an interstitial for PBS Kids Sprout's Musical Mornings with Coo block from 2007 to 2009. The insterstitals still air on SproutOnDemand from 2010 to 2013.

Currently[when?], Signing Time! interstitial music videos can be seen on the Nick Jr. Channel.[6][7] As of October 4, 2010, public television stations were allowed to show the series for the next two years.[8][needs update]

History and conception

In 1996, Rachel Coleman had a child, Liam, who was discovered at 14 months old to have been deaf since birth. Subsequently, they learned sign language, first with Signing Exact English (SEE),[9] then with American Sign Language (ASL), so that they could learn to communicate. Coleman noticed that within six months, Liam's sign language vocabulary surpassed the vocabulary of hearing children their same age.[10]

The logo for Two Little Hands Productions
The Two Little Hands Productions logo

Coleman and her sister Emilie created a visual video for hearing children's learn ASL, and started Two Little Hands Productions, their production company. A foundation, Signing Time! Foundation, also exists to teach ASL.[11] The foundation is dedicated to making sign language fun and accessible to all children, and to furthering Rachel's advocacy. Through the Signing Time foundation, Rachel is a keynote speaker at speaking engagements where she shares her message, journey, and experiences. To help children like Rachel's child who were diagnosed with hearing loss, the foundation offers an initiative where it delivers, free of charge, an online ASL curriculum called SignIt to those children's families.

Format

Signing Time!

Coleman hosts the show, with her child Liam and nephew Alex also starring to provide support. In My First Signs, it was not originally planned for her to be in the videos, but she was added to demonstrate the signs because Alex and Liam could not consistently sign clearly enough to teach viewers the signs.[12]

The second season introduced a new format that includes new signs and more original music. Each program addresses a single theme, marked by a theme song, which is introduced verse by verse. In addition, new segments “ABC Time,” “Counting Time,” “Game Time,” “Story Time,” and “Hopping/Moving Time” explore the episode theme or other skills in a playful way.

Signing Time! Sentences is a three episode mini-series released in 2015 and 2016 geared toward older children and teens. In it Alex and Liam, both now in their late teens, return with Rachel to teach viewers the basics of American Sign Language grammar.

Baby Signing Time!

Baby Signing Time! is a sister series to Signing Time! It started in 2005 and is geared towards children aged 2 and younger; it is similar to the early volumes of Signing Time where the signs are introduced one at a time. It is much more musical than regular Signing Time and teaches basic ASL signs for a baby's needs and environment. Coleman hosts this series as well, though it features Alex and Liam as animated babies rather than their live-action counterparts.[13]

Signing Time on public television

The Signing Time Foundation funded the airing of Signing Time on public television stations around the country from 2006 to 2008. Signing Time began airing on public television stations nationwide in 2006 and went from being relatively unknown to having over 80% national cumulative carriage. It was the only show on national television teaching children to sign. Public television does not pay for programming, and in order to keep Signing Time on public television, the Signing Time Foundation was expected to produce and deliver 13 episodes annually, which would have totaled an annual cost of approximately 1.5 million dollarsUS, something that Signing Time's production company could not afford.[14][15]

As of October 4, 2010, public television stations were given the right to air Signing Time! for the next two years.[8][needs update]

Cast

  • Rachel Coleman, the host of the Signing Time! series. She has spent much of her adult life in the entertainment industry. While performing with her band We the Living, Rachel's 14-month-old child was diagnosed as having a profound hearing impairment.
  • Liam Coleman,[2][16] one of the main children in the show. Liam is the inspiration behind the creation of Signing Time! Diagnosed as profoundly deaf at 14 months old, Liam is now 28. In fourth grade, they garnered national attention for winning first place in their school spelling bee.[5] Liam received a cochlear implant in January 2004.[17]
  • Alex Brown, one of the main children in the show. Brown appeared in the first episode of Signing Time! before his third birthday. He learned to sign as a baby so that he could communicate with his deaf cousin.[18] A native of Salt Lake City, Utah, Alex has also lived in Virginia and California.[5]
  • Aaron de Azevedo as Hopkins, a cartoon frog.[19] Originally named "Twerp" (a play on the nickname "Terp," for interpreter). Hopkins appears as a little green animated sidekick in segments demonstrating words taught in the show. He is named after Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, who in 1817 established the first free American school for the deaf and hearing-impaired.[20]

Episodes

Series overview

SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
113May 1, 2002 (2002-05-01)March 26, 2006 (2006-03-26)
213August 31, 2007 (2007-08-31)July 1, 2008 (2008-07-01)

Series 1 (2002–2006)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byProd.
code
1"My First Signs"Emilie de Azevedo Brown
Jon Pierre Francia		May 1, 2002101

Three-year-old Alex and his four-year-old cousin Leah, who is deaf, along with host Rachel Coleman (Leah's mom), teach beginning American Sign Language (ASL) signs.

Song: "Show Me a Sign"
2"Playtime Signs"Emilie de Azevedo Brown
Jon Pierre Francia		November 1, 2002102

Alex, Leah, and Rachel teach ASL signs related to sharing, toys, manners, and more.

Songs: "Magic Words," "Look at My Hands," "Part of Life," "The Good"
3"Everyday Signs"Emilie de Azevedo Brown
Jon Pierre Francia		November 4, 2002103

Alex, Leah, and Rachel teach ASL signs for the things children see, do and experience every day.

Songs: "Silly Pizza Song," "Rainy Day," "Good Night Baby," "Proud to Be Me"
4"Family, Feelings, and Fun"Doug ChamberlainDecember 14, 2004104

Alex, Leah, and Rachel teach ASL signs for family members, feelings, and things outside.

Songs: "In a House," "Beautiful Day," "Feelings," "We've Got Love"
5"ABC Signs"Doug ChamberlainDecember 14, 2004105

Alex, Leah, their frog Hopkins, and Rachel teach the alphabet in American Sign Language.

Songs: "A is for Alex and Alligator," "LMNO," "Lonely Letter X"
6"My Favorite Things"Doug ChamberlainDecember 14, 2004106

Alex, Leah, Hopkins, and Rachel teach ASL signs for colors of the rainbow, fruits and vegetables, and physical activities.

Songs: "The Rainbow Song," "5 A Day," "I'm Really Good," "Shine"
7"Leah's Farm"Travis BabcockJanuary 12, 2005107

Alex, Leah, Hopkins, and Rachel teach ASL signs for farm animals.

Songs: "Leah's Farm," "Did You Know?" "Turtle Rock," "Good Night to Leah's Farm"

Special Thanks to: Wheeler Farm, Murray, Utah
8"The Great Outdoors"TBAFebruary 19, 2006108

Alex, Leah, Hopkins, and Rachel teach ASL signs for animals, bugs, activities and objects one would encounter in the woods or a backyard.

Songs: "My Great Backyard," "Right Place, Right Time," "When the Bugs Come Marching In," "Caterpillar Dreams"
9"The Zoo Train"Travis BabcockFebruary 26, 2006109

Alex, Leah, Hopkins, and Rachel teach ASL signs for animals often seen at the zoo.

Songs: "The Zoo Train," "Walking Through the Zoo," "In the Water," "Guess What I Am"

Special Thanks to: Sea World of California
10"My Day"TBAMarch 5, 2006110

Alex, Leah, Hopkins, and Rachel teach ASL signs for daily activities.

Songs: "I'm Awake," "When I Get Dressed," "Imagination," "Bedtime Round"
11"My Neighborhood"Travis BabcockMarch 12, 2006111

Alex, Leah, Hopkins, and Rachel teach ASL signs for playground activities, vehicles, places to go and people to see in a neighborhood.

Songs: "Down at the Park," "Watch Me Go," "My Job," "In My Neighborhood," "Every Day"
12"Time To Eat"Travis BabcockMarch 19, 2006112[21]

Alex, Leah, Hopkins, and Rachel invite viewers to breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Signs and songs for cooking, eating, setting the table, and favorite foods are taught.

Songs: "The Garden Song," "Let it Cook," Set the Table," Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner," "Silly Pizza Song II"
13"Welcome To School"Travis BabcockMarch 26, 2006113[21]

Alex and Leah head off to school as they teach signs and sing songs about things to do and see in the classroom.

Songs: "Welcome to School," "Hello Backpack," "Learning Centers," "On My Way Home"

Series 2 (2007–2008)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byProd.
code
1"Nice to Meet You"TBAAugust 31, 2007201

Alex, Leah, Hopkins, and Rachel teach signs and phrases that viewers can use to meet and greet new friends.

Learning modules: ABC Time, Counting Time
2"Happy Birthday to You"TBAAugust 31, 2007202

It's Leah's birthday, and Alex, Leah, Hopkins, Rachel invite viewers to Leah's birthday party, where they learn signs and phrases for all the birthday fun.

Learning modules: Counting Time, Story Time
3"Move and Groove"TBAAugust 31, 2007203

Alex, Leah, Hopkins, and Rachel teach viewers signs for all the different ways to move their bodies.

Learning modules: ABC Time, Game Time
4"My Favorite Season"TBANovember 13, 2007204

Alex, Leah, Hopkins, and Rachel take viewers on a signing journey through the seasons.

Learning modules: Moving Time, Game Time
5"Going Outside"TBANovember 13, 2007205

Alex, Leah, Hopkins, and Rachel teach viewers signs for things in nature.

Learning modules: Hopping Time, Story Time
6"Days of the Week"TBANovember 13, 2007206

The Signing Time friends teach viewers to sign all seven days of the week.

Learning modules: Moving Time, Counting Time
7"My Favorite Sport"TBANovember 13, 2007207

Alex, Leah, Hopkins, and Rachel teach viewers signs for things related to sports.

Learning modules: Hopping Time, Game Time
8"My House"TBAApril 24, 2008208

Alex, Leah, Hopkins and Rachel take a singing and signing tour of the rooms and objects in a house.

Learning modules: Hopping Time, Game Time
9"My Things"Damian DaytonApril 24, 2008209

Alex, Leah and Hopkins teach signs for the things in the treehouse and return every toy to its “right place.”

Learning modules: Game Time and Counting Time

Song: My Things Have a Right Place
10"Helping Out Around the House"TBAApril 24, 2008210

Alex, Leah, Hopkins, and Rachel teach viewers signs for household chores.

Learning modules: ABC Time, Story Time
11"Once Upon a Time"TBAJuly 1, 2008211

The Signing Time friends discover the joy of books through songs and signs.

Learning modules: ABC Time, Story Time
12"Box of Crayons"TBAJuly 1, 2008212

Alex, Leah, Hopkins, and Rachel teach the signs for colors like pink, orange, purple and green.

Learning modules: Hopping Time, Story Time
13"Who Has the Frog?"TBAJuly 1, 2008213

Alex and Leah can't find Hopkins, so they go on a journey to find him. During this journey Alex, Leah, and Rachel teach viewers how to sign question words like "who," "what," "where," "when," and "how."

Learning modules: ABC Time, Story Time

Media

Home media

  • Baby Signing Time! – 4 volumes
  • Practice Time – 2 volumes – Level 1: ABCs and Level 1: 123s
  • Story Time Volume 1
  • Sing and Sign: Favorite Songs from Volumes 1-6
  • Potty Time: A potty training video sold as a set with an audio CD. A "Potty Time" watch with a "potty reminder" alarm is also available as part of a different set.
  • Signing Time Christmas: 2 DVD and 1-CD set published in 2014. Brings back Alex and Liam as teenagers.

Other items include printed materials such as board books and flash cards, Signing Time! clothing, and Signing Time! music CDs.

Awards and nominations

Awards and nominations for Signing Time!
Year Award Category Nominee Result / Refs[22]
2004 Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) Notable Children's Videos Signing Time Series One, Volume 3: Everyday Signs Won[a][23]
2007 Parents' Choice Award DVD Signing Time! Practice Time ABCs Approved[b][24]
2008 35th Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series Rachel Coleman, Signing Time! Nominated[25]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The ALSC has a list of Notable Children's Videos, so more than one video can be listed.
  2. ^ This video won an Approved seal on the Parents' Choice Award among the six types of awards: Classic, Gold, Silver, Recommended, Approved, and "Fun Stuff"

References

  1. ^ "Signing Time!". American Public Television. Archived from the original on October 23, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Meet Your "Sign It ASL" Instructors". Sign It!. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2022. Liam Coleman is a Deaf American actor known for inspiring the creation of, and starring in, the Signing Time series.
  3. ^ "Signing Time on Public Television!". February 13, 2008. Archived from the original on February 13, 2008. Retrieved March 3, 2012.
  4. ^ "Two Little Hands Productions". Twolittlehands.com. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  5. ^ a b c "Signing Time! Season Two". American Public Television. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  6. ^ Signing Time! Blog (December 8, 2009). "Learn Sign Language » Nick Jr. Airs Signing Time Interstitial Music Series Beginning Dec. 9, 2009". Signingtime.com. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  7. ^ "Say It Two Ways | Signing Time | Nick Jr. | Kids Sign Language". Nick Jr. December 4, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  8. ^ a b Coleman, Rachel (October 4, 2010). "We Are BACK!". Rachel Coleman. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  9. ^ de Azevedo Coleman, Rachel. "Word Order." Signing Time! Volume 4: Family, Feelings, and Fun. 2004. DVD. Two Little Hands Productions, 2004.
  10. ^ de Azevedo Coleman, Rachel. A Sign of the Times. 2005. Chicken Soup for the Entrepreneur's Soul: Advice & Inspiration for Fulfilling Dreams. By Jack Canfield, et al. Deerfield Beach, Florida: Health Communications, Inc., 2006. 167-169.
  11. ^ "Mission — Signing Time Foundation". Signingtimefoundation.org. Archived from the original on April 8, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  12. ^ Coleman, Rachel (February 4, 2006). "The evolution of Signing Time". Archived from the original on February 24, 2012.
  13. ^ "Preemies Today, Vol. 3 Issue 3" (PDF). May 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 23, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  14. ^ Signing Time Foundation. "Operation Ghana". Signingtimefoundation.org. Archived from the original on June 5, 2008. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  15. ^ Coleman, Rachel (November 13, 2008). "Signing Time is No Longer on Public TV". Signingtime.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2009. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  16. ^ Coleman, Liam (writer, producer, director) (March 31, 2021). Inner Dialogue (Short film) (in American Sign Language). Morpheyes Studio. Event occurs at 1:07. Archived from the original on April 11, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2022 – via YouTube. What if we announce what our pronouns are? They/them
  17. ^ "Cochlear Implant - A New Study". Signingtime.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  18. ^ Brown, Alex; Coleman, Liam (2011). "Interview with Alex and Leah, part 2" (Interview). 4:40 minutes in. Archived from the original on August 4, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2012. The type of sports I like are more like swimming, scootering, skateboarding, and one that's called parkour...
  19. ^ Coleman, Rachel (November 28, 2011). "Hopkins the Frog | Rachel Coleman".
  20. ^ "Signing Time! Fact Sheet". American Public Television. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  21. ^ a b "Episode Description for: SIGNING TIME!". Aptonline.org. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  22. ^ "Awards". Signing Time. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  23. ^ "ALA | ALSC announces 2004 Notable Children's Videos". www.ala.org.
  24. ^ "Signing Time! Practice Time ABCs". parents-choice.org. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  25. ^ The Envelope April 30, 2008 (April 30, 2008). "Daytime Emmy nominations". theenvelope.latimes.com. Retrieved April 2, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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