Baby Signs, the program that teaches children and parents how to communicate even before a child is old enough to speak, is back again at the MCGHealth Children’s Medical Center with a new series of classes for 2008.

Baby Signs teaches babies as young as 6 months old to use simple, easy-to-do gestures for communicating with their parents and caregivers.  These gestures or “signs” represent an item or concept, such as “cat,” “eat,” or “all gone.”  Two decades of National Institutes of Health-funded research went into creating the program, which gives parents a way of communicating with their baby long before he or she can talk.

Parent Workshops, will be held March 4 and June 5 from 7 to 9 p.m. These introductory seminars for expectant and new parents, grandparents and caregivers teach everything you need to know to get started with the Baby Signs Program.  The cost is $50 for two parents/adults and includes a Parent Workshop Kit.

The Sign, Say & Play™ program is a three-week course for parents and children ages 6 months to 3 years.  Each week, the instructor will introduce new signs, stimulating activities, songs and play, featuring different themes.  The cost is $47.50 per baby, plus a $40 Sign, Say & Play Starter Kit. Classes are scheduled for March 13, 20 and 27, and April 17, 24 and May 1. Classes are held from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

More Sign, Say & Play classes will be held May 15, 22 and 29, and June 2, 19 and 26.  The cost is $47.50 per baby, plus $40 for materials.

The $40 Starter Kit need only be purchased one time and is applicable to both the Parent Workshops and the Sign, Say & Play program.

All classes are held in the first floor classroom of the MCGHealth Children’s Medical Center, 1446 Harper St. To register, call 706-721-6929.

MCG Health, Inc. (d/b/a MCGHealth) is a not-for-profit corporation operating the MCGHealth Medical Center, MCGHealth Children’s Medical Center, the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center, and related outpatient facilities and services throughout the state.  For more information, please visit mcghealth.org.