News
Posters: We've added some new topics to the range of colourful A3 posters - 16 now! These are a great (and affordable) way of displaying useful signs for all to see and of reminding colleagues that they should be signing. Subjects are: Art & Craft / Colours / Days / Farm /Golf/ Leisure (10 signs)/ Numbers / Olympic Experience / Olympic Sports / Pets / Placement / Questions / Snacks / Sports / Taking a Stand / Weather (11 signs). Other topics will be added to the range. Posters are £3.50 each, over 4 posters £2.50 each, + £2.50 p&p To order from the range click here
How many kids?: The Department for Education has recently release statistics which show that the the number of children with speech, language and communication needs is rising. See the data here
* We were alerted about this information by the Communication Trust, an umbrella charity of which Signalong has been an active member for nearly 3 years. The Trust will be responsible for running the 2011 Year of Communication. You can find out more about the Communication Trust at www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk *
We come to you: You can't get the full flavour of the whole of the Signalong range of manuals and other resources just from the publication list. We try to get around the country to enable existing users to see what's new and to give others the chance to see what they're missing. We are halfway through our exhibition and conference programme for 2010, dates remaining are:
September |
1 |
Celtic Kids |
Tydfil Leisure Centre |
Merthyr Tydfil |
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| 26/28 | Communication Matters National Symposium |
University | Leicester | ||||
New date October |
15/16 |
Special Needs London | Business Design Centre | Islington | |||
November |
22 |
Communication Matters | Claremont School | Bristol | |||
| 23/24 | Money Talks (Learning DisabilityWales) |
Newport | |||||
|
30 |
Communication Matters |
Hampden Park |
Glasgow |
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| December | 1 |
Communication Matters | Carnegie Conference Centre | Dunfermline |
More dates are likely to be added. If you know of forthcoming local conferences or exhibitions related to special needs please send us the details (contact Mike Kennard on 0845 450 8423 or email mkennard@signalong.org.uk).
- If you would like us to arrange to visit your establishment or service to show you the resources and talk about how we can help you meet the needs of your children, students or service users, please contact Mike Kennard - 0845 450 8423, or email mkennard@signalong.org.uk
Signalong in Romania: For many years now Signalong tutor Vicki Pearson has been working to improve the lives of people with disabilities in Romania. You can read a brief report on her work 
here
Vicki working with Luigi in Romania
Vicki is based in Kent and can provide Signalong training in this country. email her at vcpearson@hotmail.com if you need help. Other trainers can be found on our training page |
Don't say a word... Greenmeadow Primary School in Swindon held a sponsored "Silent Signalong playtime" to help to raise funds for the charity. Nearly £100 has been collected so far. Our thanks to the pupils, who amazed the staff by managing to play silently on both playgrounds for the full playtime. It was rather surreal to have so many children outside and no noise except running feet!
Meeting the challenge: For the past 2 years North Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Trust and North East Care Plus have been working together to improve communication in the adults services. In 2008 a Signalong training team ran a course for 8 staff from the statutory and voluntary sector to become Signalong tutors, and now the 2-year assessment of the programme has been produced. It includes 3 case studies which show marked improvement in the qualityof life of the subjects, resulting in a reduction in aggressive behaviour. You can read the report here
Important notice:
NEW PRICES, NEW FORMATS
We have been struggling to keep our prices steady in the face of constantly rising costs. One step we have taken which has helped us to do this has been to print the signing sections in most of our manuals on a single-coloured paper. This means that the (expensive) strongly coloured pages will now appear on cream – we selected this rather than the cheaper option of white paper to assist people with visual difficulties or with dyslexia. We will keep Phase 1 in its coloured sections which are useful for training purposes, but in 2010 we will replace the deep red and deep blue sections with more user-friendly tones. Nevertheless, we will need to increase the prices of a small number of titles, as below (to take effect from January 1st):
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The full catalogue can be found on our publications page to order on-line, or you can download our publication list
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Training in Shrewsbury An experienced Signalong tutor has moved to Shrewsbury and is available to provide training - contact js@jsbeckett.freeserve.co.uk for more information
Signing in autism: Signalong has been used very effectively to help children and adults with autism spectrum disorders to communicate effectively. An article on signing with children with ASD was published some time ago in SPEACH, the magazine of the parents' group PEACH. You can read it here
Tutor training: The next course will be in Rochester in June is now full. Other courses have been or are being arranged - see the training page for more details. For details please email sbissett@signalong.org.uk or ring 0845 450 8424
Keeping Up
- If you would like to receive updates on Signalong developments and events by email, please go to the Discussion Forum and register as a member. We will be sending information to those on the Forum by group email (please note: some institutional networks have software which blocks incoming group emails, thinking that they are spam. Some can be set to allow messages from www.signalong.proboards99.com/, but others won't. In this case, please register on your home email address)
Signalong Basic Vocabulary Dictionary now available !
All the signs in the Basic Vocabulary Phases 1 - 4 manuals, arranged alphabetically in 3 A5 handy-sized books complete with slipcase. All signs are fully described and illustrated, eliminating cross-references, with additionall sections on days of the week, months, numbers and name signing.
The Signalong Database CD is now back in production. This disc contains most of the Basic Vocabulary Phase 1 signs in animated form with 5 different avatars performing the signs, plus a sign recognition game. (May not run with MS Windows Vista)
The Signalong Database (for Windows) £39.50 including v.a.t, + p&p
We have several new publications now available:- please visit our publications page to log on to the webshop
Primary Numeracy: We have permission to offer the Warren Wood Primary School "Numeracy Vocabulary" for sale. This was commission by the school to aid learning for the 5 strands in the Framework for Teaching Mathematics:
- Numbers and the number system
- Calculations
- Solving problems
- Handling data
- Measure, shape and space
The 212 signs are arranged alphabetically, 4 to a page in this A5 manual. £12.50 + p&p
"Primary Numeracy Vocabulary " now available at £12.50 + p&p
"Taking A Stand", vocabulary dealing with bullying, hate crime and keeping safe, is now available. The special launch price of £25 + p&p will be held until June 30th.
"I Get Around" is an A5 book of 62 signs for transport and moving around. It has 4 sections: "With a Little Help" for non-mechanical assisted travel (e.g. pushchair, horse, wheelchair etc); "I Can Do It Myself" for self-propulsion (e.g. bicycle, roller blades, skis etc); "Power up!" for mechanical transport (e.g. aeroplane, escalator, taxi etc); "On the Water" for water-borne travel (e.g. boat, ferry, pedalo etc).
"I Get Around" now available at £7.50 + p&p
"Widgit Foundation Maths - A Signing Companion" is an A4 book of signs to complement the Widgit Foundation Maths symbol resource. The sign diagrams will be made available on a Widgit-compatible disc in 2009.
"Widgit Foundation Maths - A Signing Companion" now available at £10 + p&p
"Hygiene Extra - A Signing Companion" is an A5 book of signs which are to make Inclusive Technology's Switch It - Hygiene Extra accessible to those who need sign-supported communication.
"Hygiene Extra - A Signing Companion" now available at £8.50 +p&p
- "Respect" is a songbook with 15 new songs written for assemblies in secondary schools around the topics of respect, patience, caring and citizenship. The songs are specially written for an SEN environment, using simple language with tunes that spread over no more than one octave. Signs are described and illustrated in full, with an additional page for each song where the suggested key words are highlighted with sign reminder diagram above. Development ideas are included for each song, with curriculum topic links. The songbook is accompanied by a CD with words and music. (Published by Alison Burns)
- "Respect" is now available at £25 + p&p
- Mike Kennard spoke at the Communication Trust Conference on October 10 2008. To read an expanded version of his talk please click here
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INDEX 2009
- The charity's 2009 report is available on request. To look at our financial performance you can view our audited Statement of Financial Activities
- SIGNALONG TELEPHONE NUMBERS: These changed in 2008. Details on our "contact us" page
- If you can't get through please drop us an email to let us know
If you have any questions or comments or just want to make contact, you can either e-mail us or you can post a message on our public forum |
