My Smart Hands with Christina, San Jose

Christina Hoppner has fond memories of learning the American Sign Language alphabet in middle school. When her daughter was born, these memories inspired her to study sign language as a way to bond with her new baby. Her program of choice, known as My Smart Hands, was created by Laura Berg to help children develop literacy. Now Christina is a certified instructor for this PTPA-awarded system.

Babies typically can gesture before they speak, and they learn how to use the gestures to get what they want from grown-ups. Parents can use this natural behavior to help them learn specific signs that help them communicate clearly. To that end, Christina teaches songs and games that help both parents and their children sign everyday words, such as "bedtime," "doggy," and "fiscal responsibility."