TinyTalk North West Leicestershire, South Derbyshire & Tamworth is marking 10 years of helping babies communicate with signs before they can speak.

Felicity Haslewood, a single mum of one from Coalville, started delivering classes in the area a decade ago this month.

And she operates them to this day in Coleorton - as well as Moira and South Derbyshire.

She first attended classes as a parent with her young son before joining the TinyTalk Baby Signing family as a franchisee.

Starting up a business with a six-month-old might sound like a strange choice but TinyTalk offered, and still does, flexibility to work in a way that meets the needs of the family.

At a time when needing to work to be able to provide for her young son, Felicity says TinyTalk came to the rescue and she has not looked back since.

On September 23, 2012, Felicity became the franchisee for TinyTalk North West Leicestershire, South Derbyshire & Tamworth and started to set up her business, offering weekly Baby Signing Classes in the local area.

Felicity has gone on to add Toddler Talking classes as well as being involved in the pilot team for TinyTalk's Newborns Communication Workshops, putting her skills and knowledge from her previous career in Early Years Care and Education to good use.

Felicity said: "What is TinyTalk? I run weekly classes that consist of a half-hour singing popular nursery rhymes and songs where the appropriate signs are used alongside the words - rather than actions - to help learn and associate the sign to a given word.

"Each week has a topic so that groups of useful signs can be learnt to express likes, dislikes, needs, wants etc.

"This is then followed by a half-hour social time.

"This is when the babies can interact and play with toys whilst the adults enjoy a well-earned drink and chocolate biscuit - or two!."

TinyTalk believes that baby signing can play a significant role in helping early communication and language development.

The importance of saying the word at the same time as making the sign is always emphasised.

Lots of other language development tips are taught in the classes, such as remembering to face the child every time a sign is used, the importance of repetition and to always keep it relaxed and fun.

Felicity added: "When your baby cries what do you do? Do you know what they want?

"When they're little it's usually one of three things that they're after: more milk, a fresh nappy or they just need their bed.

"As babies get bigger their demands increase- and they're just as keen to let you know what they've seen, what they're thinking about or what they'd like from you - which, by then is going to be more than more milk, a fresh nappy or their bed thank you very much.

"But how frustrating must it be if you've got so much to say but no way of saying it! This is where signs can provide a very helpful hand.

"The use of sign language with babies has been a growing trend since it was first introduced to the UK by TinyTalk, back in 2002 - yes, TinyTalk is 20 years old.

"Basic signs and gestures, used alongside speech, enables babies to understand others better- and helps them to express themselves better, long before they can talk.

"With the success of Rose on Strictly Come Dancing and the British Sign Language Act 2022, interest in knowing more about how to use signs with young children is on the rise."

Felicity, with 20 years working in the early years sector, had plenty of experience of how language and being able to be understood could impact a child.

She had seen, first-hand, how being understood could really support the overall development, learning, self-confidence and self-esteem in young children.

As a parent attending classes, it became clear very quickly how using hands to speak greatly reduced frustration both on her part and her son's as he could show her what he wanted, had seen, or was feeling long before he was able to say these things.

If you would like to know more about attending the weekly sessions with Felicity you can find her class details HERE.