Our Mission

Baby Fingers aims to provide accessible language for Deaf and hearing children and their families through music and sign language.

Our teaching team includes qualified Deaf and hearing professionals – educators, therapists, interpreters, teaching artists – who work with us to foster early language development, strengthen family relationships, provide education and related resources including Deaf mentors, make connections between the Deaf and hearing communities.

Baby Fingers is not your typical “baby sign language” program, our curriculum is rooted in real language and culture, supported by research and evidence based practice, developed by a mom who is also an experienced music therapist and teacher of the Deaf. At Baby Fingers, our students of all ages are hearing and d/Deaf (capital D indicates cultural identity). Deaf teachers on our team teach ASL and Deaf culture; hearing teachers on our team teach signs from ASL that help lay the foundation for expressive and receptive language, fostering bilingualism, literacy and self-expression, supporting cultural identity. Music is an essential component in our program, providing natural repetition, ease of focus, memory aid, rhythmic support, vocal exploration, and overall joy. Make and keep language accessible for your child. Begin to learn a new language and bridge the gap between two languages you already speak. Strengthen your family interaction through songs and musical play.

Our Philosophy

It is our belief that early intervention and equal access are essential. In our research, practice, and families, we have witnessed the benefits of exposure to music and sign language in facilitating language acquisition, fostering relationships, decreasing stigma, strengthening self-identity and eliminating barriers. We work within a humanistic, client/family-centered approach.

Characters created for Baby Fingers by Sal Sanchez

In 2000, Baby Fingers was founded on the following principles:

  • At Baby Fingers, we believe that all children are born with the capacity to learn, and that music is one of the most effective mediators in that process.
  • Babies understand the world around them much sooner than they are able to respond in kind, and it is our belief that American Sign Language is one of the most effective means of supporting expressive communication for all children.
  • Parent-Child relationships are the key to healthy development; we believe that engaging together in music and sign will help to foster that bond.
  • Myths surrounding the use of ASL are only one of many barriers between the Deaf and hearing communities and in successful education practices for children who are Deaf, have progressive hearing loss, speech disorders, and language delays. In addition, Deaf children can enjoy and benefit from involvement with music.
  • ASL makes language accessible for hearing and Deaf children alike, regardless of ability or disability, and provides an essential component in language development and cultural connection/identity for young Deaf children.