Makaton nursery rhymes

Sing and sign along to some of our favourite songs

Makaton is a signing system to support young children’s communication development, which is used widely at LEYF.

It is an effective communication tool to enable children to express themselves through gestures and supports them to learn some of the vital basics of communication.

Babies and young children can become very frustrated when they are unable to communicate their needs. Using Makaton is a way of them expressing their needs more effectively and being more able to interact with the world around them.

Makaton works particularly well for babies’ language development, as they tend to pick up gestures more than words. Babies and children who are able to use Makaton to communicate their thoughts and feelings will often have fewer tantrums than others because Makaton helps them to be understood.

Makaton is not a replacement for speech. It is designed to be used alongside speech and many children will continue to use the signs even when they have learned to talk. By using the signs along with speech, young children develop a deeper understanding of the words they are learning.

In this video, we are singing and signing some of the nursery rhymes we enjoy in nursery, so parents can sing and sign along at home with their babies and children. Learn some easy Makaton signs as you sing along with your child!