Questions

ave questions? You are not alone!  Here are some of the  frequently asked questions.  If you don't find your answer here, please feel free to contact us. 

General:

Q:  "What kind of children do you provide services
for?"

Q: "What kind of  learning environment does your center provide?"

Q: "What makes your physical environment unique?"

Q: "What does the center look like?  Can I see some pictures?"

General Information about our classes:

Q: "Describe your classes for me."

Q: "How do we enroll?  What is the process?"

Q: "What are the class schedules?"

Q: "What are your pricings?"

Q: "Do you accept insurance?"

Q: "What if we/ my child misses a class?"

Q: "Can our family use The Storybook's Family Education Planning a birth to three special needs program?"

Q: "In which classes do you use sign language?  Will my child have to sign to the staff and his/her peers?"

Q: "Why do you use sign language with children who do not have a hearing loss?"

Q: "What kind of signs do you use?  ASL, S.E.E. or something else?"

Q: "Why was Signing Exact English (S.E.E.)Developed?"

Q: "To sign or not to sign? "

Sign Class Questions / More Sign Questions

Q: "I have a sign book and video what makes this group different?"

Q: "Can you explain a little more about the baby sign classes?"

"How do babies/children learn sign?"

"How do I start signing?"

"What signs do I start with?"

"When and how do I sign?"

"Will talking and signing confuse my baby or toddler?"

Q: "Our baby is 6 weeks old or she is 6 months; When is a good time to take a baby sign class?"

Q: "If we take a baby sign class should we take the Toddler Sign class next?"

 

Questions regarding language and therapy

Q: "My husband and I are wondering if our toddler may have a speech-language impairment.  What should we do and what resources are available to our family?"

Q: "If my child needs assistance with her speech and language or any other developmental skills area, how long will she need this extra help or therapy?"

Q: "If my child is diagnosed with a language based learning disability, does that mean she/he has a below average intelligence?"

Q: "What causes learning 'disabilities'?"

Q: What are some of the characteristics of children who are at risk for learning disabilities, including but not limited to dyslexia?"

Q: "As a parent, what can I do to promote language development in my child at home?"

Q: "I'm interested in attending a Parent Education Class but my family isn't currently enrolled in your Storybook programs.  Can I still attend?"

Home Visit Questions

"What kind of children do you provide services
for?"

The Storybook Center welcomes all children. Some children come to us looking for a challenge, others come to us looking for a way to make their challenges less challenging.   

Children who are interested in books and children whose parents want to encourage their child's early love for language and literature love our program and the curriculum.

We provide an enriching environment for children who have a natural curiosity and like to be challenged.   

We provide services to children with needs, among those:

• children who are 'late-bloomers'

• children who are shy with peers or adults or both

• children who have a speech delay and may be enrolled in another program and want to supplement their services

• children who currently or recently saw a speech or language therapist

• children who are the only child in the family and therefore have limited interactions with peers

• children who love books

• children who have trouble sitting still and focusing especially during reading time

• children who love to talk but have a difficult time listening to others

• children who have English as their second language

• children with social challenges including, but not limited to, children with Autism Spectrum Disorder also known as ASD.

• children with a hearing loss

• children who are newly aided by hearing aids

• children who have or will have cochlear implants

• children who are using or want to learn to sign language

• children with sensory difficulties (e.g. getting messy or touching different textured items) or Sensory Integration Dysfunction

"What kind of environment does your center provide?"

We provide an enriching environment for all children. Families who want to encourage their child's early love for language and literature will love our program and the curriculum.  Our curriculum challenges each child to expand his or her language of learning.  Activities even for our toddlers are at a standard that are often considered to be at a pre-K (4 years old) level or above. 

How is that possible?  Because we believe it is possible.  Children are capable of so much and at The Storybook Center we give children credit for being naturally curious.  We work hard to create a place that invites them to try new things in an environment that is comfortable and feels safe to them.  Children like challenges and often will rise to them if they are presented.

Specific goals are created for each family.  We provide many services that are designed to address a wide range of language, listening, cognitive, social, communication, sensory, and literacy challenges including: receptive language delays (what your child hears); expressive language delays (what she says);  auditory processing challenges (he is physically able to hear but has a difficult time taking in information and processing or making sense of what it is that he is hearing); various fluency challenges including language difficulties and the development of early literacy skills. 

"What makes The Storybook Center's physical environment   unique?"

We are very proud of our physical environment.  We have created a safe and a stimulating environment that provides quality learning through play without sensory overload.  We have carefully chosen all of our furniture. from a local company and most pieces have been designed by our director. It isn't bright or over-stimulating; rather, the maple and birch handcrafted furniture blends well with our warm walls and flooring.  By creating this environment children are not overloaded by their surroundings and can better concentrate on learning.   Safety was also a high priority when creating the furniture designs, and when you visit our center you will learn more about how we accomplished this. 

Our learning tools are carefully planned out and come from only the highest quality manufacturers to not only ensure quality and safety but also increase the depth of knowledge that can be gained through interactions with the manipulatives.

We are nestled within the Redmond/Bellevue/ Kirkland Bridle Trails neighborhoods.   We can be found inside a quaint blue/gray home with white trim on 132nd Avenue NE. We are less than a mile from both 405 and 520.   Microsoft is less than a mile away, and downtown Kirkland and Redmond are minutes away.  Our cross streets are Redmond Way/85th Street and Old Redmond Road.

Set up a visit today and see for yourselves!  Sign up now!

General Information about the classes:

"Describe your classes for me."

We offer classes for children up to 5 years of age,  5 days a week, mornings and afternoons.  Children may attend 2, 3, or 4 days per week. Children’s classes are grouped by age and developmental skill level. Classes vary from 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours in length.

Classes are presented in 5- or 6-week “chapters”, and there are 8 chapters in the school year. 

Classes are structured to promote child/peer interactions.  Peers are powerful motivators and encourage natural social-communication skills.  Through guidance and modeling provided by peers and our staff, children positively expand their speech, language, and communication skill-building strategies while enhancing their reading skills through our storybook-based activities.

Each child over the age of one year receives an assessment from which a developmental profile is created, and goals, in the form of a Family Education Plan, are set.   Each child's goals are implemented into all of his daily class activities, which include story/circle time, peer play, pretend play, reading, brain dancing, music, art, cooking, sensory exploration, yoga, early science, and discovery time.  If a child already has particular goals from another source or therapist, those goals are incorporated into ours as well.  Our classes adapt to each child’s individual needs; the children do not adapt to ours.       Sign up now!

Classes frequently pair speech with sign language.  The instructors both talk and sign at the same time.  Children are not required to sign back.  It is not the method of communication but the communication itself that we work to strengthen.

Most classes participate in our "Growing a Reader" take-home literacy program.  Sign up now!

The curriculum is developed and planned by our director, who holds a Masters in Education and credentials in early childhood special education.   The curriculum is based on early childhood literature, and implements each child's specific developmental learning goals.  Peer interaction is at the center of the learning environment.  Each child has the opportunity to explore and grow with his peers and to enjoy exciting stories all within our warm and nurturing environment.

We like to say that The Storybook Center is               “. . .  where happy endings are just the   beginning. . .” Using our unique children’s literature-based curriculum and the social power of child peer models, our classes creatively shape early literacy and language skills, providing an enriching preschool experience for your child that ensures his confidence, preparedness, and eagerness to enter kindergarten and begin his formal education. Sign up now!

"How do we enroll?  What is the process?"

If you are interested in the Storybook Center classes for children from 1 year to 5 years of age, the admissions process begins with by interested parents and their child setting up a tour of the center, which usually includes an initial meeting with the Director. If the center and family’s needs and interests match well, then The Storybook Center and the family will proceed by beginning happy endings together.

The first step is the enrollment process; completing a Registration Enrollment and Agreement Form, providing payment (visit website for policy information). Then, an initial assessment is completed for each child to provide a developmental profile from which individual goals are created. These goals are implemented into the child’s weekly schedule. Then the child is ready to attend groups/classes.

"What are your pricings?"

The first step is to set up a visit to our center with your family.  Then we will discuss services and your families needs and interest.  This will give all of us a better understanding of how we can meet your needs.  Then we will be able to give you our pricing and move forward with enrollment.

"What are the class schedules?"

Please contact us for a current list of class schedules.  We like to meet with your family before we make a decision regarding services and class placement.

"Do you accept insurance?"

Not at this time.  We want families to be able to decide when it is right to join and/or leave our groups.  Some families choose to attend our program as well as participate in an insured therapy program.  The Storybook Center supports its families and will work with everyone who is involved with a child's education at a family's request.  Other families find our programs to better suited for their needs and substitute our programs for past programs. 

"Can our family use The Storybook's Family Education Plan in a birth to three special needs program?"

Families are welcome to share the Family Education Plan with anyone they choose.  One of the main reasons we write a plan is so that goals and objectives become clear to everyone who interacts with the family.

However, the Family Education Plan isn't a legally binding document nor is it a government document. If a family has an IFSP or IEP from a public program, The Storybook Center will still write another plan but can incorporate some or all of the objectives of the other IFSP if the team agrees to.

 

"In which classes do you use sign language?  Will my child have to sign to the teachers and peers?"

All classes for children pair speech with sign language.  The instructors both talk and sign at the same time.  Children are not required to sign back, but they are prompted to respond in some manner.  It is not the method of communication but the communication itself that we work to strengthen.

"Why do you use sign language with children who do not have a hearing loss?"

Very few of us are primarily auditory learners. 90% of what anyone learns, comes from visual means. Everyone can benefit from using/seeing signs to reinforce their memory, spelling skills, reading skills, communication skills, while building his visual communication skills which include facial and body expressions.  Some people, especially boys are kinesthetic learners.  Signing is a hands-on approach to understanding and making sense of language.  Signing can take something abstract such as language and solidify its form.

Using a manual form of English, S.E.E. (Signing Exact English) allows parents to sign and talk at the same time while conveying a visual representation of all parts of the English language including the sight words such as "the, of, and" as well as prefixes and suffixes such as "non-, -ing," etc.  The benefit of this form of communication encourages children to "see" language and hear it at the same time, which promotes early language and literacy skills by using more than one sense to encourage your child's skills development. 

To sign or not to sign?  Substantial research supports the fact that children exposed to several languages early in life achieve higher levels of language competency later on.  And it has been further noted that babies who use symbolic gestures early on learned to speak more readily than those babies who did not.  In addition, signing babies scored higher in intelligence tests, understood more words, had larger vocabularies and engaged in more sophisticated play.  So sign up today and start signing tomorrow!         Sign up now!

"What kind of signs do you use?  ASL, S.E.E. or something else?"

We have set up our lessons so that the curriculum is adaptable to any, or at least most, sign systems.  The goal of the authors of the curriculum was that it wouldn't matter if you used American Sign Language (ASL), Signing Exact English (SEEII), Pidgin Sign English (PSE), or some other Manually Coded English (MCE) system.  Lessons will include affixes and other English markers, but will be pointed out as such so that those who would like a more ASL approach can be accommodated.  Each week the lessons contain new vocabulary words.  On the side of this list are a list of endings that should be explored that week if a student is choosing an MCE system.  (*Sound confusing!  It is, but give us a chance.  Try a class and broaden your horizons.  What was once confusing will become clear.  Sign up now!

The Storybook Center believes in using a Total Communication approach to teaching.  Teaching utilizing the Total Communication philosophy allows staff, parents, and students to use any and all methods of communication to promote communication.  Therefore, in our baby sign classes using S.E.E. (Signing Exact English) allows parents to sign and talk at the same time while conveying a visual representation of all parts of the English language including the sight words such as "the, of, and" as well as prefixes and suffixes such as "non", "ing," etc.  The benefit of this form of communication encourages children to "see" language and hear it at the same time, which promotes early language and literacy skills by using more than one sense to encourage your child's skills development. 

S.E.E. isn't the only way to convey meaning and each family has their own needs.  Therefore we encourage holistic communication such as expression and gestures, also.  Some families prefer to use ASL "signs."  American Sign Language is not just "signs."  ASL is its own language with its own context, semantic and grammatical structure.  A person can not sign in "ASL" if they are talking at the same time.  That would be like speaking Japanese and Spanish at the same time!  Learning ASL takes about seven years for an adult to be proficient in the language.  At The Storybook Center we will point out the ASL signs if they are different than the S.E.E. signs.  But at this level of learning most "signs" are the same.

Often books, dictionaries and videos can be misinterpreted by students.  If the book etc. title says "Sign," "Sign Language," or "Baby Sign," these titles can mislead as they are generic terms and do not always meet the same definition as a student has.  There are several different lessons and dictionaries that claim to be teaching American Sign Language, when they are actually teaching a separate branch of ASL.  There are also two different S.E.E. sign methodologies.  The most common one is the one we use.  It is known as SEEII - Signing Exact English.  A lesser known or used S.E.E. is SEE I.  The difference between the two can be immense.  With SEE I a compound word is signed by combining the separate signs that make up the word.  For example, 'butterfly' is signed as "butter + fly."  Whereas in SEE II the word is seen by its' meaning and as its own word so that the sign for "butterfly" is unique just as the signs for "butter" and "fly" are their own signs.

Many different books and videos claim to be teaching "Sign."  People don't often know this is a generic term. They may also not see why this generalization can create an impact.  When people choose a "Sign" packet, video &/or book, they may be getting someone's own creation that they've labeled as signs.  This is fine to choose, but at The Storybook Center we question our students to think about if they want to learn something made up that can not grow with them.  Or would our students like to learn an actual well used manual form of sign that people in America of all ages use and know on a daily basis?

"Why was Signing Exact English (S.E.E.) Developed?"

In a nutshell, S.E.E. was developed as a way to assist children with a hearing loss bridge their primary language with English.  American Sign Language is a language with its own grammatical, syntactic and pragmatic structures.  ASL is a visual language and doesn't have a written form.  When children with a hearing loss went to read, the bridge between ASL and English wasn't there and the children fell through the cracks much of the time.  Therefore, S.E. E. was created as a manual form of English to help bridge ASL and English.  S.E.E. was developed by utilizing the signs that already existed in ASL and many of the signs are the same.  The difference is that S.E.E. works to explain the challenges that the English language presents, by giving the small articles, affixes, and more, visual form to pair with the written form. 

There is more to the story, of course, but this is a brief answer as a means to a beginning of a discussion.

Class Questions:

To sign or not to sign?  Substantial research supports the fact that children exposed to several languages early in life achieve higher levels of language competency later on.  And it has been further noted that babies who use symbolic gestures early on learned to speak more readily than those babies who did not.  In addition, signing babies scored higher in intelligence tests, understood more words, had larger vocabularies and engaged in more sophisticated play.  So sign up today and start signing tomorrow!         Sign up now!

To sign or Not to Sign:

• Communicating with a manual form of English helps to build a strong foundation for communication skills.

• 70% of what we communicate is visual.

• 90% of what we learn we learn through visual means.

• Babies are born wanting to communicate, so why don't they?

• Babies do communicate but they lack certain motor control to communicate in the usual manner we define communication, which is through speech only.

• Since 90% of what we learn is visual, the same is true for infants.  They are attracted to movement.

• They relate your movements to meanings through repetitive behavior.

• Babies actively search out means to communicate while their oral motor (mouth strength) abilities continue to strengthen.  They look to us for cues.

• That is where manual signs come into play

Sign Classes / Some More Signing Questions

"I have a sign book and video what makes your program different?"  Books, dictionaries, and videos can be useful.  However, the language of signs is visual.  Learning is dynamic and needs to be three dimensional.  At The Storybook Center, we caution our clients from trying to teach themselves from a book, dictionary and video because it is easy to misinterpret sign movements.  If you teach yourself a sign incorrectly and practice it, it becomes very difficult to re -learn it the proper way. 

Often books, dictionaries and videos can be misinterpreted by students.  If the book etc. title says "Sign," "Sign Language," or "Baby Sign," these titles can mislead as they are generic terms and do not always meet the same definition as a student has.  There are several different lessons and dictionaries that claim to be teaching American Sign Language, when they are actually teaching a separate branch of ASL.  There are also two different S.E.E. sign methodologies.  The most common one is the one we use.  It is known as S.E.E. 2 - Signing Exact English Two.  A lesser known or used S.E.E. is S.E.E. 1.  The difference between the two can be immense.  in S.E.E. 1 a compound word is signed by combining the separate signs that make up the word.  For example, 'butterfly' is signed as "butter + fly."  Whereas in S.E.E. the word is seen by its' meaning and as its own word so that the sign for "butterfly" is unique just as the signs for "butter" and "fly" are their own signs.

Many different books and videos claim to be teaching "Baby Sign."  People don't often know this is a generic term/  They may also not see why this generalization can create an impact.  When people choose a "Baby Sign" packet, video &/or book, they are getting someone's own gesture creation that they've labeled as signs.  This is fine to choose, but at The Storybook Center we question our families to think about if they want to learn something made up that can not grow with their child but will be left behind early on.  Or would our families like to learn and expose their children to an actual well used manual form of sign that people in America of all ages use and know on a daily basis?

Signing can come in handy in a variety of situations.  Teaching your young children S.E.E. can help to avoid some embarrassing remarks from them.  They can sign "dirty diaper" or "don't like food," etc. without drawing attention from others.  Signing can help families communicate without yelling and without drawing attention.  One mom has told us she loves to use signs with her child to prompt him to say "thank you" or ask him to stop a particular behavior while they are grocery shopping.

Signing with Young Children and  Baby Sign Questions

"How do babies/children learn sign?"

Babies and children learn just as we do. . .through association.  We learn first what we need to, then what we want.

"How do I start signing?"

You start signing the same way you and your baby start learning.  You begin with sign words that your baby needs to express her/himself.

"What signs do I start with?"

Young children understand six concepts early on:

• Naming something.

• Addressing someone

• Finding something

• Something gone

• Asking for more

• Possessing something

Everyday activities are filled with great opportunities to sign.  Start signing today!

"Will talking and signing confuse my baby or toddler?"

No.  In fact, giving babies and toddlers exposure to many languages and forms of communication early expands their mind and their capability for learning.

"When and how do I sign?"

• You pick your moments.

• Wait for mutual eye gazes--intent and interest gazes are key.

• Remember that signing at the right time can vary with the sign and the situation.

• You want to sign before an action.

• Sign after a reaction.

• Sign during an event.

Questions regarding language and therapy

"My husband and I are wondering if our toddler may have a speech-language impairment.  What should we do and what resources are available to our family?"

We are hear to meet your needs.  The first step would be a developmental assessment.  From the assessment we would sit down as a team-staff and family to develop an Family Education Plan (FEP).  For more information please visit our Services page on Assessments.

"If my child needs assistance with her speech and language or any other developmental skills area, how long will she need this extra help or therapy?"

There isn't a standard answer for this question in regard to "therapy" because there isn't a standard length of time that a child should be in therapy.  Each child is unique and has his own unique challenges and strengths.  Therefore children learn at different rates and may beat different levels than their peers.

With that said, there isn't any deficit for a child who continues to have his/her world broadened and challenged.  That is what we specialize in at The Storybook Center starting children on their way to happy endings and then continuing to support them as they develop new skills.

"If my child is diagnosed with a language based learning disability, does that mean she/he has a below average intelligence?"

Absolutely not.  Studies have shown The fact is that most people with learning 'disabilities" (we don't use that term at The Storybook Center) have average to superior intelligence.

"What causes learning 'disabilities'?"

Learning disabilities are caused by a difference in brain structure that is present at birth.  It is often hereditary and/or often related to specific language problems.

"What are some of the characteristics of children who are at risk for learning disabilities, including but not limited to dyslexia?"

• A family history of delayed speech-language development problems.
• Difficulty processing sounds in words
• Difficulty finding the words needed to express basic thoughts/ideas and more complex explanations/descriptions
• Difficulty with the comprehension of spoken and/or written language, including, for older children, classroom handouts and textbooks
• Delayed vocabulary development
• Problems with the understanding and use of grammar in sentences
• Difficulty with organization and planning, including, for older students, the drafting of school papers and longer-term school projects
• Difficulty remembering numbers and letters in sequence, questions and directions

   

"As a parent, what can I do to promote language development in my child at home?"

In our programs we will go into much more depth of explanations but here are some key suggestions.

• Read to your child, even before they are born." Read age appropriate books that has simple text and concepts.  (We will provide you with some great book choices.)  Read the same book over and over to build in early comprehension and to encourage your child's interjections and additions.
• Music makes the world grow bigger!  Sing songs, sign simple songs with your child and expose them to common lyrics and tunes for their young age.  Music is a great way to encourage language from children.  They'll sing without realizing their talking!
• Expose your child to other children. He/she will often be motivated to babble, etc. in order to interact with them. This also exposes your child to other typically developing children.
• Talk to your child.  Talk to them about what they are doing and what you are doing.  Talk to them as she is experiencing new things.  Talk about what they see and hear.  Encourage your child to talk about their needs and wishes.  Avoid mind reading.  Respond to what your child says.  Encourage their verbal responses and minimize your corrections on pronunciation errors and word omissions. 
• Most importantly, if you have concerns, seek answers.  Early identification and treatment of language and learning 'disorders' can prevent problems with behavior, learning, reading and social interactions.

 Sign up now!

Parent Education Questions

"I'm interested in attending a Parent Education Class but my family isn't currently enrolled in your Storybook programs.  Can I still attend?"

Of course.  The more the merrier.  Our center was developed to meet the needs of many families, including those who may or may not be involved in any other of our programs at the current time.  to keep current on our parent education opportunities make sure to join our email list.  To add your name to our email list send us an info with a request to join the email list to: info@thestorybookcenter.com

Home Visit Questions

"How long are home visits?"

Home visits are usually 50 - 60 minutes (not including travel time).

"Can anyone request a home visit?"

Yes.

Home visits are requested by parents whose children  currently attend the Storybook Center and who wish to carry over and incorporate what is learned at the Center into their home lives.

Home visits are also requested by parents whose children were previously enrolled but do not currently attend, but who wish to continue receiving the benefit of our individual, specialized service.

In addition, home visits are requested by parents  whose children are not now nor have they ever been enrolled.  Occasionally, and for a variety of personal reasons, home visits may be the sole service provided for some families.

"Does a home visit have to be in our home?  Could it be at my child's daycare where he spends most of his days?"

That is a definite possibility and we have done home visits in a variety of settings in the past.  Before we scheduled one, we would talk about the family's expectations for the home visit to ensure that our visitor could meet their needs in the given situation.

"Is there a fee for home visits?"

Yes.  There is a structured fee for the time spent in your home working with your family,  as well as a reasonable charge for the drive time and mileage of the visitor.