KIDS FIRST! News

Act quickly if you haven’t already. You have until July 1, 2010, to sign up for an exciting week of hands-on media evaluation projects in either New York or Los Angeles. Janet Davidson shares some ideas of what parents can expect for their children during the week. First of all, expect a lot of fun. Davidson knows the ins and outs of filmmaking from her experiences as an actor and director in Hollywood. She is looking forward to merging her film experiences and her teaching experiences (she has taught acting classes in Santa Fe as well as Drama and Film Studies) to make film come alive for day campers.

Davidson feels that parents of children attending the Boot Camp might appreciate the fact that it will give children material to use and build on in the future. It could give them a motivation towards a career. No matter what career choice a child has, it’s important to be analytical about anything in life, and that’s what this camp is about.. it will help children analyze material and come forward with their beliefs. With increased verbal skills, the children learn to have the courage to talk to adults and share their opinions. It encourages curiosity.

During the course of the camp, children will learn to interview actors and directors one on one and for a red carpet experience. They will learn why it’s important to judge films, and learn about all the components involved in making a good film from directing to acting to lighting and storytelling. The kids will learn about teamwork as they experience a mock film set and make their own movies. This will teach them firsthand what it’s like to be an actor and producer. They will come to understand the process and realize that all the pieces work together, and they can pull apart, or mesh to create a powerful film. At the end of the day, they will critique their own work. Campers will also have the opportunity to visit a real filmmaking or animation studio.

To make sure your children don’t miss out on this fabulous opportunity, check out the KIDS FIRST! Boot Camp webpage and sign up. But act soon because the July 1 deadline is just around the corner.

Good Night Moon & More Great Bedtime Stories – the American Sign Language version from New Video is a fantastic DVD on so many levels. Good Night Moon takes a classic, simple story and makes it come alive through gentle animation. As the story is read aloud, the words to the story show up on the screen, encouraging children to read. While it’s read, a woman signs the story using American Sign Language (ASL).

This title makes it fun to learn to read and to sign at the same time. It’s perfect for children with Down’s Syndrome or children who are hearing impaired, and can encourage other children to learn ASL so they can communicate with children who sign. It can promote discussion on different means of communication.

Bonus Features include an area where children can take a quiz to see what they remember about the story. Another feature is a quiz section that has children testing their knowledge of sign language and signing letters. If you have Internet access, a third Bonus Feature allows you to download activities related to ASL and the story. KIDS FIRST! Child Juror Comments: Kids liked copying the signs. They liked seeing one of their favorite books on the screen. They enjoyed the rhyming. They thought their friends would like it because they do sign language even though they aren’t good yet. Find this wonderful title in stores beginning on July 27th, or pre-order the title on Amazon.