Foundation Workshop

The Foundation Workshop is recommended for professionals and others who may come into contact with a wide range of Makaton users and who will benefit from a broad knowledge of Makaton. As well as the signing tuition for Stages 1-4 and the Additional Stage of the Makaton Core Vocabulary, the background of the Makaton Language Programme is covered in detail. A variety of topics is covered including:

• · How the Makaton Language Programme was developed and where it fits into the signing world.
• · The purpose of Makaton Symbols and how they are used.
• · Clinical research supporting the use of signs and symbols.
• · Teaching methods, procedures and good practice.

The Makaton Charity who owns the Makaton Language Programme is agreeable for people with this level of training to be sharing signs with others who are closely associated with Makaton users in their own environment. However, further training and expertise is necessary to be sufficiently competent to train others. To find out how to become a tutor visit www.makaton.org

Total teaching time for the Foundation Workshop is 12 hours. This may be split into 2, six hour whole days, or 4 modules of three hours. The maximum recommended time between whole days is four weeks, but is usually less. Modules are generally taught weekly, but Makaton training is designed to be flexible and can easily be tailored to individual needs.

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Beginners’ Workshop for Parents and Carers

The Parent and Carers’ Beginners Workshop is aimed at parents/carers and others who have significant contact with an individual child. The training is more parent/child orientated with a greater emphasis on establishing basic communication with the child. The signing tuition is similar to the Foundation Workshop but the theory is covered at a ‘parent friendly’ level. Teaching time is slightly shorter at 11 hours which may be split as above. The Beginners’ Workshop is accredited at Levels 1 and 2 by the National Open College Network. Your local Further Education College may offer the Beginners’ Workshop as part of its learning programme.

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Makaton Signing for Babies

Makaton Signing for Babies is a fun way to learn to sign with your baby or toddler. Over the course of six sessions you will learn with your child up to 100 signs and symbols and have fun together practising in songs, games and activities.