Biography and Credentials for Nancy Hanauer

Professional Credentials

• Bachelors of Science Degree in Education and State Teaching Certificates held in WA, UT and WI
• STARS Certified Trainer who has taught staff members of Head Start Programs, early education centers and other agencies
• Solid understanding of American Sign Language, typical language acquisition, the developmental stages of babies and the needs of new parents
• Effective teacher accommodating the multiple learning styles of adults and children

Teaching Experience

• Twenty years of professional teaching and American Sign Language experience
• More than 4,000 Seattle-area parents and educators and nearly 2,000 babies taught in Hop to Signaroo classes since Fall 2000 and several thousand more have attended Nancy’s presentations through parenting groups, libraries and early education conferences
• Often imitated but never duplicated – Seattle’s best and most popular baby sign language teacher since Fall 2000
• Hop to Signaroo classes taught through Children’s Hospital, Swedish Medical Centers, Evergreen Medical Center, Steven’s Hospital, local community colleges, through the Childbirth Education Association of Seattle and in clients’ homes
• Conducted American Sign Language staff trainings for Sno-Isle and King County Libraries’ Children’s Librarians and programming for patrons
• A pioneer in the field of American Sign Language for hearing families and one of the first teachers creating and providing classes in North America
• Hosted instructors from Tokyo who visited Hop to Signaroo classes to gather ideas for developing a similar program for families in Japan
• Contracted with the University of Washington’s School of Public Health to serve as their Study Recruiter for their Quality of Life Study for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and Teens
• Experience teaching hearing babies and adults, deaf and hard of hearing children, regular education students and children with special needs

Speaking Engagements

• Highly-requested guest speaker conducting hundreds of presentations for thousand of parents and childcare professionals
• Featured presenter at several infant and early education conferences and one of the most popular guest speakers for the Program for Early Parent Support (PEPS) organization of Seattle since 2002

Media Accolades

• Featured in more than a dozen local and national media outlets including newspapers, magazines, blogs, the Life Magazine insert of the Chicago Tribune and the L.A. Times, Shrink Rap Radio, and on KING 5 News
• Named Seattle’s Best-Known Baby Sign Language Instructor by the Seattle Post Intelligencer and A Person You Should Know: “Baby Whisperer” and Infant Sign Language Communication Expert by Seattle Magazine – visit our Recent Press page
• Winner of the Best Parent Education Class category and a finalist in the Best Infant and Toddler Class category of Parent Map Magazine’s 2011 Golden Teddy Awards

Product Development

• Creator of Roo-minder Rings American Sign Language Instruction and Reminder Cards ™
• Creator of the copyrighted Hop to Signaroo curriculum, an original class developed with Nancy’s 20+ years of professional, educational experience and training - not a curriculum purchased as part of a multi-level marketing business approach, as is the case with many baby sign language classes

Currently all Hop to Signaroo classes are taught solely by Nancy, so rest assured you will be learning from a credentialed professional with vast experience and knowledge in this field of study!