I would start with some needs signs.

Milk
Eat
More
All done
Mama
Dada
And sibling or pets.


These are a great starting point. You don't need to do any thing special but use the signs when you say the words. Just keep doing them daily in a casual way as you use the words. No need to show signing time videos or to try and teach the words in a sitting. When you feed her just sign eat. And if she is having fun sign more and ask if she wants more. Or if she seems bothered sign all done. 

Bath
Play
Hear
Nap/night night
Book
Doll
Block
Ball

Are all next level. Just add signs of things as he is interested and starts to play with them.

That all being said. The Baby Signing Time (as opposed to just the Signing Time) videos are for the 0-3 age and are quite enjoyable. They are a bonus treat for my son. The Baby Signing Time Videos have more singing, and they feature only babies under 2 years. My son is 18 months. I have been signing since he was a few months old. He has a speech delay so we have started introducing Baby Signing Time as a reinforcement and fun addition to the words that he can sign.  It is also his first introduction to TV. He has not have any TV time until very recently.

Thank you. I am not familiar with Koala Lou, or at least I don't think so. Will look into that. I do remember the others from my childhood. Magic Faraway Tree series was one of my favourites as a child. Even though they are British.  I will have to put them on my list. I think my mum still has all my copies. I am shocked that they are near impossible to find here in the US.

I am from Central Ohio. Knox county. My son is 18 months.

I am an Aussie living in the US. My son is half American but I want him to grow up knowing both cultures. It has been many years since I left OZ and I wonder if anyone has a great list or just personal recommendations for some toddler/preschool aged Australian children's books.

The only ones that spring to mind for my 18 month sons age group are the Mr Men and Little Miss series and Grog books. I vaguely remember a book about a black cat with 'sharp' fur. Lol... And I remember a book about sausages sitting in the an old kitchen and then they explode. I remember a teacher reading that to me in 1st grade and I was always fascinated with the texture of the giant sausage hanging above a farm table.

Look forward to hearing about your favourites.

Hi I am Korrale,

I hope I am not too much of an interloper.
I am an Aussie. Grew up in QLD.  I currently live in Ohio USA. Hubby is American. So of course my son is Aussie American. I like the idea of being able to keep in contact with other Australian Mums who advocate early learning.
I am also hoping to pick your brains about some great  Australian kids books. For my son of course. He is 18 months.  Books like Grog, The Magic Pudding, etc. I have forgotten more titles than I care to admit and I need to start making lists for my mum and sis to send me books.

Print a poster of Mr BD eyes and stick it in a place where you learn letters. It is nice to have for easy reference.

http://www.boostforreaders.com/mrbeadyeyes.html

The Dick and Jane readers have large font.

I definitely think that social media can have its benefits. On my facebook I have a large collection of mommy friends. I have my local moms group that is constantly using our facebook group to arrange playdates and sharing information about events happening in our community that we may with to take our children to.
I also have a network of mommy friends that have a child born in the same month as my son. These mom's are a great source of support because we go through similar ages and stages at the same time. They share the latest information and research about various topics. We also share ideas about things we can do with our children, from a great book suggestion to a recipe to make homemade play dough. I think that some of the ideas that I have recieved from my friends through facebook have made me be a better mother.

Another big reason I love facebook is because it enables me to keep in touch with my very large family better. I live in the US and all my family live in Australia. Facebook makes it easier for me to share photos and videos.

As far as technology goes: My son does not even know what a TV is. We don't have TV service. I have a giant old style TV sitting on the floor of JJs bedroom because I have no where else to fit it in my small house and as far as he in concerned it is a box for him to climb and to play with his cars on. I don't talk on the phone much. I only have a cell phone and we use about 20mins a month total between my husband and I. However my son knows exactly how to play with an old cell phone and pretend talk to his daddy on it.
The only other digital device, besides a laptop, I have is my camera. I avidly like to take pictures and video of my son. I don't let James play with it but if he wants a camera when he is older I will allow him to have one. Who knows he might be the next Ansel Adams.

Does anyone remember the readers that were used in QLD schools in the 1980s. I started primary school in 1987. I remember that though we were taught phonics with the Ants on an apple A A A books we had some whole language take home readers also. The ones that read; This is an apple. This is an orange.  I would love to track down a set for my son. or at least find a comprehensive set that is very similar.

I have been to a few chess tournaments in my time. They are very intense. If James wants to play I have no qualms against teaching him.
Social poles are completely irrelevant to me. In highschool I was considered weird by the weird kids... The dungeons and dragos roll playing goths, witches, sci fi/fantasy types. I played violin was in choir, was a jockette, book nerd and a math wizz. My husband is an Uber geek. So anyway I look at it my sons genetic makeup has him doomed. 

I went with the wee rider. I wanted my son (15 months at the time) to be able to use it right away. He is very short though. Under 3rd percentile all around. I debated about the strider but we just have that kind of money.  Instead we got the wee rider and I turned the seat around and he walks all over the house with it now. He has no issues holding it up, balancing and steering it. It probably will be another year before he will be able to use the seat though. Poor little fella is my gross motor baby. He was my 8 month toddler, but there are no ride on toys that he can reach the ground with. This balance bike is amazing to me,.

This is my sons first ride. I don't know how to put a youtube video in here yet. So here is the link.

http://youtu.be/vXIxR904pPw

I am just curious if anyone is teaching chess at a young age as part of an early learning curriculum?
Or did anyone who learnt chess as a child excel at academically?

I have taught 2 sisters to read and more both by the age of 3. The older sister was average developmentally in all areas and she learnt reading best by a word family method. She is a very brilliant middle school student accepted to a GATE magnet school.
The younger sister was the most  brilliant tot I have seen. Walking and climbing out of her crib at 9 months, singing ABCs, counting to 20 (skipping 15) at a little over a year. You get the gist. She now is repeating 5th grade because academically she is faltering. She never got challenged and pushed in school and I believe she was bored a lot of the time.

Other than being very different thinkers another difference in the 2 girls is that the older one was taught chess at about 3-4 and loved it and continued to play through school. I was wondering if Chess really does help build the brain they way Polgar believed. 

Very good thread idea.

How can I start puzzles with my 1 year old?  Are there any guidelines?

- How many pieces?
- What sort of picture puzzles are the best for early learners? 
- Any recommended puzzles to purchase?

Thanks

Very good starter puzzles are ones with big pieces and big knobs. Melissa and Doug carry a very good selection. Walmart now carries some good puzzles very cheaply too. I think only $3 each puzzle.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=melissa+and+doug+jumbo+knob&x=0&y=0

My son is 17 months.

When I introduce a new task to JJ I let him explore it and then I always demonstrate how to do the puzzle in a very purposeful and precise way. Those familar with Montessori would understand this method. I may do this several times. Then I step back and I let him play with it all by himself any way that he wishes. When he is done I will then demonstrate the puzzle again before I put it away. And I do this every time JJ brings it to me. Basically I am modelling and he loves to watch me.

Lately we have been working on a stacker with squares, rectangles, triangles and circles in green, red, blue and yellow. Each time I lay out a puzzle piece I say very clearly. Red circle, blue circle, green circle, yellow circle, red square and so forth.

We also do puzzles with big knobs and each time I lay out the pieces and I tell JJ, this is a dog arf arf, this is a duck quack quack. I say the same thing every time. My son has a speech delay so working on speech is essential right now. 

JJ is 17 almost 18 months.

We do fine motor skill every day. Montessori inspired things, transferring, pouring, sorting pom poms, stacking, shape sorting, lacing.

We do a sensory activity, playing in his rice pit, with gak, playdoh, flour and water, paint, the garden etc.

We read every day and point out his wall words and wall letters.

We go for morning and evening walk/jogs/runs we are up to 1/2 a mile in 20 mins. .