SIERRA VISTA — At 5 months old, Roan Nash gave her first sign: milk.

Now 17 months old, Nash can sign 120 signs and say 65 words.

To be able to get into her daughter’s mind from such a young age has been a thrill for Roan’s mother, Janice.

“The biggest benefit to me with her is the bond that it’s created,” Janice said.

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And because of the results Janice and her husband have seen, Janice wanted to share the Baby Signs program with the rest of Sierra Vista.

On Tuesday morning, Janice presented a story time to a packed audience at Hastings Entertainment that incorporated Baby Signs, for which Janice is a certified instructor.

“I just want the community to know that this is out there for them,” she said.

The story time, which featured Beebo, the Baby Signs bear, focused on animals. Throughout the half-hour presentation, kids and their parents learned to sign words such as cow, horse and sheep.

“Some of the benefits of the Baby Signs program are emotional development, intellectual development,” Janice told the parents as they started the story time.

Jacklyn Armstrong, who attended the event with her 8-week-old son Lorenzo, said she remembered the benefits of learning signs as a young child at day care in Germany and wanted to provide her son with the same opportunities.

“I was able to read by the time I was 4,” Armstrong said, adding she wants to lessen the frustrations that Lorenzo may have in trying to communicate.

“I would like to be able to understand some of the things he says,” Armstrong said.

As Janice read books, such as “Five Little Ducklings,” the kids mimicked her signs for mom, duck and other words. Beebo would come out to sing songs with the kids, many of the kids smiling as he interacted with them.

“He is a motivational tool,” Janice said. “They draw to him.”

Plus, Janice said, her yellow glove-clad hands stand out to the kids, helping them to pick up on the signs.

Janice said it’s easy to teach kids Baby Signs, though with very young children it may not show until about 5 months, it’s just a matter of repetition. And not to worry, it doesn’t diminish their desire to speak.

“Signing is to talking like crawling is to walking,” Janice said. “You’re building the foundation to speak.”

Janice said watching kids pick up the sign language, and what they can then share, will be an amazing experience for parents.

“The memories that they can share at a young age is remarkable,” Janice said, explaining her daughter will often come home and tell her what she did with her dad that day. “It also teaches parents to respect their children because you learn how smart they really are.”

Janice said the story time was an introduction to what the Baby Signs program includes, and she plans to start offering lessons in town.

“I’m very thankful to bring this to the community,” Janice said.

REPORTER Katie Evans can be reached at 515-4611 or by e-mail at katie.evans@svherald.com.

STORY TIMES

Catch Janice Nash, along with Beebo, at these upcoming free story times:

• 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday: The Mall at Sierra Vista play area

• 10:30 a.m. on July 15: Teddy Bear Connection at the Mall at Sierra Vista

• 11 a.m. on July 22 and Aug. 5: Sierra Vista Public Library

For information about Baby Signs and the programs Janice plans to offer, log on to talkswithhands.com.