"Music therapist Miller borrows basic signs—like "more," "stop," and "help"—from American Sign Language and makes them memorable for young children by incorporating them into songs.

Singing and signing are great ways to communicate with babies, foster their development and have fun engaging with them. This book contains 13 folk-style songs, simple enough for even the most tone-deaf parents. Each song is presented in a chapter that contains music and lyrics, pictures of the suggested signs, tips for introducing the sign, ideas for games and homemade toys and chapter-themed reading lists. Readers will be inspired by real-life stories of parents who have strengthened their bond with their infants and reduced the frustration of misunderstanding by teaching them to communicate by sign. Features a 13-song CD, 100 black & white photographs and a picture dictionary of the 35 words/signs introduced throughout the book.

Perfect for parents and parents-to-be alike."
http://www.kirkusreviews.com

"Drawing on her background as a music therapist and founder of the Love Language program, Miller (Baby Sing & Sign®) offers a wealth of information about teaching toddlers to communicate better through sign language and song. She demonstrates many easy and practical play-based strategies for integrating sign language and song into the daily lives of families, and the benefits of these exercises these exercises are impressive: they foster language, learning, and motor skills while preventing tantrums.. The book and CD contain 13 songs, each presented in a chapter with music and lyrics, pictures of signs that match the song, tips for introducing the signs, ideas for related games and activities, and theme-related reading lists. A picture dictionary of 35 words/signs that were introduced throughout the book comes at the end, as do a glossary, references, and resources. This easy-to-use guide will help parents teach their children new ways to express themselves and learn more about their world. Highly recommend..."

"Cute, participatory animal-themed songs include hand-signs for value-added fun and learning."

Your business has a story to tell. So why not write a book? The idea is not as farfetched as it may sound, even for those who may not have done any creative writing since college.

Self-publishing — in which the writer is responsible for content, design, printing, marketing and distribution — can be a realistic strategy for business owners and others. “Major publishers need a guarantee of 50,000 copies, plus what they can sell in the stores, to make a profit. You have to convince them you are capable of selling that many books,” said Pola Firestone, owner of BookWorks, in Kansas City, which provides publishing, marketing and consulting services to writers.

Jason Rich of Foxboro, Mass., author of Self-Publishing for Dummies, said self-publishing enables anybody with something to say to get a book published. “You won’t get in the major bookstores, but you may be able to get it picked up by Amazon or Barnes & Noble online,” he said.

Anne Miller of Olathe has turned a popular parenting course into a successful book. “I teach parents how to use sign language and music to communicate with their babies before they are able to speak,” she said. “I turned my teaching materials into a book for parents who were not able to attend my classes.”

The spiral-bound first edition of Baby Sing & Sign, which was published in 2004, was followed by a professionally designed second edition. Success in the Kansas City market led to a contract from a national publisher for two follow-up books. In 2006, Marty Stanley of Kansas City self-published Get Out of B.E.D. (Blame, Excuses and Denial), a collection of columns she had written. “It took a while for me to come up with the right way to present my material, but I made it a self-help book with worksheets at the end of each chapter,” she said. “I started out selling it in the back of the room at my presentations, but now I also sell it on my Web site.” She said her consulting, workshop and seminar business has more than doubled compared with last year.

Miller and Stanley both fit the profile for successful self-publishing, Rich said. “People who do well fall into one of two categories,” he said. “They may already have an established audience as a teacher or presenter that they can sell to. Or they may focus on niche topics where customers will be willing to pay a premium for their information. There is no way self-published books can compete on price, so there needs to be another marketing edge.”

Anyone interested in self-publishing a book must go about it the same way they started their business — with a plan.

• Define the objective. Although a book may not be a big moneymaker, it can provide a number of less-tangible benefits. “Every individual or organization has something they feel they want to share,” Firestone said. “Sharing it through a book can build credibility, attract new clients and establish more loyalty among existing clients.”
• Refine the concept. “Write a book proposal, which is a smaller commitment than writing a book,” Firestone said. “Include an outline, why you are credible on this topic, what books in the market are similar to yours, and a marketing plan. Do some market research to determine why your book is better or different and why it will sell.”
• Count the cost. Technology has reduced the cost of self-publishing, but writers also must consider a number of additional expenses, such as marketing and distribution.
  “Cost is like building a house — there are a lot of variables to consider,” Firestone said. “You can print a short run — say 10 or 20 books — for perhaps $10 to $15 each. Or you may be able to print 1,000 to 2,000 copies of the same book for $3 each.”
• Be professional. Nothing can erase hard-earned credibility faster than a few typos or an amateurish-looking cover. Professional help is available for everything from ghostwriting to design to proofreading.
  “One thing I stress is that no matter what, hire a professional editor to go through your manuscript line by line before it prints,” Rich said. “It’s hard to edit yourself.”
• pread the word. No author wants to end up with boxes of unsold books gathering dust in the garage. “You can’t promote a book if it’s not being distributed or distribute it if it’s not being promoted,” Firestone said.
• Be persistent. Publishing a book can be a long, tedious process.

“Doing a book takes a whole lot longer than you anticipate,” Stanley said. “I didn’t realize how much stamina it would take.” The payoff for most writers will be increased visibility and credibility, which can translate into greater sales. Successful self-published writers may even catch the eye of a publishing house — eventually. “Just realize you are not going to self-publish and be on ‘Oprah’ the following week,” Miller said.

“Drawing on animal-themed traditional music from the American south and Appalachias, Anne Meeker Miller and company adapt the songs to modern, very musical and intelligent arrangements—playing “for” children instead of “at” them. The approach to the music is respectful and genuinely fun. Miller's selections, ripe for participation, are augmented by gratifying instrumentation and pleasant professional singing. The accompanying booklet includes lyrics (thank you), photographs of children showing fourteen ASL signs for animals, as well as a list of related animal books.”
Lahri Bond ©2006 Parents' Choice
Lahri Bond is a father, a writer and the art director for Dirty Linen: The Magazine of Folk and World Music. His published books include Spinning Tales Weaving Hope (with the Stories For World Change Network) for New Society Press and People of the Earth (coauthored with Ellen Evert Hopman) for Destiny Books.
http://www.parents-choice.org

OLATHE, Kan. -- Is it really possible to teach a baby to talk to you before he can even speak? A Kansas City, Mo., educator believes it is possible by using sign language, Kansas City television station KMBC reported. Dr. Anne Meeker Miller created Baby Sing and Sign. As a music therapist for the Blue Valley Early Childhood Special Education Program, she realized an important connection. "We found music is a very engaging way to help kids learn sign vocabulary that they were teaching in class," Miller said.
Miller created a program to teach babies to sign. "It's extremely valuable. It reduces frustration at that stage where they are trying to point, trying to communicate want -- to tell you what they want," Miller said.
Melinda Young started her daugther, Hannah, in the program at 6 months old. Eight months later, Hannah's talking with sign language. “She's been telling me more at the dinner table. It's a great way for her to communicate with her dad and I, instead of grunting and reaching," Young said.
Miller said that parents can use music and sign language in everyday activities. It's the fun repetition that helps babies learn this new way to communicate. Moultrie said that Miller uses American sign language, but modifies some of it to make it easier for babies.
http://www.nbc4.com/news/3496828/detail.html?treets=dc&tid=2652838224813&tml=dc_12pm&tmi=dc _12pm_10210_10500107062004&ts=H

Accessible Arts, Inc. (AAI) and the Kansas State Board of Education (KSBE) collaborate each year to recognize the valuable work of people who include Kansas children with disabilities in art experiences. To honor these individuals, AAI and KSBE established two awards in 1983, one for Distinguished Service in Arts and Disabilities and one for the Kansas Educator of the Year in Arts and Disabilities. On March 9th, in a ceremony at the Kansas State School for the Blind, the following individuals were honored for demonstrating excellence in service (through the arts) to children with and without disabilities.

Anne Meeker Miller, Ph.D. was selected as the 2004 Educator of the Year. Dr. Miller, is a music therapist for the early childhood special education program of the Blue Valley School District in Overland Park, Kansas. During her career, she has taught music to students from preschool through college levels. She utilizes the intrinsically motivating power of music to engage students in their gross and fine motor development, pre-academic skills, socialization, and attention to task. Her preschool students were the inspiration for her work with sign language and music. She is also interested in fostering a love for books, and uses picture books in musical ways to help children with phonemic awareness, letter recognition, anticipating events, and looking for picture clues.

Through her company, Love Language™ LLC, Miller shows parents and caregivers how to encourage language development of young children by using music, play-based activities and picture books to teach baby sign language. She teaches Baby Sing & Sign™ classes at Shawnee Mission Medical Center, and the second edition of her book and music CD, Baby Sing & Sign™: A Play-filled Language Development Program for Hearing Infants and Toddlers, will be available in April from local booksellers and from her website, www.babysingandsign.com.

Miller piloted the music therapy program for the Olathe School District in 1980, and has advocated for the inclusion of special needs students in public school music programs throughout her career. She wrote and directed a musical revue called "Magic to Do" which integrated junior high students with disabilities and their peers, and she includes exceptional children in all of her ensembles.

Dr. Alice-Ann Darrow, Miller's former professor wrote, "Anne is an exceptional academic in the fields of music therapy and music education….Anne is probably THE most exceptional educator I know - in any discipline…. in her college teaching practicum….Her course preparations put some faculty to shame….what was most appealing was her generosity in sharing her materials with other [graduate students] and faculty without claiming ownership."

From the University of Kansas, Miller earned her Bachelor of Music Education and Music Therapy degrees, Master of Music Education degree with honors, and Doctorate of Philosophy in Music Education degree with honors. She received the Excellence in Teaching Award given by the Learning Exchange, Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and The Kansas City Star. She was also a commission member of the Housewright Symposium on the Future of Music Education sponsored by the Music Educators National Conference.

http://accessiblearts.org/Awards-04.html