What’s Your Sign?

Have you ever seen an infant using sign language and wondered how, or why? How does one get started and what signs do you teach?

These are just a few of the many questions that ran through my mind while I was pregnant with my first child. Neither my husband nor I had any prior experience in sign language techniques, so I decided to do a little study on the topic of teaching sign language to an infant. I soon realized that studying was just the first step. Now it was time to implement. I began teaching my daughter sign language at around the age of 6 months. She had recently started eating solids, so I thought it logical to start with the word “Eat”. Every time she would eat solids I would have her watch me sign the word and then I would take her hand and help her mimic my movements. This would be done multiple times before every meal.

Of course, at first she was slow to catch on. The key to teaching sign language is consistency. I taught my husband the sign so that he could also help reinforce the signs when he fed our daughter. Within a few weeks, she began to acknowledge the concept that by making this sign there was a positive outcome: food. Each time mealtime rolled around we would ask her if she wanted to eat; sure enough, if we held out long enough, her eyes would light up with a sudden realization, and she would begin flashing “the sign”. Once comfortable with the sign for “eat” we began to teach her words that applied to her life and the things she was doing. Once the method of communication had been established with that first sign for the word “Eat”, the concept of expressing herself with her hands came much easier for her.

So, what words might you teach a 6 month old infant? Here are just a few examples:
- eat
- more
- sleep
- bed
- thank you
- please

You get the gist. There are many possibilities. Just start with the things that are most common in your child’s life at the time.

Don’t Fear Baby Sign Langauge

If you’re worried because you’ve never signed before, don’t fret. My husband and I picked up any new signs in just a few minutes. In fact, there came a point where we would find ourselves using these very signs when talking to friends or acquaintances, without even realizing it! It quickly becomes a natural part of your communication.

Of course, there are standards for sign language. One is called ASL, which is an acronym for American Sign Language. If you’re not comfortable with learning the standard signs, you can of course also make up your own signs for words or people. This approach is slightly disadvantageous as these signs aren’t quite as universal. However, if this method works best for you and your child then it may be something you consider. We found that by teaching our daughter the ASL signs it was easier for us to know which sign to use for a word, and in a small way this allowed her more opportunity to communicate with her grandma who is partly deaf.

Tongue Tied

Has knowing sign language slowed down her ability to speak? No, in fact I believe it has helped to aid the process. At 18 months she could speak many words and was learning new words every day. The words she knew how to sign were a few of the first words she learned how to speak. If she couldn’t verbalize a word just yet, she could continue to sign it until her verbal skills improved.

This has proven very helpful when trying to understand those hard to understand “mutterings”. Not only is our daughter accustomed to attempting to speak her thoughts, but she will often use gestures and signs to help us understand what she is trying to say.

Teach a child to fish…

I feel one of the biggest advantages to this method of instruction is the child’s ability to quickly learn to communicate. The language skills of children are developed early but it takes them longer to learn how to form words verbally. Imagine how frustrating it must be to understand what someone is saying but not be able to respond? Teaching sign language to infants helps them overcome this core problem, and allows them a faster means of expression. They learn how to communicate with their hands, and this allows the process of speech to be less encumbered with feelings of frustration and inadequacy.

Will I teach sign language to subsequent children? Yes! I have only witnessed positive outcomes from children learning sign language, and such wonderful benefits that have greatly helped my child and our family.

If you would like to find out more about teaching infants to sign, please follow the links below:
http://www.handspeak.com/index.php
http://www.mybabycantalk.com/
http://aslpro.com/

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• Playtime- Eliminate Negative Behavior
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• BabyQuestions101, a baby website for parents, by parents
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What’s Your Sign?

Have you ever seen an infant using sign language and wondered how, or why? How does one get started and what signs do you teach?

These are just a few of the many questions that ran through my mind while I was pregnant with my first child. Neither my husband nor I had any prior experience in sign language techniques, so I decided to do a little study on the topic of teaching sign language to an infant. I soon realized that studying was just the first step. Now it was time to implement. I began teaching my daughter sign language at around the age of 6 months. She had recently started eating solids, so I thought it logical to start with the word “Eat”. Every time she would eat solids I would have her watch me sign the word and then I would take her hand and help her mimic my movements. This would be done multiple times before every meal.

Of course, at first she was slow to catch on. The key to teaching sign language is consistency. I taught my husband the sign so that he could also help reinforce the signs when he fed our daughter. Within a few weeks, she began to acknowledge the concept that by making this sign there was a positive outcome: food. Each time mealtime rolled around we would ask her if she wanted to eat; sure enough, if we held out long enough, her eyes would light up with a sudden realization, and she would begin flashing “the sign”. Once comfortable with the sign for “eat” we began to teach her words that applied to her life and the things she was doing. Once the method of communication had been established with that first sign for the word “Eat”, the concept of expressing herself with her hands came much easier for her.

So, what words might you teach a 6 month old infant? Here are just a few examples:
- eat
- more
- sleep
- bed
- thank you
- please

You get the gist. There are many possibilities. Just start with the things that are most common in your child’s life at the time.

Don’t Fear Baby Sign Langauge

If you’re worried because you’ve never signed before, don’t fret. My husband and I picked up any new signs in just a few minutes. In fact, there came a point where we would find ourselves using these very signs when talking to friends or acquaintances, without even realizing it! It quickly becomes a natural part of your communication.

Of course, there are standards for sign language. One is called ASL, which is an acronym for American Sign Language. If you’re not comfortable with learning the standard signs, you can of course also make up your own signs for words or people. This approach is slightly disadvantageous as these signs aren’t quite as universal. However, if this method works best for you and your child then it may be something you consider. We found that by teaching our daughter the ASL signs it was easier for us to know which sign to use for a word, and in a small way this allowed her more opportunity to communicate with her grandma who is partly deaf.

Tongue Tied

Has knowing sign language slowed down her ability to speak? No, in fact I believe it has helped to aid the process. At 18 months she could speak many words and was learning new words every day. The words she knew how to sign were a few of the first words she learned how to speak. If she couldn’t verbalize a word just yet, she could continue to sign it until her verbal skills improved.

This has proven very helpful when trying to understand those hard to understand “mutterings”. Not only is our daughter accustomed to attempting to speak her thoughts, but she will often use gestures and signs to help us understand what she is trying to say.

Teach a child to fish…

I feel one of the biggest advantages to this method of instruction is the child’s ability to quickly learn to communicate. The language skills of children are developed early but it takes them longer to learn how to form words verbally. Imagine how frustrating it must be to understand what someone is saying but not be able to respond? Teaching sign language to infants helps them overcome this core problem, and allows them a faster means of expression. They learn how to communicate with their hands, and this allows the process of speech to be less encumbered with feelings of frustration and inadequacy.

Will I teach sign language to subsequent children? Yes! I have only witnessed positive outcomes from children learning sign language, and such wonderful benefits that have greatly helped my child and our family.

If you would like to find out more about teaching infants to sign, please follow the links below:
http://www.handspeak.com/index.php
http://www.mybabycantalk.com/
http://aslpro.com/

Similar Articles:

• Communication Blues = Terrible Two’s
• Reading Aloud To Your Children
• Part Two - Three Steps to Sleep
• Playtime- Eliminate Negative Behavior
• Hylands Homeopathic Teething Tablets
• Consequences: Following Through
• BabyQuestions101, a baby website for parents, by parents
• Evenflo Silly Safari Mega ExerSaucer
• Silent Nights - Stomach Sleeping & SIDS
• Fisher Price Healthy Care Booster