Baby sign language?

Candice - posted on 12/31/2011

my only suggestion is when they are old enough to begin forming words, don't just accept the sign as enough for them to get what they want. ask them to use their words too, to say it with their mouth. all three of our girls started signing the basics (please, thank you, milk, all done, and eat) very early. i was concerned with language delay because the only children i knew who signed were both language delayed and would make up signs for things rather than attemp to say them. because of that concern i always asked my girls to say the word too. of course it was just and attempt at the world early on and that was good enough. i have 3 girls with AMAZING language. the signs have slowly faded away as the words grew (we were using signing, for a helpful tool not to become a second language), but it was extremely helpful and amazing to see their growth in language.

Wanda - posted on 12/31/2011

I say go for it! You never know what kind of blessing it will bring into you and your child's life knowing that you've taught them their 1st language before they're able to talk! It may also come in handy later in life if you encourage them to keep practicing it even after they learn to talk as you never know when they might make a friend who only speaks sign language! :)

Jody - posted on 12/30/2011

Baby sign language is awesome, my daughter started learning it @ 7 weeks old and is 2 now . She still signs and she can talk.

Meegan - posted on 12/30/2011

My 2 year old started signing at about 8 months, taught a few words by my mom, but when we put him in daycare it is part of the curriculum and he took off. We found that it so greatly reduces his frustration for getting his point across that his spoken language skills take giant leaps too. I want him to have ASL as a second language someday, so it is also a great step in that direction.

Rena - posted on 12/30/2011

I would like to add that in our families case, we used signing in our immediate family primarily. They learned to sign thank you and please for general public outings and as soon as they learned to speak short sentences at around 12 mo. old, we dropped the signing altogether. Except for a few shy moments where the only thank you I could get from them was a signed "thank you" lol...kwim?



And, our signing was limited to, "more, please, thank you, all done, hungry,...." the type of words that are extremely helpful when caring for an infant/baby.

Sally - posted on 12/30/2011

I know a lot of people who loved it. We didn't bother with either of our kids. You can figure out what they want if you spend time with them and pay attention. Every baby I have ever known has had very expressive expressions, tones, and gesturtes of their own without anyone "teaching" them. You just have to notice.

Lise - posted on 12/30/2011

I'm very surprised people have experienced problems with signing. Communication is all about having a speaker and a listener (that includes with signing), and response effort. Once many children learn to speak, there is less response effort in signing and so they speak (IME). I've worked with children who sign and children who use a picture exchange system (like PECS), and that was the benefit of using them - the ease of speaking once it was learned. For some kids, I guess, signing may be easier or have a longer history of reinforcement.

Shannon - posted on 12/30/2011

I would also like to add that I have had experience with both teaching sign language and being a preschool teacher with a class of 12 Two year olds, where 10 spoke English alone, 1 spoke Russian and English and 1 spoke English, but also was taught sign language. The later child had the hardest time connecting. He was signing to his classmates with no response back. He would eventually give up and play alone. We had to actually encourage him NOT to use signs at school. Once he withdrew from signing, he was better understood and bonded with the class.

Shannon - posted on 12/30/2011

3. I believe there is NO comparison between sign language or a foreign language. I dont think that I ever connected the two.
4. I would never advise another mother to change their beloved childrens pediatrician based on opinion. Their pediatrician is a top in Atlanta! And his specialty is auto immune disorders, which both my daughter and I suffer from.

Erika - posted on 12/30/2011

i think signing is a great thing to teach your child, i taught my kids at 6 months and earlier, it helpd us communicate before they could talk and it also benifits them if they are ever in a situation where they need to use it :) i dont think its a need but its a def. bonus

Shannon - posted on 12/30/2011

To whom this concerns (sorry but my phone is not allowing me to go back to previous pages at the moment)!
1. I didnt feel ganged up on, but I do feel as if this should be a forum of discussion only. I would hope no one would take what I say as proven fact and apply it to their child!
2. If do not take for granted that my kiddos can hear, nor would I ever claim that teaching signs to a hearing/and or learning impaired child would be negative in the least!
3.

Lise - posted on 12/30/2011

Technically, signing is "verbal behavior." It's not vocal - but there are all sorts of ways to engage in verbal behavior without vocalizing a word. (Crying is also verbal behavior.) :-)

Dee - posted on 12/30/2011

Research does indicate that it is very beneficial for young children to learn sign language, with positive findings even up to the 8th grade! I taught it to my daughter starting at 4 months. Now she's two and speaks in 3 & 4-word sentences!

Jocelyn - posted on 12/30/2011

I would also like to add (someone above posted a comment about ASL being difficult and it reminded me!) There are two forms of signing. ASL is an actual language with it's own grammar structures created specifically for the deaf community. SEE (signed exact english) takes the signs from ASL but not the grammar. In SEE "I have a horse" would be signed exactly as you would say it, as opposed to "horse have I" in ASL.

So there is your random fact of the day lol

Emily - posted on 12/30/2011

my son is learning and we are still learning, we didn't catch his lack of hearing until he was 3 so he is late on talking and it helps him communicate, really lot less frustration. it helps

Elizabeth - posted on 12/30/2011

I wanted to address another concern someone brought up about confusing your child and impeding the ability to communicate with others. My girlfriend and her husband are an English speaking household but their nanny is a Spanish speaker. They had no idea (and were thrilled to find out) that their daughter was fluent in Spanish at 3 when she approached her bi-lingual babysitter one evening and began speaking in Spanish. Your child will not be confused about how or when to use the language. Exposure to your chosen language every day and whatever other language you choose will only enrich your child's life.

Elizabeth - posted on 12/30/2011

I taught my daughter ASL and I absolutely love it! There have been few (almost no) tantrums and she is a great communicator at almost two. She speaks aloud as much as she signs and when she does speak, it is in complete sentences. Her comprehension is extraordinary and I certainly don't see it as a crutch to communicating. ASL is a legitimate form of communication. :) In addition, learning a second language now will expand your child's ability to learn additional languages later. It is also a great way to develop hand-eye coordination!

Keri - posted on 12/30/2011

I used it with both my younger kids. It is a huge help when they can tell you what they want. I found a web site that showed you how to make signs to teach your baby.

http://www.mybabycantalk.com/content/dic...

Maggie - posted on 12/30/2011

i taught both my sons sign at a very early age. My first son didn't start talking (or signing) until he was about 14 months or so but once he did his vocabulary was huge. He understood the words and the signs but wouldn't use either one until he was ready. My second son was a big talker and signer. I think the visual aspect of the word helped them learn faster.

Crystal - posted on 12/30/2011

I've used it with several children I've taken care of over the years as well as with my own. Mainly just a few things though. Like; please,thank you, potty, drink, eat...things like this. I have seen some children use it as their crutch though and refuse to speak the words once their communication needs are being met by sign. So if you're going to use sign you need to just make sure that your making them TRY and SAY the words as well and not just be completely ok with them using sign. This is why speech pathologists dont usually like to use sign especially when they're in the middle of doing therapy. They just become too dependant on it sometimes. Like learning how to walk. Why should they if you're willing to carry them around all the time? lol I think as with anything else you just need to have a balance of things. Would you teach your child Spanish or French and not English? That's just gonna make it tougher for them when they're around other people and the frustration will be worse. 'How come THEY dont understand me!?!' balance it and it will be just fine. But do what YOU feel comfortable with.

Anita - posted on 12/30/2011

2 points:
1--Kids are soooo smart. Even before they can talk, babies/toddlers can hear and understand what is being said around them, but they just don't have the verbal skills to respond with words. Signing DOES help bridge that gap. I did it with all 4 of my kids. You've gotten a ton of responses saying how wonderful it is, so I won't go on about that.
2--I saw one post saying not to use American Sign Language b/c it's too complex. Not true. I used ASL with my kids and they learned them just fine. They will learn whatever you teach them, so why not teach them real ASL, which they can use later on if they want to learn more and/or communicate with others who know the same language? Makes sense to me, but of course you are welcome to make your own decision.

I highly highly highly recommend the "Baby Signing Time" & "Signing Time" DVD's for toddlers & preschoolers. (They were begun by a family that had a deaf child; they use ASL.) Look them up on YouTube to see them for yourself before you buy (or ask for them for your baby's birthday :)
Happy signing :)

Diane - posted on 12/30/2011

Yes and it is fun!! Check out Signing Time with Alex and Leah--great way to teach your child sign language--

Anisa - posted on 12/30/2011

Hi there! Looks like you've received a substantial amount of replies so hope you don't mind another. I think it would be the best opportunity you have to do this - knowing sign is very important even if your son does not have any difficulty hearing. I think it is as important to know as any other language and a gift that not everyone possess or understands so it goes beyond his development as a baby, although it will definitely help in this regard as well as cognitive reasoning. I was teaching my son basic hand sign language when he was a month or two and he was forming the letters with his little fingers with me. I thought it was so special and unique but unfortunately I didn't continue even though it is still open for him to learn but won't be as easy as if I would have continued and he would now have been fluent. Good luck and best wishes!

Alison - posted on 12/30/2011

I have with my son as he has delayed speech due to a hearing problem. I have found that as he learns to say the word he needs he stops doing the sign for that word. I would give it a go as u have found it an invaluable tool to have as it has also helped ke communicate with other children with the same problem.

Annie - posted on 12/30/2011

II taught my son baby sign. He's now talking, but there are often times that he's trying to say something that I can't understand & the sign helps me to figure it out :)
It won't hurt to try it & u'll end up with a 'secret' language :D

C - posted on 12/30/2011

Shannon--you should also get a new doctor for your child! What a terrible, uninformed thing to say! The truth is that general health practitioners aren't always kept up-to-date with a lot of informationthat's not in usual demand. If you were to spend time with any doctors from a CDC or specialist unit, even specially trained nurses will tell you quite clearly otherwise. Also, many years ago when 'signing' was specifically and mainly for the deaf or mute, talking was not a natural component of signing. So it's possible your doc and whoever did the seminar was working off much older research which could have been quite accurate for then. Things are done much differently now. I feel sad that this is what you've been lead to believe--and by a doctor, of all people you should be able to trust! I hope that the responses on here have given you something new to consider---and maybe if you're ever asked again you can say that you're aware of many people who have had tremendously positive results. =-)

C - posted on 12/30/2011

Shannon B- I feel for you because I believe your intention may not quite warrant the response you are getting (or atleast the feelings you now have). Circle of Moms can be quite a passionate place. Its unfortunate you are feeling a bit 'bashed' but it goes to show how careful we all must be when repeating qualified information. It's quite common and understandable to be asked to prove your claims. If you can't understand the sensitivity of this issue---and how damning your response can be-- then you need to be careful what you say. You weren't simply voicing an opinion. You were suggesting there is professional proof. Please don't be offended if we ask for that proof. Wouldn't you want to know if something you've dedicated your life to the last 12 yrs was 'prooven' to be harmful? Also you became condescending repeating Mel's request. We all know what was asked. The reason a lot of us can sign is because we have a special needs child. We have naturally applied this to the rest of our children with positive results and total encouragement from our own specialist doctors and therapists. Surely we're quite qualified in sharing our opinions and encouragement. Signing is a big part of our lives. Many children learn to speak early--good for you and your kids---it's hardly because you 'didn't' sign though. I don't believe you stated you had experience at all with signing. So if you have no personal experience to work with but want to quote or make claim to someone elses research--just make sure you are able to share it. It is a simple request though I understand how you felt ganged up on. It wasn't my personal intention.

Shirleen - posted on 12/30/2011

I taught both of my daughter's to sign and both were starting to sign back at 10 months. It so does not stunt speaking verbally. When you teach it always sign while saying the words outloud. Both my girls are such chatterboxes and were at an early age. www.babysigns.com is a good resource

Lisa - posted on 12/29/2011

My son is only 6 months old but we have been using sign language since he was 2 months and he actually understands a few simple signs already. He always smiles when I sign the word milk or the word eat. I figure if it helps him communicate better then why not. I have found a great website if you wan to check it out. It is babysignlanguage.com I love the sight and it makes learning sign language easy! Good luck!

Lise - posted on 12/29/2011

Sure. I'd love to speak with him.

Shannon - posted on 12/29/2011

@Lise...I must not have been aware that this we were on trial here! Thank you for clarifying the way in which I should discuss topics on a parenting message board! I would have to ask permission from the various instructors who spoke of this information, before I could quote it on the internet. I am just a little bit too busy raising two little ones full time to hunt these professionals down. My girls' pediatrician has also given me the same information. Would you like his name and number? Im sure he would just LOVE to speak to someone as chipper as yourself ;)

Lise - posted on 12/29/2011

@Shannon - asking for the research was not bashing you. If you support your claim BECAUSE OF research, though, I feel you should be able to cite that research. Saying "I didn't because I think/feel/etc" is opinion-based. Saying "research has shown that..." needs to be supported. Otherwise, it falls into that "hey, you know, 83% of statistics are made up." If you cite statistics, you need to back them up. You shouldn't claim to be speaking from a research-based point-of-view unless you can actually provide the research, IMO.

Belinda - posted on 12/29/2011

I taught my daughet about 10 key words and small phrases in Sign Language just for fun and I'm telling you I'm so glad I did because the most important one I taught ("ILOVE YOU") was also shared with everyone in our immediate family and it actually became so integral in the last days of my father's life after he'd had a stroke as this was the only communication he had left with my daughter and I will never forget how special that was :)

Shannon - posted on 12/29/2011

Wow! I wasnt aware that this was a "mom bashing discussion forum!" For those of you seeking cited articles, I would not have them handy, since the information I was speaking about was from conventions i attended as late as 2 years ago. I did not claim to research this topic myself, I merely stated that professionals in the field made claims against signing. I think the original post did NOT mention that the child had any learning abilities. I am sure that kids with autism, etc. would benefit from sign language. To Sherri and the other ladies bashing my kiddos.....yes both of my girls were saying mama and/or dada by 6 mos. and my first born was saying mama, dada, baba, and woof woof by 7-8 mos. If thats not speech, than i dont know what is?! I think the mom who made the post was interested in opinions about whether to sign or not. Im sure she was NOT in search of rude commentary from the mothers who felt like it was their place to put another mother down.

Lise - posted on 12/29/2011

FYI - Babywise can be harmful. Sorry this is off-topic, but that's one method that can be dangerous. http://ezzo.info/

Kim - posted on 12/29/2011

Oh yes- it proved successful and rewarding with our boys (now 11, 12 & 17). A simple google search leads to an abounding number of resources and methods. We took our instruction from a book by Gary Ezzo called "Babywise" and "Growing Kids'God's Way". Secular/physiological reasons abound for teaching your infant to sign - they are physically able to understand and process dialogue before long before they are able to annunciate actual words. However, we chose the Ezzo's literature because of the family and world values they presented - one of which is that child-rearing is not a democracy but a loving relationship where parents are the authority figures. For example - You don't ask a child if he wants to empty the dishwasher, put his clothes in the hamper or visit grandma. I used to ask my firstborn son if he wanted to eat or sleep or do anything. I digress - signing was not only helpful in the feeding of our children who learned to sign "please" "no more" "more" "thank-you" "all-done" and others. If you decide to begin - it's most effective if both parents learn and encourage the signs. Babies catch on faster that way. Best wishes!! :)

Kristie - posted on 12/29/2011

My girlfriend and I started this with our babies and it was a fantastic way for them to communicate before they could talk. It never delayed either of their speech development. In fact our two were putting full sentences together before they were 2.

JUANITA - posted on 12/29/2011

Aloha, I work for a company called A Time To Sign....sign lang. when used with words is very beneficial for the speech n lang. development of babies. On a personal, note when my son was diagnosed with a aspeech delay we used sign daily to develop his communication skills, it was extremely beneficial & he is a chatter box now. :) I luv signing & watching my kids sign is awesome as well..

Heather - posted on 12/29/2011

my triplets love it... and it has helped mommy out tantrums are few in between.. and they love baby signing time.. they ask to watch it all the time..

Cecilia - posted on 12/29/2011

I'm an Early Childhood teacher and where I work we teach our babies in the infant room to sign. I have also brought this into my home and am teaching my son. So far we have learned (more, eat, and our working on drink). This is a process and you have to be very commited if u want them to really learn it.

Michelle - posted on 12/29/2011

I taught my baby sign language. It was great and I am convinced it is why she communicates/speaks so incredibly well as a 3 yr old now. She understood signs as early as 7-8 months but didn't sign back to me until about 11 months old. It is awesome because it cuts down on their frustration levels and they are more confident because they can communicate before they can verbally speak. I still do "signing school" every morning at breakfast with my 3 yr old. I just had another baby too and I will do the same with her. Do it, it's awesome! :)

Kristie - posted on 12/29/2011

In regards to the following reply.....

""No! They take longer to speak, I stop signing and my daughter immidately started to speak full sentences perfectly. Humans are meant to speak! ""

Humans are meant to speak.... wow really?? Have you never heard of a deaf person?? My son is deaf, he was not made to speak....does this make him not human?? Next time maybe you should think before you speak. I think baby sign language is a great tool, and all children whether deaf or not should be taught it. Its proven to help developmentally. Kudos to anyone who's not against it!

Elizabeth (Beth) - posted on 12/29/2011

I am a music therapist and have used sign with many tots. They can actually learn signs before spoken speech and it seems to help eliminate some communication frustrations for some children. If you'd like to pair it with music, check to see if there is a Baby Sing and Sign class in your area. It is a program with a curriculum and teachers go through classes to become certified with the materials (similar to Kindermusic, etc). They also have a web site for more info.

Peta - posted on 12/29/2011

Post a reply! Yes. I took my three year old to the paediatrician. We were having problems with his behaviour, and we realised that although he is young, he is very bright for his age. We started with your baby can read flash cards, which I'd heard of. Then we started on Japanese, German and Spanish counting. Kids will absorb any information you can give to them, you just have to make learning fun. There's the tricky part. The signing alphabet is a bit long and hard to keep his attention, but I want, drink, food, play, mum, dad, baby and I love you are easy to teach. Visit your local library, you can order baby signing books. I didnt find the Internet that great surprising enough , you have to buy that kind of literature, and it's not cheap. Remember to reward your child for using sign language, I am still learning, and teaching, but we will get there. Good luck,Regards, PETA Ringelstein.

Peta - posted on 12/29/2011

Post a reply! Yes. I took my three year old to the paediatrician. We were having problems with his behaviour, and we realised that although he is young, he is very bright for his age. We started with your baby can read flash cards, which I'd heard of. Then we started on Japanese, German and Spanish counting. Kids will absorb any information you can give to them, you just have to make learning fun. There's the tricky part. The signing alphabet is a bit long and hard to keep his attention, but I want, drink, food, play, mum, dad, baby and I love you are easy to teach. Visit your local library, you can order baby signing books. I didnt find the Internet that great surprising enough , you have to buy that kind of literature, and it's not cheap. Remember to reward your child for using sign language, I am still learning, and teaching, but we will get there. Good luck,Regards, PETA Ringelstein.

Julianne - posted on 12/29/2011

Its so awesome being able to talk to your baby! I used signing with gabby, started at birth. By the time she was a year old she knew 26 different signs. Its so much better than guessing what they want.

Rebecca - posted on 12/29/2011

yes i did with my daughter because she refused to talk and she did great with it, we continued to work with talkin with her but the baby sign was a big help!

Kim - posted on 12/29/2011

I taught my daughter some basic words before she could talk much like more, milk, shoes, and eat. She was able to communicate to us some things she wanted when she could not say it. It made things easier for both of us. I only wish I had started earlier and kept up with it even when she learned to speak. Knowing sign language is very helpful sometimes.

Chelly - posted on 12/29/2011

We signed until she was able to communicate with words. It was incredibly helpful. We loved baby signing time :)

Janice - posted on 12/29/2011

I used some signs with my daughter and she still uses them when she says the words more and please. Really no reason not to do it.