Start Your Engines

No matter what your background with using sign language, it doesn’t take much to get started. As you can imagine, babies can only handle a very small vocabulary to begin with, so you will have plenty of time to build your own vocabulary to teach your baby along the way. My personal choice is to use American Sign Language, a visual means of communication that uses hand movements, facial expressions and body placement to express language visually.

As you explore ASL, if you have not already, you will notice that many of the signs are difficult for little fingers with limited dexterity to maneuver. It is the decision of the parent if you want to use an alternate version of some of the signs, or consistently model the actual sign from ASL. Little fingers may come up with their own version regardless, so part of the parent’s job is acting as an interpreter of your baby’s gestures and signs. As they mature and their hand control improves, so will their ability to form signs correctly.

It’s a Bird, It’s an AIRPLANE

Everyday Tori seems more and more aware of her surroundings. It seems her environment is getting bigger and bigger in her eyes. Lately when we are at the park I see her looking up into the sky and pointing out the birds and airplanes. So, I took the opportunity to introduce the sign for AIRPLANE. She loved being able to talk about airplanes and every time she sees or hears one now she gets excited and makes the “OHH!!” face and signs AIRPLANE. If she hears an airplane from inside she freezes, makes the face and signs it. Sometimes she’s not sure if she hears an airplane or a train which makes for a very cute, inquisitive face looking at me and signing AIRPLANE as a question. It’s priceless every time and a very big step toward ASL language acquisition.

Baby Signs Gets Endorsed by the AAP

Baby sign language allows early communication between parents, caregivers and infants. It includes baby friendly signs from American Sign Language, and signs that babies and parents have also created.

The AAP has endorsed the use of baby sign language: “Infant sign language really does deliver on its promise of improved communication.”

If you have ever spent any time with a twelve month old, you realize how much they understand. When they have tantrums, it is often because they are trying to share some important information, but they do not have the words.

I find that most babies hit the “terrible twos” well before two. Between 15 and 21 months of age, babies are frustrated with their lack of words. Tantrums are often triggered by frustration. I always tell my parents that “they have lots to say, we just do not speak their language.”

Good news, sign language may bridge that gap. Babysigns is a great site for information about signing. Babycenter can also get you started on signing here.

Babies who sign have been shown to have advanced language skills, better gross motor development and less frustration.

Signing does not decrease the rate at which toddlers learn to speak. When words are used along with the sign, the infant and/or toddler will learn both. Babies who sign have been shown to have as much as a 3 month leadover playmates in language development.

Baby signing was first researched by Dr. Goodwyn and Dr. Acredolo. They have dedicated 30 years to the development of baby sign language.

“We know that signing with young children reduces a child’s frustration, brings parent and child closer together, and even helps children achieve significant developmental milestones earlier,” said Goodwyn. “Signing creates happy, secure, loving babies.”

To read more please visit the link provided.

It's raining, it's pouring!

Last night while my daughter was in the bath it started to rain so hard that we could hear the raindrops falling on the roof, the thunder and we could see the lightning. I could see the worried look on her face and decided to use the opportunity to teach her a new sign and try and take her mind off of her fear of the rain sounds. I flittered my fingers on the surface of the water and made my own rain sounds. Then while my fingers dripped water, I raised them up to show her the sign for rain. RAIN, RAIN, RAIN....the water fell from my fingers and helped make the sign fun! You could quickly see the fear of the rain disappearing and the wonderment beginning. We talked about rain through the whole bath, and when it was over we walked outside and held out our hands to touch the rain. My daughter's face lit up! I know she has heard and seen the rain before, but being able to talk about it somehow made it magical. Signing rain gave her just the distraction I needed to turn a fear into a curiosity. I know the lesson stuck because all day today she has been waiting for it to rain. She runs to the window and says, "Mommy, RAIN?" I felt bad having to tell her, "No, no rain yet." Now instead of feeling afraid of the sounds of rain, she can't wait to hear them again.

I need a few more arms Mommy!

My little signer is not only signing ASL more and more everyday, but creating her own signs as well. Today she waved her arms very seriously in each direction and then signed MORE. It didn't take me long to realize she wanted to watch her OCTOPUS movie again. Very clever!

LOVE

As I was kissing my little signing superstar goodnight as I do every night, she looked at me and signed LOVE with a big smile on her face. For her to not only understand what it means and then chose to sign it to me before we said goodnight was one of those mom moments that makes all of this even more amazing. Just when you think you've learned something new about love, your child surprised you and teaches you how much you still don't know.

Full Circle

We're pretty close to the 2 year mark and we have started to turn signs into spoken word! Signs that my daughter has been using since she started learning Baby Signs are now becoming spoken words. For example, over the last few days the sign for MORE has gone from just a sign, to a sign and spoken word, to just a spoken word. That's how it works! I did not force it, just waited for her to figure it out on her own, and she did.

Sign Explosion!

It's all happening now! All of a sudden my 22 month old has started signing like crazy! All of the demonstrating, over and over, has now started to develop into language. Just at the same time that she is starting to use more spoken words, she is filling in the harder to pronounce words by signing them. She is also signing and speaking some of the words at the same time. Right now it is a wonderful mix of speech and signs and I'm finally getting more of an idea of what she is really thinking, feeling and learning about. For example, the signs I am seeing are tricycle, table, chair, apple, Mommy, Daddy, drink, kiss, baby, swing, butterfly, dog, sleeping, flower, wind, milk, cereal, fish, bear, potty, wash hands, shoes, book, bib, grapes, microwave, ball as well as all the signs she has been using since the beginning. It's a language explosion!

We All Sign For Ice Cream!

We all love ice cream, and now my daughter has learned the wonders of this cold, refreshing treat! After dinner last night she looked at me and signed MORE ICE CREAM! She made sure to lick her hand while she signed, but I don't think it tasted as good as the ice cream that came next.

She passed the test!

Tori's signing skills were put to the test and passed with flying colors! I had a dear friend come over to visit with us who is deaf and uses American Sign Language. After spending some time together, Tori was chatting as if they were old friends. Well, maybe I exaggerate a little, but I was so proud that she was able to communicate successfully with him using signs. She is still working on getting those spoken words out clearly, but everyday she seems to be talking more and more and signing better and better.
My second daughter, Lilah, is 6 months old now and I have started signing with her as well! I can't wait to see what happens next!

Happy Name Signing!

Happy 18 month birthday to my little TD! The list of signs that she has learned so far.... MORE, HAT, TUBBIE, FOOD, SLEEP, POTTY, CHAIR, DRINK, DOG, SHHH, TELEPHONE, TABLE, HELLO, TRAIN, ELEPHANT and GOODBYE! At the same time, she has learned several spoken words and has recently started putting together 2 word sentences.

The process of language acquisition has been fascinating to observe. There are still some words that she will only sign, some she will only speak and still others that she prefers to sign and speak at the same time. Another interesting thing that she has begun doing is assigning "name signs" to people. In Deaf Culture, it is common for American Sign Language (ASL) users to have a personalized sign that is unique to their personality. For example, Peter Cook is a World Famous Deaf Performer. He has had a pony tail for years and it has become his trademark. So, people in the Deaf Community refer to him with just the sign for PONY TAIL. If you are talking about performing or story telling and you use that sign, chances are people will know who you are talking about without even using his full name.

Without being taught, my little Baby Signs Superstar has begun to assign name signs. Her first one was PEEK-A-BooBoo.....let me explain.....we all call my Grandmother Boo Boo (don't ask) and she is always playing PEEK-A-BOO when she sees her. So, every time we see her now, she does PEEK-A-BOO! That is the gesture that she associates with my Grandmother and thus a name sign has been born.

An interesting aspect of this development is that normally only a Deaf person or native user of ASL is culturally "allowed" to assign a name sign. So, I pose the question to the Deaf Community: Because my daughter is learning ASL from birth, does she have name sign assigning rights? Hmmm......deaf friends get back to me on this one.

Sign language beneficial for babies in low-income families, study finds

Reprinted from Children & Young People Now (UK)

By Ross Watson 15 March 2010

Sign language used by mothers in low-income families can have a profound effect on babies' development, according to research conducted by the University of Hertfordshire.

The research, partly funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, will be discussed at an ESRC-organised event on Thursday called Communicating with Your Baby.

Based on a two-year study of 25 mothers and their babies, the findings suggest sign language has a significant impact on babies experiencing language delay, which the researchers claim is most likely to occur in low-income households.

The research showed that signing is likely to have very little impact on the language skills of most babies. But it suggested that sign-language classes in children's centres could have wider societal benefits for babies from disadvantaged backgrounds.

"In families where the language environment is known to be less than optimal, gesture is identified to have the potential to effectively promote better mother-infant interaction," said the report. "The appeal of the sessions is likely to attract attendance at Sure Start centres, therefore these sessions provide community practitioners with access to parents at risk and enable other services to be opened up to them.

"Through early intervention, gesture has the potential to reduce the disadvantage that children face from impoverished language abilities, and ultimately bring about lasting benefits."