Baby signing
Communication can be frustrating for young babies who can’t yet verbalize what they need and as a mom you’ll be all-too-familiar with the tears and tantrums that can erupt from nowhere because she can’t get her message across to you.
However, there is a way around it. Believe it or not, it’s possible to teach your baby to use simple hand and finger signs and gestures that indicate simple words, needs and concepts to tell you what she wants and how she feels. She’ll be able to use her hands to ‘talk’ to you long before she can speak, and if you sign back to her the ‘pictures’ you make with your hands can help her understand what you’re saying to her.
The benefits are clear: your baby won’t have to cry or rely on pointing to tell you what she wants and she won’t get upset because you haven’t understood her. You’ll both be happier and closer because you’ll be communicating in a much more emotionally satisfying and productive way than you trying to second-guess why your baby is crying. Tantrums will still happen – but research shows that babies who sign are less likely to express themselves aggressively (for example, by biting) when they do have tantrums. The fact she is able to get her message over boosts her self-esteem and makes her more confident.
Will it stop my baby from talking?
When baby sign language first became popular, some critics claimed it would slow
language development – but a National Institutes of Health study has found that babies who sign have more advanced verbal skills than other babies. Older children who were signed to as babies also have been found to use more complex sentences earlier and to have better
reading skills.
By signing, you’re honing your baby’s communication skills – and her growing expertise is put to good use in language development too. The key is to keep talking to your baby at the same time as you sign to her. And baby signing really comes into its own if your child has a developmental delay and is unable to learn speech at a normal pace. Children who are delayed often have continuing problems when it comes to expressing themselves and controlling their anger – baby signing can make all the difference to their behavior and progress because it can help them to express themselves.
When can we start?
It’s best to start signing the earlier the better, so that it will become a natural part of your communication, but it does depend on your baby being able to focus on the shapes and gestures you make with your hand and having the cognitive skills to link the gesture with a particular item. Be consistent in your signing and use signs consistently when pointing to an item or handing it to your baby.
As a rule,
five to
six months is a good time – it’s around then that your baby will start to grasp the concept that hand movements can have meaning as she begins to understand what waving hello or goodbye, or shaking your head means. Your baby will likely be physically ready to sign back to you once she’s around six months old but most babies usually make their first sign by around
eight months, once they develop the
motor skills required to make specific hand and finger shapes and movements.
What should we sign and how?
You’ll need your baby’s full attention, so ensure she’s happy and alert, isn’t hungry, and is sitting facing you. Start with two or three basic signs, so as not to overdo things and confuse your baby. It’s best to keep signing relevant – try these:
- Ball Bounce the thumbs and fingers of both hands together so that each hand forms half of an imaginary ball.
- Cat Raise your thumb and forefinger to your face and make a gesture as if your pulling on a cat’s whiskers.
- Daddy Open your hand up and use your thumb to tap the side of your forehead.
- Dog Pat your hand on your hip and then snap your fingers as if calling a pet dog.
- Milk Open and close your thumb and fingers as if milking a cow.
- Mommy Open your hand up, place your thumb on the side of your chin, and wiggle your fingers.
Always say the word as you sign it – it helps your baby recognize that the object, word and sign go together and this will help her speech develop. Repetition is the key to success, so use the signs every chance you get, to reinforce their meaning. After the sign has been introduced a few times, begin to help your baby make the handshape or gesture herself but accept that she will need time to develop the fine motor skills this requires. And do keep an eye on what she’s doing back to you – at first she may not get it quite right but you need to praise and encourage her every step of the way.
The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.
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Last Modified: 08/02/2009
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