I’m excited for you to read this guest post from Katie at Kitchen Stewardship. I never used sign language with my babies. (Why? I don’t know!) Two of my sisters-in-law use it with their babies and it’s AMAZING to watch those smart babies communicating!
Now even though you can’t see me…I am doing sign language to tell you to read and learn more with Katie. You never knew I could blog in sign language did you?
Here’s Katie…
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Laura does such a good job with homeschooling tips for school-aged kiddos, and the Preschool eBook will be an amazing resource for that age group. Now for the littlest among us: if you have an infant or young toddler, I’m here to take away the apprehension many people seem to have about baby signs and share our family’s joy in using them. By the time you get to the trick at the end, you’ll be inspired to begin using baby signs today with your child.
I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and write about it on my blog, so I’m happy to come out of there for a spell and share about something non-food but close to my heart here at Heavenly Homemakers. Of course, I’m going to start by talking about food. Life is like that sometimes.
If you’ve ever parented a child through the high chair phase, you’ll recognize this scene (even if I don’t know how to spell it):
The child points to something on the table and says – here it comes – “Unh!” (Maybe it’s “Uhhhhn!” or “Uohhhh?”)
Thus begins the “What do you want?” game:
You say, “This?”
-”Uhn.”
“This?”
-”Uhn!”
“This?”
-”UHN!”
Often you figure it out eventually, but some situations melt into tantrums because the child can’t communicate. They know so clearly what they want, but just can’t say it yet.
Now imagine this scene:
You’re having a family dinner with your 11-month-old in the high chair. The child tells you she wants more banana. Later that same meal she asks politely for, “Cheese, please.” And when you realize you’ve forgotten a drink for the little one, it’s because she asked for water, not because she threw a fit and you fumbled around to figure out why she might be upset.
OK, that’s a bit of an ideal situation that doesn’t quite happen at my house with our ultra-stubborn one-year-old. But even though her words are very few at 15 months, she knows at least 60 baby signs and can often tell us what she wants (when she lets go of her stubbornness enough to actually use them!). She’ll tell us she wants a big slice of watermelon instead of cut-up pieces, a carrot from the table or nursing from Mom instead of dinner.
The Joys of Baby Signs in Our Family
I’m a huge believer in baby signs. They make our house a happier place to be.
I can’t describe to you how my heart fills with joy when I can “read” a book with my just-one-year-old, and she tells me what’s on the page. We love to read simple picture books with vivid animal photos, and she tells me when she sees a horse, a gorilla, a dog (her favorite) and when she’s scared of the picture of the bee. She can tell me when she wants to ride the horse downstairs or go outside to swing. She can point out squirrels running up a tree and convince me to get her peas out of the freezer.
Some of these “conversations” just wouldn’t be possible with pointing and grunting, and it might result in crying and frustration (for both of us). Other times it’s just an added delight to be able to converse with my baby and understand what she enjoys and to what her attention is drawn.
My favorite signing story comes from my son, who knew over 100 baby signs before he transitioned to words at about 16 months and we stopped learning new signs. He was around 14 or 15 months old, and he was eating a piece of frozen melon in the high chair. He often enjoyed having the whole piece of fruit when possible, so I served it to him without cutting it up. He tried to eat it, but quickly used a sign to tell me that it was “cold”. He then proceeded to point across the room and make a motion with his index finger.
“Banana?” I asked. No. “Bread?” No again. He added the sound “nigh” along with the finger motion. I couldn’t think what he possibly wanted that started with N! I finally went to where he was pointing and pulled out the drawer. He got very excited. It was then that I realized he had been pointing to the drawer where we keep the sharp knives, asking me with a slashing motion in the air to “cut” up his melon with a “knife” because it was “too cold” to pick up! Impressive.
What About You? Do You Use Baby Signs?
I often ask new moms if they’re using baby signs, and so many say something like this: “I just don’t know how to start, so…”
If that sounds like your well-intentioned excuse, I’m here to tell you the 10 easy steps to get started with baby signs:
- Learn a sign.
- Do it in front of your baby while you’re talking.
- Um. Oops. I guess there are only 2 steps.
Seriously, you don’t need to read a book, understand why baby signs are so good for your baby, or have a huge cache of signs in your repertoire in order to begin. If you have ever talked to your baby, you can do baby signs. The basic concept is the same.
We talk to our babies from birth even though we know they can’t talk back. This teaches them about how words sound, what they mean, and how conversation works. While you’re talking, just do some hand motions at the same time, and you’re teaching your little one an alternative way to communicate with you, one that they are developmentally and physically able to do before they’re ready to speak.
The trick? Just do it.
The next installment of “The Joys of Baby Signs” will further convince you that you can do this in your household, teach 10 basic signs that you can use TODAY, and share more resources for learning new signs.
Becky@BoysRuleMyLife says
We used signs with my middle son. We started doing it “just for fun”, but then it turned out to be such a blessing because he had so many long, terrible ear infections that it hindered his hearing. By the time he was two, he probably used 250 – 300 signs (while speaking as clearly as he could). Even now, at almost 4 years of age, he is a delayed speaker and can’t form some of his words properly. Although he is mostly understandable, signing is still SO HELPFUL! I am sure that it reduced the number of meltdowns he would have had over the years.
We enjoyed watching the Signing Time videos. They are fun for the whole family, in fact! I whole heartily recommend them!!
Another great advantage is being able to tell the kids to SIT DOWN while in church (or anywhere else) without saying (or screaming) a word! LOL!
Rebecca says
I completely agree with the wonders of using sign language with babies. I remember being so amazed at the sweet conversations we could have with our kiddos at such young ages through their use of signs. And its true, just use the signs and your kids will start doing it to.
Linda G. says
I didn’t use signing with my girls when they were little, but I wish I would have. How handy (pun intended) that would have been. Anna is learning sign language now and she just loves it! We have a couple of deaf families at church and she signs to the kids. You can tell those kids love having another child who is able to communicate in their language. So, I say, if you start with baby signs, maybe consider continuing to learn sign language even after they can speak.
Julie in Australia says
We signed with all three children and even though they are now aged 9,7 and 4 the signs come in so handy when reminding them to say please or thankyou when out and about.
Kansas mom says
We also used baby signs, and here is one other tip! The “signs” do not have to be American Sign Language…you can choose ANY motion that is meaningful for you and baby. The key is communication, not proper sign language. ;) I think that knowledge took the pressure “off” somewhat.
Our favorite signing story:
Our daughter was 15 months old when we took a family cruise. On the return trip, we were delayed in the Minneapolis airport and started wandering for entertainment. We came upon an airplane replica with a rather “scary” looking pilot mannequin on board. My daughter stared at the mannequin and then signed, quickly, “scared, more nursies!” (She was scared and wanted to nurse!) Ha!
Shannon Rodriguez says
I used baby sign with my son when he was little (now 2.5). I was surprised how quickly and easily he caught on. Everyone was always impressed when he would sign. It is really quite simple. They are smart little thangs!
Stacy says
That sounds great! The internet is a great resource for signs. I’ve found several that use ASL signs but I’m sure there are easy modifications. Anyway, I have a questions…I was talking to my SIL about signing and she said a friend who has an advanced degree in childhood development said that signing actually delays speech. Have you ever heard of that? I know every child is different but I have two nieces who are both 18 mo. and one is a really good speaker and can put several words together in a sentence. The other one, who has gone to daycare, been taught signs, and had horrible ear infections can hardly say 10 words total and signs instead of speaking. What are your thoughts about those who say that signing delays speech? I’m sure it could have something to do with the fact that the delayed niece has been in daycare her whole life and has had horrible ear infections.
Thanks for your time!!
Danielle says
I did sign w/my first baby, and her speech was delayed, so I did not sign w/my other baby. I knew a lady in our church who signed w/her first baby as well, and his speech was delayed. Coincidence maybe. I do know that our family members were a bit annoyed since they did not know what the baby was saying.
Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship says
Stacy and Danielle,
I’m sure we all could go around all day with examples of people we know who used signs and had delayed speech and others who had advanced speech. The research I have says that using signs can actually improve a child’s communication skills, and children who sign as infants have more words in their vocabulary by age two than those who don’t. Go figure. In my experience, my son was (and still is) very verbose! Some kids will fall back on signs and choose not to speak, but those stubborn kids might have found some reason not to speak no matter what. Personally, I think “delayed speech” is a big myth with baby signs, but definitely a reason some people choose not to use them.
I also want to caution about the use of the word “delayed”. There is a wide range of normal for any developmental skill. Think walking: normal range is about 9-15 mos. If a child isn’t walking by 18 mos., they’re deemed developmentally delayed. Similar with speech. What one mom THINKS is delayed may be well within the range of normal. (I’m a teacher by trade with a little bit of a special ed background, so I’m not just spouting flim flam.)
So. Bottom line is that you asked a VERY valid question. You have to go with your gut and maybe do a bit of research. If signs don’t work for your family, they’re certainly not necessary. (But they’ve been loads of fun and a developmental PLUS for mine!) :)
God bless, Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship
Stacy says
Thanks! That was very helpful! I’ve started doing a few signs with my 8 mo. old and she stares very intently at what I’m doing. I’m curious to see when she starts doing them back.
Anne says
I used signs with my son since he was 6 months but he’s almost 1 now and never even tried to sign back to me, so I’ve pretty much given up.
Katie says
does anyone have a book they can recommend?
I have a 6 mo. old is that too early, or just the right age?
Jennifer T says
Wow, 60 signs?! And I thought I was doing good with my daughter and her 5 signs! LOL! I absolutely LOVE baby signs, it has alleviated so much frustration on both our parts! I had no idea babies could know so many signs, I’ll have to beef up my signage with the future kids!!
Allison Tripp says
A speech therapist explained to me that signing pre-speech was a way to go ahead and develop critical language and communication skills…verbal words would fill in with time. So, I guess the opinions vary. I’m a believer though. Our daughter’s medical diagnosis predicts that she should be significantly delayed in expressive speech and she is not at all. I attribute at least a portion of this to baby signing. Helped my sanity too. ;o)
Kissy says
My experience with baby signing has been delightful! I have a 12 yo son who I did not sign with. It would have been very helpful with him because he did have delayed speech specifically due to repeated ear infections. When they finally did a hearing test on him, the Dr said he could hardly hear a word we were saying to him). I also have 2.5 yo and 18 month old daughters. We signed with nboth of the girls, and I found that though many friends and family thought that would delay their speech, the Signing Time videos seemed to really help with the speech. Especially with the 2.5 yo, when she really started to sign a lot, she seemed to also be trying to speak the words she was signing more the same way they do in the video.
I also used a book: Teach Your Baby to Sign, by Monica Byer, which was very helpful.
Our public library had both the Signing Time videos and the book, so I was able to use them without buying them.
I couldn’t agree more with the moms who commented on how signing has been continued even after the girls started speaking. We continue to use it in our home, both becuase I think it would be fantastic if they can develop a larger signing vocabulary as they age, and becuase it can be helpful for reminders (like the please and thank you noted, or a quiet reminder to sit down and be quiet in church).
Signing couldn’t be any easier, and as Kansas Mom mentioned, it is more about the communication/motion recognition than the actual sign. Anything that works for you works… if you watch the vidoes you see that many of the children do not sign ‘properly’ but it is close enough that they are understood.
Kissy says
Teaching Your Baby to Sign by Monica Byer was a great book I used and it was available at the library. I think 6 months is about the age I started with my oldest daughter and it worked for us, just realize it may take a while before you see any results ;)
Melinda McCormick says
LOVE signing with my children. Signed with my first and she still does it with her brother and once in a while when she’s tired. Cut WAY back on tantrums, screaming and frustration for both of us. Started signing with my son around 9-10 months, it took a few weeks to pick up on it but right now, at 13 months, he’s signing anything I give him a sign for. He’s picked up on the tangibles, animal signs, food items and then the manners followed. I am SOLD on baby signing. One website I’ve found – babies-and-sign-language.com shows lots of signs. I look at it with my almost 3 year old and she can understand what some of them are. It’s really easy to follow. Just heard about the signing times videos at our library and look forward to checking them out. Thanks for posting – can you tell this gets me so excited!?:)
Amy says
We used sign language with my son and found it really helpful. One sign we found very useful as he got older was “help”. Rather than get mad and throw a fit, we’d say, “ask for help”.
Kelly says
I loved this post!
We used sign language with our 6 year old when he was a baby. We are using it with our 17 month old. Both of them started using signs at around 9 months, and our toddler now has a signed vocabulary of approximately 20 signs. He never screams or tantrums because he can’t get his point across (only when he has requested something & the answer is no).
I’m a music therapist, so we used a program based on songs to teach and reinforce most of their signs.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND BABY SIGNS!
Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship says
You’re still within the range…does he wave hi or bye-bye? That would show he’s capable. I would continue doing at least a few basics until 15 months before giving up. Good for you for giving it a try! :)
Katie
Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship says
Sorry, I should have written to “Anne” on that reply!
Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship says
For those looking for book recommendations: The book I have at home is called “Baby Signs: How to Talk with Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk”. It’s written by Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn, who I believe founded the baby signs movement. It’s an easy read with lots of background and science of baby signs. Really, and I’ll explain this in part two of the guest post next week, I learned most of my signs from the Signing Time video series, which used to play on PBS. Try your library for those! I’ll also teach 10 basic signs in next week’s post.
Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship
Celina says
we use some signs w/ our 15 mo old. it wasn’t until these past two months that he has really responded and now that he has he’s putting two words together which really amazes me!
one of the things that i enjoy most about signing is that my son has to make eye contact to communicate what he wants. my mom (a pediatric nurse) was observing this weekend and she was amazed at the level of eye contact that he was making.
i was definitely skeptical about signing because it felt like a trendy thing and sometimes seemed likes moms i knew used it to show their kids off. it has definitely been beneficial for our family though!
Bonita says
I love using baby signs, actually I love it so much that now I work for the company! All 3 of my children (I am expecting a 4th) have used signs and are not only very verbal, they are way ahead of thier peers! This has been true since they started signing. They are now 10, 8, and 6 years old. The reduced frustration, aggression, and just increased communication has been such a blessing! I love being not only a parent of signing children, but also a educator for other new parents! And although the signs are not all ASL, my in-laws who are Deaf, love the program too and feel that it was a great way to start communicating with the grandkids!
Kari says
Ooh! Great topic (said one of the two sister-in-laws mentioned in the introduction).
Highlights of signing in my opinion:
-decrease in frustration of parent and child b/c we can communicate and increase in bond between the same for the same reason
-increase in confidence of child b/c he can communicate and be understood
-a jump start into language acquisition
-a quiet way to communicate in church or to acknowledge your child when you are in a conversation with someone else
We learned from the Baby Einstein video, a book called “Sign, sing, and play” by Monta Briant, and an online dictionary with quick time movies (http://www.commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm). Another video dictionary that I think I like better is http://www.signingsavvy.com/index.php.
Even though our son is now very verbal, I recently checked out Baby Signing Time Vol 2 from the library and love it. I’m registering for the whole set in hopes of having it on hand to aid in teaching baby #2.
One of my favorite signing stories…we were in church and the minister lifted up his hand in a gesture of blessing the congregation. Our son signed “tree” and I couldn’t figure out why he suddenly signed tree until my husband pointed to the minister who was making a similar “sign”. Our baby was paying attention in church!
Ok, I’m getting excited about teaching our daughter to sign. How fun it will also be for her big brother to show her the signs too. I hope we can both be patient enough to wait for her to sign back!