There has been a lot of hype recently about teaching babies to use sign language. If you are interested in using sign language to communicate with your baby, you may be wondering how to start, what is involved, and if it will be beneficial for your child. Here are some frequently asked questions (and their answers!) to help you make an informed decision.
What is Baby Sign Language?
Baby sign language is a non-verbal method of communicating with your baby. Using hand signs, your child can effectively express his needs to you, long before he is able to talk. Babies can be taught American Sign Language (ASL) or natural hand gestures that you and your child develop yourselves.
What are the Benefits of Teaching a Baby to Sign?
The most obvious benefit is that sign language allows your baby to communicate with you before he is verbally able. This can help reduce frustration on the parts of both baby and parents. Some studies also indicate that infants who sign, more quickly pick up on the spoken language and develop better vocabularies later in life.
Are There Reasons Not to Teach a Baby to Sign?
It has been speculated in the past that teaching sign language to a baby will make him learn to talk later than a non-signing baby but there does not seem to be any scientific research to support this theory. On the contrary, signing babies often reportedly talk earlier than their non-signing counterparts.
How Old Does My Baby Have to Be to Learn to Sign?
It is thought that babies ages 10 - 12 months are at the optimal age to learn sign language. However, babies as young as 6 months will begin to comprehend the association between an object or action and its sign. It may still take weeks of signing to your baby before he will use the signs himself.
Is it Better to Teach My Baby American Sign Language or Baby Created Signs?
The jury is still out on this one. Some experts recommend helping baby to develop his own signs, contending that this will make signing a more natural expression. On the other hand, teaching a baby American Sign Language will insure uniformity in his communication as well as enable him to "speak" to others who know ASL.
How Do I Get Started?
There are so many resources out there for parents who want to teach signing to their children from books to videos to local classes. If you want to start out small with just a sign or two, pick an action or object that baby is interested in (e.g., "eat" or "light"). Either look up the ASL sign for the word or make up a gesture that naturally seems to reflect the word. Begin using the sign each time the action or object is encountered, but be sure to use the spoken word, as well. Again, it may take time before baby catches on, but don't give up - the key to success is consistency.
If you do choose to teach your baby to sign, be patient, be consistent, but most of all, enjoy this time of intimate communication with your baby.
