There are many forms of sign language around the world, almost as many as there are different spoken languages. Most are used by the deaf and hearing-impaired communities (American Sign Language – ASL – is used by over a million people, and it is the third most used language in the USA), and here the signs need to be precise and conform closely to the agreed model. This is not so with "baby signing".
Baby Signing
The aim here is to teach pre-speech babies a set of useful signs that will help them communicate with their mother (or father or carer) before they can produce the sounds necessary for speech. Each sign is accompanied by the spoken word, and typically the young child will learn to understand spoken language long before he/she can speak.
The ability to reply (using signs) before the baby can speak clearly helps the baby develop in many ways:
- it is claimed that signing (between parents, carers and pre-language babies) helps the child to develop vocabulary and aids mental development, while it also reduces tantrums resulting from frustration (at the lack of the ability to communicate needs and feelings)
- it is also claimed to improve the parent/carer-child relationship, and helps the baby learn to concentrate (eye-contact, signing and speech require the child to focus on one object or feeling at a time)
Since the signs are intended to be used for a brief period only (between about 6 months and 2 years or so), and since they are primarily intended to be used within the family, "baby signs" do not need to be very precise. All that is important is that the mother (father/carer) understands.
Singing and Signing with Babies
In many parts of the UK, groups of mothers (typically) with babies get together for an hour or so each week to "Sing and Sign". An instructor leads the group through a number of nursery rhyme type songs accompanied by the appropriate hand signs (signs learnt in previous sessions). Each week three or four new signs are added, and the signing vocabulary of the mothers increases. The babies/toddlers crawl around freely and interact with one-another or simply explore. Despite the fact that they are not required to "pay attention" the children seem to pick up the songs rapidly, and the mothers can reinforce the signs during the week.
The acquisition of a vocabulary of useful signs is naturally the primary benefit for the children, but they also gain early experience of interacting with other children and generally have a ‘fun time’.
Main Reference: Sing and Sign – helping babies communicate before speech
Watch a YouTube video of a 13 Month Old Baby Signing.
