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Sign Language and Babies
Sign Language and Babies
 Teaching
a hearing baby to sign is a simple and natural process. Think of
it as an extension of natural baby gestures. Without being taught,
a baby will point at something he is interested in or raise his
arms to be picked up. Teaching a baby sign language capitalizes
on that natural tendency. How is it accomplished? Parents begin
with one sign, the sign for “more,” always speaking
as you sign. Remember that your ultimate goal is verbal language
development so you must always say the word as you sign. Then you
follow with the signs for “eat” and “milk.”
These do not have to be formal signs, many times each family has
their own, unique signs for words. Just make sure you always use
the same sign for a particular “thing.”
Speaking requires motor skills that babies only
begin to master at about 12 months. Studies have shown that while
babies may lack the motor skills, they do have the ability to understand
and use language well before they can speak. With the right guidance
they can say what they need to with their hands. Until recently
sign language has only been used with the hearing impaired but we
have found that signing is also an effective way to communicate
with hearing babies.
A baby may not want to eat, or may want to play
outside instead of staying indoors. How does your baby let you know
that these things are on his mind? Teaching him sign language enables
him to communicate simple gestures and it enables you to respond
more readily to his needs.
With some time and patience you can be effectively
communicating with your baby in no time!
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