Official Baby Sign Language Chat!

Is anyone out there teaching their LO ASL?
Or do you want to teach your LO to sign and don't know where to start? Just ask us and join in!




So confused on where to start?

Some really great basic signs to start with are:

Mommy
Daddy
Milk
More
If you have a family pet, you could do the sign for that animal or the first letter of their name.

Confused on when to start:

Now! Your baby is a sponge and you can jump in any time!

Fun things to pass the time:

Finger spell the alphabet while singing
Finger spell your baby's name




Snagables!










http://www.babysignlanguage.com/
http://www.babies-and-sign-language.com/
http://www.aslpro.com/cgi-bin/aslpro/aslpro.cgi
http://www.lifeprint.com/


Research on baby sign language has found that teaching baby signs improved cognitive and emotional development. Far from slowing down speech, baby sign language actually increases the rate of verbal development and at the same time increases the parent/child bond.
The most significant research was an NIH funded study comparing two groups of 11 month old babies. One group was taught baby sign language. The second group was given verbal training. Surprisingly, the signing group were more advanced talkers than the group given verbal training. The lead of the signing group continued to grow, with the signers exhibiting verbal skills 3 months ahead of the non-signers at 2 years old. Their lead seemed to shrink a little after two years old, but even at three years old – the signers were still ahead1.
The authors of the NIH study, followed up with the children at 8 years old. Surprisingly, there was still a difference. Signers showed IQ’s 12 points higher than the non-signers, even though they had long since stopped signing. This put the signers in the top-25% of eight year old, compared to the non-signers who were close to average2.

Q: How does Baby Sign Language affect speech development?
A: It accelerates speech development.
Professor Linda Acredolo (U.C. Davis), and Professor Susan Goodwyn (C.S.U.) have received a series of NIH grants over the last twenty years to research baby sign language. Their research shows that signing babies have larger vocabularies and improved cognitive development. Baby Sign Language seems to help bridge the gap to speaking for infants. It also seems to get them more interested in learning.

In fact, if a baby has trouble speaking, most speech pathologists will teach the baby to sign as a bridge to speaking. The reason is that talking can be very hard and frustrating for babies. They try to form words but they don’t quite come out right. For example, instead of “ball” the child might approximate by saying “ba”. When the words aren’t recognized by the parents babies can get frustrated and give up. When the baby does the accompanying sign, parents recognize and reward the approximate pronunciation. Over time as the babies speech gets better, they drop signing because it is too slow – much like a walking toddler stops crawling.

IMO, babies have their own sign language, I don't get the point in teaching it to them.

I'd rather teach them new words to speak.



No offense to you or anyone else though, but speech development is more important to me.

My sister did it with her son and he would use his own signs.

I speak and sign at the same time, and there are a ton of studies that show babies who sign have a significantly larger vocabulary than those who don't, they also talk sooner.

Quoting *.1.12.22.1.*:“ Is anyone out there teaching their LO ASL? My daughter is 10m, been signing to her pretty steadily ... [snip!] ... and it's really starting to take off. When did your LO sign back? I'm really loving this, I can't wait to teach her more. ”

With my oldest- he started signing back around 10 months, we'd only been doing it 2 weeks.

My twins- we started signing to them around 6 months, they started signing back around 11-12 months.

My youngest- she never really picked it up. Around 12 months or so she did just a very few...she's 21 months old and only signs please and all done.

Quoting *.1.12.22.1.*:“ I speak and sign at the same time, and there are a ton of studies that show babies who sign have a significantly larger vocabulary than those who don't, they also talk sooner. ”

not in all cases.

Quoting Made by Matell Burlesque:“ My sister did it with her son and he would use his own signs.”

We do use some moderated signs for things like Cheerio's and such.

Quoting MommyApril:“ With my oldest- he started signing back around 10 months, we'd only been doing it 2 weeks. My twins- ... [snip!] ... really picked it up. Around 12 months or so she did just a very few...she's 21 months old and only signs please and all done.”

Wow, that's pretty great. I really enjoy it, and it's one of the few times she will focus on me and let me teach her something. Most of the time she's off doing her own thing and won't sit to learn but when signing our ABC's or such she really pays attention and giggles. She does the sing for mommy and she's starting to do "more" but if I sign to her she hasn't signed back.

I'd love to. When I was pg, my aunt got a (regular) sign language book for me, so I have that to use when I want to add a new sign. I don't remember when we started, but I've continued to add signs here and there. He hasn't signed back exactly what I sign yet, but he has certain signs when he wants to be picked up, wants to eat, wants to go on the potty (or wants a new diaper).

The other signs I use most often are "play" (asking if he wants to play with his toys), "sleepy" (asking if he's sleepy), and "good morning". I should really start adding more though now that he's getting closer to the age where he might sign back. =D

that's awesome that she is signing back to you now! how exciting!

Quoting ClassicOverachiever♥:“ not in all cases.”

Ok, it's cool if it wasn't for you. Personally, I've seen otherwise and really enjoy seeing my daughter learn speech and sing language at the same time and so does she.

We taught out sons sign. We sign and say the words and they pick them up fast.
Words they know (age 3 and 1)
More, Milk, Open, Cookie, Door, Bear, Hug and the ABC's and colors and a few others I cant think of right now lol

oh yes, and "more", "all done", "mommy" and "daddy", I do those too.

The hardest thing I find is that I'm often holding him and it's hard to sign then. lol


Do you teach her the ASL signs or more baby specific signs?

Quoting dream {EBF}:“ I'd love to. When I was pg, my aunt got a (regular) sign language book for me, so I have that to use ... [snip!] ... he's getting closer to the age where he might sign back. =D that's awesome that she is signing back to you now! how exciting!”

I've been adding around 5 words per week. I don't like to overwhelm her but she's loving it and when I sign to her, she raises her hand and moves her fingers, no real signs except mama and more but we are getting there.

So far this is what we "know".
ABC's (including the end, now I know my abc's, etc)
Her full name spelling
"dirty diaper, change me"
"wet diaper, change me"
Hungry/eat
Sleepy
Funny
Milk
More
Thank you
Mommy
Daddy
Ouch
"all done"
Itsy bitsy spider

Quoting *.1.12.22.1.*:“ I speak and sign at the same time, and there are a ton of studies that show babies who sign have a significantly larger vocabulary than those who don't, they also talk sooner. ”

My son who is 3 didn't speak due to the damage seizures did to his brain. Now he can talk thanks to sign language.

Quoting dream {EBF}:“ oh yes, and "more", "all done", "mommy" and "daddy", I do those too. The hardest thing I find is that ... [snip!] ... is that I'm often holding him and it's hard to sign then. lol Do you teach her the ASL signs or more baby specific signs?”

ASL signs, some improvised signs only we do - but for the most part, I keep to asl - it's pretty much the same.