Helping Children Communicate
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EASY TO LEARN • REDUCES FRUSTRATION • CREATES BOND • INCREASES VERBAL LANGUAGE
Some may ask why would you sign with your child if they are not deaf?
( The better question is why wouldn’t you?)
Benefits of signing with babies and toddlers:
- Children gain fine motor skills (hand muscles) around 6 months which is before speech muscles are developed, allowing them to "talk" using sign language.
- Babies can understand what you are telling them through "visual" communication. For example, when you smile at a 3 month old, they smile back. When you wave "bye, bye" to a 10 month old, they wave back. Hence you are "signing" in a way.
- When babies first start talking, it's not always clear what they are trying to say. Signing is a second way to get that information from them. “Ba-Ba” can mean ball or bottle. If you ask them and sign...Do you want the Ball? or Bottle? They can sign back the answer.
- Signing reduces tantrum and frustration because you are not guessing what they are trying to tell you. They gain confidence in themselves knowing they can tell you what they need.
- The physical componet of signing can make learning feel like play. Children naturally use their body language to communicate.
- It improves reading ability which in turn encourages an interest in books.
- It supports spelling skills as well as improved IQ scores compared to children who do not know ASL.
- Older children love to use signs as a “secret language” or as a second language.
- Signing will NOT delay your child's speech. Children exposed to ASL tend to speak earlier than children not exposed.
- It's just plain FUN!
While research is great, the real proof is in the results that parents experience first hand.
It really works! The bottom line is...Teaching you and your child sign language only enhances natural communication abilities. It applies to ALL children - hearing and deaf, “typical” development or with special needs, etc. Babies crawl before they walk, and sign before they talk. Babies point and wave “bye bye”. They naturally sign to communicate, and we are here to expand their vocabulary so they can express themselves even more and have fun while we are doing it. So what are you waiting for, start listening to what your child has to say today. You don't need to be fluent in ASL. Keep it simple. All you need to know is ONE sign to get started. A few signs go a long way.*
"My husband and I started signing to our son Bryce when he was about 6 months old. Bryce did his first sign at 10 months and by age 1 he was signing about 10 words. Signing with Bryce has been very beneficial for communication between us and him. Bryce rarely gets frustrated and he has advoided tantrums associated to that because he realized that he can communicate with us. It has been great getting some insight into his world!
Keri S.,
Jupiter, FL
These pictures of Bryce signing were taken at 23 months.
*Two Little Hands Productions
