Baby sign language signs

Baby sign language is an incredible method of communicating with your baby before he or she learns to talk using actual words and sentences. I started teaching my son baby sign language by borrowing DVD’s from the library and watching them with him, then practicing throughout the day. He really enjoyed the “Baby Signing Time” series which is done by a mother whose daughter was born with a hearing impairment. The mother leads the show, by showing a particular sign, then the word appears on the screen beside her while she’s signing it. They then show a little skit on the sign or series of signs, with her daughter and nephew in the skit singing and signing along. It’s really a great production and they created a ton of DVD’s in the series. Each has a different theme and they are numbered so that you know which one to start with in order to really educate your child in baby sign language.

One of the advantages of teaching your baby sign language, other than it being fun for the child, is that it helps them to communicate and in turn, helps them to become interested in talking with words. I started introducing my son to baby sign language when he was about nine months old, but at first he wasn’t very interested in it. So I decided to hold off on it for awhile, and I then re-introduced it when he turned one year old and had started saying a few actual words on his own. I figured it would help him to pick up even more words, and it did! He immediately began signing and we had so much fun “talking” to each other using baby sign language. I found that he quickly began adding words to his baby sign language vocabulary, and then his verbal vocabulary grew very fast too. My friends and family were so impressed with his new skills and my husband even joined in the fun too. My son’s first signs were: milk, more, sleep and all done.

Babies who learn to sign tend to be very strong readers early on. Our son was extremely interested in reading and was able to identify so many animals and everyday items easily and we attribute this to the fact that he learned baby sign language and then started talking faster than many of his playmates. He was talking in full sentences by the time he was eighteen months old which is very advanced for that age. It was not difficult to do either since babies naturally are interested in learning. If you are consistent with it, they will pick up on it and you will be amazed how fast they start signing.

If you’re interested in teaching your baby sign language, I recommend going to your local library to see if they have the “Baby Signing Time” DVD or VHS series. There are other brands of baby sign language teaching material on the market, but in my opinion, the “Baby Signing Time” brand is by far the best out there. The kids in the skits are so animated and happy that your baby will naturally be interested in watching them. My baby started to sing along to the songs and he would sign along with the instructor as she showed the various signs. I usually sat beside him while we watched so that I could reinforce what he was learning by turning to him and signing the words. It was a fun way for us to spend time together, plus, he was learning valuable tools to help him later on in school and he didn’t even know it!