The Quilts Zone Blog

You may wonder, if you’re going to start teaching your baby signs, how extensive and elaborate you can actually go with this language. Since these children are still so young, only a few months of age, there are going to be all sorts of ideas that they probably can’t grasp yet. So you may not be sure what words and concepts work best in sign languages for babies. You need to remind yourself that, in the same way they are learning motor skills and other things very slowly, they’ll need to start simply, and work their way up from those simple beginnings.

Not surprisingly, the first baby signs will pretty much inevitably have to do with eating. Since eating, sleeping and being comfortable are the main preoccupations of babies as they start their life journey, learning baby signing will occur most readily with signs that relate to those things. So you might start your instruction by using a sign for “eat,” placing your fingers together and moving them toward your mouth while simultaneously saying the word “eat” out loud. Remember that the signs are meant to transition into speech eventually, so it will be helpful to associate the signs with the vocalizations.

After “eat” is understood, the signs for actual foods could then be added. You would teach signs for things like “milk” for example. When you introduce solid foods, like mashed bananas or peas, you would add in the signs for those. Keep in mind that you don’t necessarily have to use something like American Sign Language, that is, ASL baby sign language, but can develop your own signs to help the child understand what the symbols are referring to. Your baby might even start developing their own signs for some things, and once you understand them, you can use them.

When they begin making any of the baby signs back to you, requesting food by using the symbol for “eat,” for example, you will know they have grasped that particular level and are probably ready for you to build further on that foundation. Some suggest that after grasping things like “eat” and “food,” the baby can learn to sign words like “please” and “thank you.” But in every case, when you teach a new line of thought, you need to begin at the simplest level and work your way up. At the start, the ideas will always be very concrete and basic, and introducing more abstract concepts very slowly.

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You may think of trying to baby sign during short little conversations with your child, using signs for “sleep,” “hungry,” “food” and “toys.” Yet there are several different avenues that can be used for teaching baby signing. Besides actual toys to help facilitate learning, there are flash cards, DVDs and picture books as well. But you can’t ignore that music is another important aspect that is used in so many ways to help babies learn.

Much of the structure of the programs that help to teach sign language for babies is based on the social and medical understanding of early childhood development. So it’s not a surprise that the creators of these programs have included music, since it plays such a large role in baby learning in general. Even the Baby Einstein program, which started out trying to increase babies’ intellectual capacity with classical music and poetry, has entered the baby sign language realm. It offers a video called “My first Signs – See & Sign With Baby,” which teaches simple signs accompanied by speech and of course classical music.

Baby Signs, Inc. is more heavily and directly involved in baby sign work, and this company’s products include music, as well as books, toys and instructional videos. They have several different music bundles, including a Music CD called “If You’re Happy and You Know it.” Meanwhile, at the www.signbabies.com website you also find that in their “Signing Time” instructional packages, not only are there DVDs that teach the signs themselves, but each one has an accompanying music CD. You can also sometimes find local play groups that use music to teach signs as the children interact with each other.

Music has long been recognized as an avenue to help make learning easier, along with all its other functions. Learning to baby sign is no exception to this, as music provides an aural as well as a visual avenue through which the signing information enters the baby’s mind, helping the child to retain that information better. As you and your baby learn to sign, music may also be a stress reliever, because after all, melody is known to slow the heart rate and steady the breath. And music can help make the process just plain fun, as baby learns this wonderful new way of communicating.

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Infants or what we call babies are those that fall in the age bracket 0 to 12 months.  During these years, the baby cannot yet talk as adults do.  This is why some parents teach their child baby sign language. 

Baby sign language is a way of communicating to your baby using hand shapes and motion with assigned meanings.  This method uses the American Sign Language.  Teaching the sign language does not mean your child is deaf or mute.Although your baby have no problem hearing you they do not yet have the ability to speak, making communication with them challenging. 

Baby sign language was discovered and developed by the research of Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn and Joseph Garcia.  The sign language is composed of hand and finger signs that could mean words such as “hungry”, “sleepy”, and “wet” among others.

Teaching baby sign language is not that difficult to teach and learn.  It is the same as when you are learning a new language by starting with simple words.  Teaching your baby how to make sign can start from six to nine months.  All that is needed is to have hand coordination skills.

When teaching the baby sign language, you should give your complete attention.Start with words that a baby might be familiar with such as “hungry”, “wet”, “hurt” or “poop”.  Then use the sign as often as you interact with the baby.  In this way you are connecting the signs with the objects.Once you have taught the basic words and signs you can start to teach your baby more complicated signs that indicate family, different foods and emotions. 

Remember that your baby is learning so do not get frustrated when he or she cannot get it the first time.  The baby will learn in its own pace so do not pressure him or her or nothing will be learned.  When the baby will make the sign, do not expect it to be the same as yours so when teaching, pay very close attention to the signs the baby is making so you will recognize what he or she wants to convey.

Infant or baby sign language can also be used for children with developmental problems.Not all children develop or learn at the same pace and using sign language can be a key in solving developmental delays.  Moreover, children are taught to express feelings without rage.  This is a good way for them so they can start early in containing their anger by not shouting or hurting anyone. 

Aside from the benefits that the infants can gain, the parents are also able to understand them when they want to say something.  When in a hospital setting, nurses can give the best care immediately to the infant because they can express what they feel.  Caregivers and family members taking care of the baby will not have a difficult time guessing what the baby needs.   Also teachers and assistants in day care centers can provide a new way of teaching children as well.

Visit Choosing Baby Gender for the best tips to help you choose your baby’s gender as well as teaching baby sign language.