Why Use Baby Sign Language?
Teaching your baby sign language is as easy as making eye contact, being consistent and paying attention to your child. (Hopefully, these are things you are doing already) However, the benefits of this systematic early introduction to accessible communication are stunning!
Jump Start Communication Skills
Gwyneth Doherty-Sneddon points out that it is widely recognized that communication is at the heart of child development- cognitive, social, emotional and behavioral! Therefore, it would follow that anything you can do to jump start communication and support its growth in your child is a good thing! For example, many studies show the benefits of speaking to your child about everything; essentially narrating their lives. Studies with similar outcomes show the power of reading to your child daily. Now research shows there are many benefits to using American Sign Language with your child to jump start communication before they can speak.
It is widely recognised that communication is at the heart of child development- cognitive, social, emotional and behavioural (Doherty-Sneddon, Gwyneth (2008))
Teaching your baby sign language improves their vocabulary and mental development. Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn found that children in families that used signs, beginning at age 11 months, had larger vocabularies, and used longer sentences by the age of two. Learning signs also affected their receptive language with children in this group understanding more words by the time they were 15 months old. In another study, Acredolo and Goodwyn found that the verbal IQs of the signing children were twelve points higher in second grade than those children who did not sign at 11 months! Twelve points could mean the difference between below average and average intelligence or average and superior intelligence.
Ready to learn? Check out our Introduction to Baby Sign Language class starting soon!
Reduce Tantrums
Teaching your baby sign language reduces tantrums. Young children throw tantrums when they cannot get a parent, a toy, or a situation to do what they want. They don’t have the words to communicate their needs, or they don’t have the dexterity to manipulate the toy. Maybe they are not able to get the attention from those around them to understand and help them in their situation. Learning sign language diffuses this situation in many ways.
This child cannot get the parent to do what they want because the child is not yet able to communicate. In fact, it may not be until they are 18 months old that they can verbally communicate their needs. Whereas a baby who is signed to by 6 months of age may be signing back by the time they are 8 months old. (Older children pick it up even faster.) So now they can communicate their needs up to a year earlier than with speech alone. That is a year less of frustration building up into tantrums.
Improve Gross and Fine Motor Skills
A reason sign language is acquired earlier than spoken language is babies have the gross motor skills needed to sign simple signs but don’t have the fine motor coordination needed to manipulate the numerous muscles in the tongue and mouth to speak. At the same time, once the gross motor skills of basic signs are mastered, children can begin to work on their fine motor skills. I, quite informally, have noticed babies who I have taught sign language, are more persistent in fine motor tasks and some show above average fine motor skills. So that toy they have trouble manipulating? Not such a problem anymore.
Respond More Effectively to Your Child’s Needs
Finally, getting that parents’ attention? Sign language has you covered there too. To sign to your baby, you must make eye contact. (You can read my post all about eye contact here.) Studies by Claire Vallotton show, and parents report, that adults who interact with children who sign make more eye contact, pay closer attention to, and respond more effectively to the children’s needs. In the simple act of consistently showing your child a sign, repeatedly, in the same way you might verbally repeat the name of an object they are holding, you have increased your eye contact. Then signing parents are expectantly watching for their child to sign back or make a move that approximates a given sign. That child has the parents’ attention, and the parent can read their child’s movements. That is the attention piece. Parents are tuned in to their baby in a way that is different than in a speaking only relationship.
So, you can see, if you teach your baby to sign, you have done a good thing, not only for your child and your relationship with your child but for you too! Jump start their communication, reduce everyone’s frustration and bond with your baby. It is a win all around!
Interested in signing with your child? Introduction to Baby Sign Language class starting soon!
Other interesting readings and in some cases, way more academic from around the web!
Spoken and Signed Language Use the Same Neural Pathways
What Sign Language Teaches Us About The Brain
Before Baby Talk, Signs and Signals
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