Baby Sign

I started signing to my son around 10 months (that is the age that the baby signing books say is good), but he was completely uninterested. I picked it up again when he was 14 months and he caught on fast. So you're at a perfect age really. I just got some baby signing dvd's and a sign language dictionary (a full dictionary so that I could look up words as needed).
Sign language was a life-saver for us, and I'm really glad I did it. My son didn't start talking until he was 2.5, but by that time he knew nearly 100 signs. It allowed him to communicate with me and saved a lot of frustration. As soon as he learned to say the word he stopped using the sign. He's 3 now and no longer uses any of the signs. I really recommend it, it really helps a young child to get their point across. Good luck with it!

My daughter... I guess she just picks up on things QUICK. She was, I guess 19 months when she learned her first sign word. She is going to be 21 months tomorrow she now signs and says at the same time:
*please
*thank you
*more
*eat
*i love you
*flower
*table
*bed
She actually learned all of these in a matter of 2 weeks. But we also had the help of Baby Einstein: Babys First Words Around the House. Now whenever she wants something I ask her "what do you say?" She says "please?" And does the sign language... well as best as she can, she ends up rubbing her whole torso instead of just her breast area above her heart. I've also heard that children who learn sign language tend to learn faster and use their minds a little bit quicker than children who don't.

My sister in law did baby signs with both my niece and nephew and it was amazing! They were communicating way before speaking and now their language skills are superb! She used a baby signs book and dvd which she just got from a bookstore. She passed them on to me but I also received many other books and boards showing signs at my shower. They all seem to show the same signs (which is good) so I don't think you can go wrong with any particular book. Have fun!

I sign with my son, there are many benefits to it, I am glad you are wanting to do it. There are different books you can get that offer to teac you signs, and there are also dvd's. I found a huge section of them at babies r us. Just sign to your daughter while you say what the sign means
ex: sign eat when you feed her and also say eat. If you are consisant, your daughter will pick up the signs in no time!!

More, Eat, Milk, Drink, Please, Thank you, all done or finished, My daughter is 3 and still uses more all the time.
I am fluent in sign language and failed to teach my kids sign. I feel really bad!! They only know a few words.. you have to use it everyday and they will pick it up! :) good luck!

I second the signing time videos reccomentation...My kids LOVE them!

I suggest you buy a Signing Time DVD. On the DVD there are children signing along with songs. My daughter is 22 months old and uses over 50 signs. She also started talking at an early age, and her caregiver is amazed at how many words she uses. She says my daughter has a very large vocabulary because she is learning a second language, sign language. She loves the Signing Time DVDs, and that's what got her excited about signing. Go to www.signingtime.com

My son is deaf in his left ear (perfect hearing in his right), but we started sign with him about the time you are now (when he was diagnosed with it). We got some video's from the library and some books and I just started learning a new word a day for me, and tried to use them every time I said that word. He picked up on it very fast. It's a great age to start any second language. Good luck, and have fun. :)

She is at the perfect age to start signing! I started signing with my dd when she was a baby and she is almost 5 years old. I also have a 2 yo that signs:) I also have a childcare business and am a foster mom. I sign and talk at the same time. That is the key to signing, sign and say the word at the SAME time EACH time. I started out with food, hat, done, milk and some more I'm sure but those are the ones they use the most at that age. Check out www.signingtimes.com (I think that is it anyway) They have alot of tapes and things that will help you. It is a good way to communicate at this young age. Keep up the good work! ;)
www.karen4yourkidschildcare.com That is MY website for my chldcare.
I need to go, and change the million(th) diaper today! :(

I hope I get a BIG brownie button on JUDGEMENT DAY! lol!

You are weird. Sign Language is my native language and I see nothing wrong with using it as a first language for your child. There are MANY books/videos on the language, but if you want a personal touch, there's me and my son..

I started signing with my son at 7 months. We took some classes locally, but you don't have to do that. It's about $100 a class. You can also go to www.weecansign.com and Shannon has tons of helpful info and links on her website. She even has links to signing dictionaries.

They have a package that you can buy and it's actually available now at Costco. It's probably available elsewhere. It's called Sign 2 Me. It has an instructional video and a book. I think it's like $40, but it's worth it. My son loved the Baby Einstein signing video that they have out. It's called Baby Wordsworth.

Hope some of this info is helpful. Have fun signing. My son is now 21 months old and doesn't sign that much anymore because he is talking a lot, but it helped so much when he wasn't able to verbalize what he needed.

They have books specifically for signing with your baby. I would start with basic signs like I love you or pretty. Apple and please.

I started signing with my son when he was 6 months old but he didn't pick it up until around 12 months. My son is 14 months now and can sign a couple words. You should start out with one sign at I time like "eat" "milk" or "please" then gradually add more once she gets the hang of it. Here is a website that I use: http://www.aslpro.com/cgi-bin/aslpro/aslpro It shows "actual" people signing so you know you are doing it right. Good luck.

C.,

The answer is just do it. You can get books, DVDs or look on line for signs (you can find interactive sites that demonstrate the signs - which is a lot easier than trying to figure them out from a book). Start with a few key words (milk, eat, hungry are good) and go from there. Just sign them to your daughter any time you say them to her verbally. I have the "Signing Times" DVDs and I'm very happy with them. www.signingtime.com The first 3 DVDs are basic, every day signs. My son is 3 and still loves to watch them.

T.

I have seen this done alot lately and I am all for it. My nephew and his wife just do the signing everytime they talk to thier son. He picks it up just like learning to talk.

This was a discussion of note in my livejournal recently.

http://kimberlychapman.livejournal.com/238735.html?thread...# is a thread with my advice to a friend, and another friend's similar advice.

In a nutshell: skip the expensive classes, don't worry too much about formal signs, get a cheap book or better yet borrow from the library first to give it a try, and then keep the whole thing light and informal. Kids will pick up useful signs and skip what's not useful, and they'll mix words and signs. Make up your own when it's convenient or when the child has trouble with the "real" sign as told by someone else. Use it to facilitate communication, but don't consider it a full-out necessity to learn ASL in a formal context unless your child actually needs that. See the link for more details.

Hope this helps. My baby makes some signs and not others, and then invents her own combinations when she wants to.

My 19 month has learned about 7 signs in about 3 months i bought a dvd and also have checked books out at the libary they also have videos it is a great way for a child to comunicate with you. Every time i say something that i want him to know the sign for i would sign it. good

Also keep an eye out they dont sign just how it is supposed to sign my sons first sign was thank you and i would have thought that he was blowing kisses. so she may start but you have to really watch

Yep, like the others said, start with a basic few first until they start to associate the sign with the word, then add more. And yes, always sign and say at the same time so they know they go together and that one means the other. The ones I started with were "Milk" "More" and "Eat". Now my daughter is 2 and knows about 30+ signs and is learning more with signing time.