Sign Language for Infants and Toddlers?

I have had great luck with my 20 month old using some basic signs. He started signing more around 14 months. He does more, done and please. I think it helps his communication with me. His little hands alternate the "true" sign, but it's totally understandable what he means. He is speaking more words than signing, but I think it's nice to sign as well.

Jessica Kelly from Signs of Learning, http://www.signsoflearning.com, has is an ASL instructor who works with babies. She would be a great person to talk with about using sign to communicate!

I have used the Baby Einstein First Signs with my youngets daughter Jacey and she has picked up several of the signs. i have had to watch the video over and over to pick up on what she is signing for, but now she signs and speaks what she is signing. i don't know how much it has really helped her vocabulary, but it is so cute and sweet to watch her sign.

Hi L.-

It worked great for us! We started to teach our first daughter to sign at the recommendation of our pediatrician when she started to hit me (and no one else) around 6 months. He suggested it might be because she was frustrated that she couldn't communicate. We used Annie Kobler's book "My First Signs" (which you can get through One Step Ahead but i have also seen it at the library) which has 40 basic signs and then moved on to her other books but I think in hindsight the first 40 words were sufficient. We would sit down and read the book together and I would do the signs, several times a day. Now mind you this was a kid who wanted to be read to nonstop all day. It took a good 4 to 6 weeks of throwing out signs to her before she signed back her first word (which was milk). I cannot tell you what a godsend it was to be able to ask her to show me what she wanted and have her be able to answer. The daycare she went to part time reinforced it. In fact, the preschool our second daughter attended began teaching the kids to sign in the 2 year old class because they were having problems with behavior and they say it helped them with reducing the frustration levels with communication. Now, baby sign is like baby talk...just like you can understand what your baby vocalizes way before anyone else can, you will be able to recognize signs no one else does, so if your child does go to daycare it will be helpful to tell them if your child has learned a new sign and how she/he does it. Our oldest daughter is now 4.5 and has a tremendous vocabulary. She started to talk at 7 months and was speaking in sentences by 1, so I don't feel like signing delayed her speech one bit. On the other hand, our second daughter who is about to turn 3 also signed and she didn't use words regularly until 15 months and she didn't start to really talk a lot and in sentences until almost 18 months, but our pediatrician felt that was more a function of being so close in age to her sister (18 months) that she didn't need to talk because she had a little interpreter so why bother to talk when you can get by without it. Still unsure if that is true but I still recommend the signing. Both our girls do have very advanced vocabularies but I agree with you that is probably because we take so much time practicing it, not because they signed. Good luck!

There's a book called "Baby Signs". I picked it up at a yard sale, but never really used it. Supposedly doing it helps eliminate the "terrible twos" because they are able to communicate their needs. There are also DVDs called Signing Time, which my kids really loved (MIL bought them), and my older son actually did a few of the signs. He was probably more like 3 at the time, though. I've heard some professionals say that kids that learn to read early (before starting school) aren't any further ahead by the 4th grade or so. Maybe that would apply to signing as well. But, if you're interested, go for it. There would certainly be no harm in it.

I used it with my middle child and found it a great help. We were not focused on teaching him vocabulary and all, but found it was a great way to allow him to communicate before he was able to form words. For a long time we thought it was hopeless because we started the signs when he was about 2 months old. It wasn't until he was about 6 months old that he started to sign back. The most important ones I found are "more", "eat", "all done" and "drink". I found that he cried less, because instead of him crying and us having to figure out what he wanted, he was able to show us. It didn't inhibit his speech at all, and in the beginning he would say the word as well as sign it once he was able to, however, the signing faded away quickly once he was able to communicate verbally. Just be sure when your child does start to sign to show them that you are very proud so they want to do it more often, and don't get frustrated when it doesn't happen right away. It may not seem like they are picking it up, but they are. You also have to be sure to show them what the actions mean (sign "more" then give them more). I am actually selling my baby sign language books (although I haven't put them on craigslist yet). They show signs for all the common words. Let me know if you are interested and I can send you more details. Good luck! I think teaching them sign language is a great thing!

Hello! :) I haven't used any books but my son loves the "Baby Signing Time" videos. He signed his first sign when he was 7 months, took a short break and then really accelerated signing after 12 months. He signs along with the DVDs and asks for it when we turn on the DVD player.

I don't think it has impeded his vocal language, more so that he is stubborn. haha He understands everything we say and follows directions but it starting to vocally say more words. In the beginning he would mostly sign and occasionally say the word with it but now he is doing it more often. They have four Baby Signing Time DVDs and we started with the first two and hope to add the other two soon! :)

Hope that helps! :)

We have done this with our two girls and I am working on it with my 8 month old son. It did help, and it didn't hurt speach as far as I could tell. We did really simple signs, mostly related to eating. we do please, thank you, more, all done (or finished), hungry and thirsty. they really do have an ability to learn the sign before they can speak clearly. It takes time and they usually end up with some variation of the sign, but it's great. You could probably look up on the internet those few signs. And be prepared, it does take a while.

I did it for my son, who us now 3 1/2 years old. We taught him only a few words (more, done, drink, eat) and it worked wonderfully. I was not diligent enough to do more than that. We started at about 8 months and on the video for his first birthday, you can see him asking for "more" birthday cake. I do think it was helpful and alleviated some frustration fro him because he was able to tell me more quickly what he needed rather than me just trying to guess. Anyway, don't think it impeded his language, matter of fact at this point you are doing good to get him to STOP talking! My daughter is now 8 months old and we are starting to teach her. We didn't really use a book but we have one, I think the name of it is "Sign with your baby". I liked it because it had a quick reference laminated sheet that had about 50 basic signs. Hope that helps.

L., I used it when my child was just a newborn, crazy I know but I wanted to implement it right away and so it became a part of our everyday life. My child started signing about 5-6 months old... do you know that she is still using it today and she is almost 6 and a half years old. He comes in handy when I need to tell her to stop or if she forgets to say thank you etc.. I think you get the idea.

Regarding her speech. It has never been a problem as when you are using it with your child, you are actually 'saying' the word as you 'sign' it.

My child is quite outgoing and very talkative. I think children will learn a language but if you talk so will your child.

There are great advantages to signing, not only can it continue as they get older but also it cut down the number of tantrums my 2 year old at the time had. She was able to communicate rather than get frustrated trying to tell me something. She had tools to use=signing.

Remember to do what is best for you and your family.

L., I know you've already gotten a wealth of responses but I did want to add a comment or two.

Of course your little one's hands will not be able to form a few of the ASL icons, much like the gorillas who were taught sign, they might appear a bit crude at first. But will it improve his vocabulary? Yes! And overall learning ability as well. You have heard many references to the 'left brain' and the 'right brain'. Verbal communication is based in one side of the brain, while physical communication (sign language, writing) is based in the other. But because physical communication engages BOTH sides of the brain, one to provide the desired words, the other to physically communicate them, there is a higher level of mental stimulation. The more mental stimulation, the more agile and open the brain becomes. (The same is true for music, most particularly piano which utilizes both sides of the brain the same as working out math problems. (So if you want your kids to do well in math or, really, all of their studies... teach them piano!))

Now, oddly enough, people don't usually think of sign in the context of a separate language from English, but that is exactly what it is! It is a foreign language with its own grammatical structures and syntax. So, as your child grows he will be learning a second language and this will make it easier for him to learn another second language. (again, the piano analogy comes into play here). Music is another language as well and, in order to play, one must learn to read that language of dots and lines and bridges and ties. With a little study, the young musician will be able to read a sheet of music the same way you or I might read a novel. So how does that help to learning verbal language and vocabulary? The brain will be more accessible to the learning because it has already learned to compartmentalize and interpret the bits and pieces of the musical language "this dot without a stem on this line sounds like this" or the sign language "hand closed, palm outward is an 'a'. hand closed, palm inward, circling on chest is 'I'm sorry'", etc. and second, having already learned the curious intricacies of one second language (ASL), it will be easier for him to grasp the differences of yet another language.
I have always thought it curious that, for so many years, elementary schools were hesitant to introduce second language courses in the lower grades, arguing that learning another language would inhibit a child's ability to learn their native language. That, of course, is bunk. We now know a second language improves not only a child's ability to learn their primary language but many other things too. You might even consider throwing a little Spanish or French into the mix when your child gets a bit older and is comfortable with sign and spoken languages. The added bonus to this is that you and your hubby can learn another new language along with your child. And the inestimable value of that is learning new things as an adult, you exercise your brain as well and the more we use our brains the less likely we are to fall victim to old-age problems like Alzheimer's.
Could it possibly get any better? An exceptional child and no Alzheimers!
Bon chance.
Bueno suerte.
Good luck!

L.,
We taught our first two boys basic signs, ie please, thank you, hungry, thirsty, tired, milk, eat, drink, mommy, daddy, potty,etc....

I have no idea if it really increased their vocab....my third son has just has big a vocab at almost 3 as our first two did. What it did do was take away some of the guess work in what our children were trying to communicate. I think the biggest help in increasing vocab and children's ability to talk is that we never baby talk to our children and we don't "child proof" our words...we say words that are appropriate for them to say and tell them what words they don't understand mean. People used to tell us we were crazy for talking to our children all the time and using words they didn't understand yet. My response was always that they may not understand yet, but someday they would.

We read about signing with children in "Sign with your Baby" by Joseph Garcia. We also bought a basic ASL dictionary our older two (now 8 and 6) sometimes still pull out a few signs and ask us how to say certain words in ASL.

Either way, teaching children ASL cannot hurt and we had fun as a family learning a new language.

Best of luck to you in your Journey of Motherhood!
T.

Hey L.,

I didn't teach my kids sign language, but my son and his wife taught my granddaughter. She had no problem making the signs and understood what they stood for. I think she was signing before she was one. She could say milk, more, eat and several others and was very willing to ask for things that way. She was definitely signing before she talked. She is 4 now and her vocabulary is outstanding and she communicates very well. (and that is not just a grandma talking lol) People who meet her for the first time think she is older because of her vocabulary and speaking ability. Good luck whatever you decide and enjoy and love that baby.
B. B

We signed with our daughter, just the basics: more, milk, change, you get the idea. I think it helped because she knew she was making a connection with us, and eased some frustration on everyone's part being able to communicate basic needs. She is very smart, and her vocab is ridiculous(she's 4.5 now). It did take her a while to talk, but I don't think it was because of the signing. She just asked "What's that?" to everything for monthes...! Then one day she started speaking, in nearly full sentences! I just had a little boy in Feb, and will definitely sign with him. The book we used was Signing Smart with Infants and Toddlers.

We did not do a lot of sign language, but we did some. Our son was a "slow talker" and loved learning to make signs to ask for things like his cup or a book. We did the signs and said the words together. Eventually he started saying the words with the signs and is now much more willing to speak and talking almost at a normal level. Now he only signs when he's mad -- which is really funny.

Anyway, I don't know all of the research, only that our son was able to do simple signs and he really enjoyed learning it. We got toddler's books of signs and I think he also liked learning that books are interactive. I can't see that it can do any harm...

I have been using sign language with children for 10 years, since I worked with a 17-year-old who had mental retardation and did not use more than 2 or three words to communicate. Doctors/child psychiatrists estimated that he functioned on a 2-3 year old level, just did not want to talk. Once we started introducing signs, his tantrums were dramatically cut and his over-all functioning improved. He was able to learn several rather quickly.

The next nanny position I had was for an infant. I started using signs for common, easy to understand words such as "eat, sleep, milk, and music" at the same time as saying them when he was about 8 months old. He was able to begin immitating at around 11-months old. At that point we focused on one new sign per week while reviewing old ones. This child NEVER had a tantrum resulting from not being able to communicate his needs. (Just over not getting his way sometimes, lol). I have used it with all the children I have nannied for or taught in preschool since then, even older children.

There are many benefits to signing with your child. Learning a new language stimulates the brain in ways that the primary language does not. (I have seen PET scans that show this.) It is also a good behavior management tool. A lot of times children will respond much better to their name to get their attention and a sign directing them what to do (or stop doing) than to shouting. With children who have disabilities being mainstreamed into classrooms, children who sign have the benefit of being able to help children who can only communicate through sign which is beneficial to both children.

Just make sure that you are interating with your child to teach sign language. Plopping her infront of the television to watch a video demonstrating sign will not be half as effective as demonstrating them yourself. There are several websites that have videos demonstrating signs. I have found these to be much more helpful than books since I can see someone doing it rather than trying to figure out written instructions. Just google babysigns or sign language. You can also look for specific signs this way instead of just learning what a book has.

Hope this was helpful, Kathy

Signing is great with infants and toddlers. If nothing else, it helps reduce your child's frustration. With signing, your daughter will be able to tell you if she wants a drink, something to eat (and even tell you specifically what drink or snack she wants, if you've taught her the right signs). She can also learn "finished" and "all done," so you'll know she actually is done with something, rather than just guessing. It also helps teach your child manners at an early age, as you can teach her to say please and thank-you.

I would suggest checking out a DVD at your local library on using sign language with babies and toddlers before you buy anything. Most of the signs you'll need to use are easy to learn and don't require you to spend a lot of money. Good luck!

I love when ppl ask about signing with their kids! Its awesome! I started with my daughter when she was about 7 months and I started with basic signs ("more", "please", "thank you", "eat")I got a few books at WalMart, Barnes & Nobles, and the library. She could do the signs, though some not perfectly. I don't think it impeded her speech as she was ahead of her milestones consistently. We just stuck with one new sign a week and do it as often as the word came up and also showed her what it meant. I definitely think it cut down on tantrums as she wasn't frustrated with some things bc she could tell me. She talks a lot of still uses signs and I get complimented on her manners all the time. Some of the Baby Einstein dvd's have sign language and you can find books anywhere-her favorite to this day is one called Baby Signs we got at WalMart...its a small cardboard book, mainly yellow and has only a few pages. Good luck and have fun-I'm sure your baby will love it!

We started signing with my daughter when she was about 6 months old. By 8 months she had a couple signs that she knew...milk being the most important. We continued signing and she picked up more and eventually she had 20-30 different signs.

It turns out that my daughter was a relatively late talker and only had about 10 words by 18 months. Now at 2 she is about average but in the interim I think the signs really helped her and us. It eased some of the frustration that many kids experience because they can't communicate. It gave her a way to tell us what she needed, wanted and saw in the world around her.

She still uses a few of her signs but most have been replaced with the appropriate word.

Babies can definitely make the signs but keep in mind that babies sign like babies talk, not real clear at first. The sign for bird is making a beak at your mouth with your thumb and index finger and opening and closing the beak. My daughter signed bird by moving her index finger up and down at her temple.

I took sign language in college so I knew what I wanted to teach her but there are some great websites if you google american sign language that show the sign in motion which to me is better than a books drawings. You can also make up your own signs.

Hi L.
I did some sign language with my son. He did catch on to some signs. I would say the word associated with the sign each time to reinforce to him the meaning of the sign. I don't think one baby sign language book is better than another, they should be the same. I honestly don't know if signing before speaking has made his vocabulary any bigger than it would have been, but he does have a great vocabulary and is starting to put sentences together - he's almost 2.
I don't know if this helps, but this was our story

Thanks P.

Hey L., I was skeptical, but intrigued at first. When my 22 month son would barely talk and the frustration was setting in, my brother bought him the highly recommended, Baby Signing Time. Since I knew my son could say about 30-50 words it was frustrating having him not voice an opinion or answer me. Within the first week of watching he learned about 10 basic signs. Within a month he had picked up almost all the signs on the dvd. After about 6 weeks he would sign and say words together.

We have a smaller tv in the family room, so we leave his dvd playing while we watch our shows in the evenings. Just from watching during commercials or catching a few minutes here and there, our whole family knows the signs. They are taught through songs and I will catch myself or my husband humming them! LOL.

We just purchased 2 more off of amazon where they seemed to be cheaper. My son, now 2 years and 3 months, can say almost any word you ask himto say, and is still interested in signing. He still will say and sign words together which we encourage. He just started getting interested in flash cards and I noticed he says the word first and then does the sign if he knows it! I feel super proud even though I didn't do a whole lot. S. (you can contact me if you want more info)

Hi L.,

I've used baby signs with my two boys (now almost 3 and 18 months). It's been a HUGE help with communication! My mother-in-law got us the "My Baby Can Talk" dvd (we ended up buying the second two in the series because we loved them SO much!). I would watch my boys and do the signs together. It's more helpful than a book because you can see the signs being done.

I was worried about the speaking issue because my first son was SO quiet... he didn't speak much at all... but he did a TON of signs. When he did start talking... it was almost in full sentences! He knew all these words, but just needed the time for his ability to say them to catch up. He's almost 3 and he still does a lot of the signs. He knew most of his colors by the time he was 2 (and could do all the signs). He could sign for animals, water, rain, snow... a ton of different things that he wouldn't have necessarily known if we didn't teach him the signs. He also now teaches his little brother the signs.

When you start teaching your little one - don't get frustrated if she doesn't seem to get it right away... we started just before his first birthday and it was a ouple of months before he started doing them on his own. We didn't think he was getting it, and then one morning during breakfast, he did 4 different signs!

Each program uses slightly different signs, so find something you're comfortable with. The signs don't have to be perfect, so long as you and your child understand each other! I also have an American Sign Language dictionary from a college class ages ago - it's come in handy because my 3 year old will ask, "What's the sign for..." and ask some random word that isn't in the baby sign program...

Good luck! If you want any more information or just need to bounce some ideas, please don't hesitate to ask!

Take care,
D.

I absolutely positively swear by signing with my babies. I love the book Baby Signs (cannot remember the author, sorry). It uses not only traditional sign language, but also baby signs that are literally cued signs your baby makes up. If you watch your little ones, you will begin to notice gesture patterns. For example, pointing up when hearing an airplane, holding arms up to get out of the high chair. If you begin to copy the gestures your baby uses for things, you will have created your own little language, or baby signs. I have used signing with all three of my hearing boys (now 7, 4 and 17 months) and their language seemed to develop faster with the signing (now the baby uses signs combined with words!). They know you are attempting to communicate with them, so they will try harder to talk. I have also used signs with the children that I take care of in my home. It makes it so much easier when I understand their needs. And their frustration, screaming, crying, etc. is reduced because they know you understand them! Even just using a little bit of signing will help tremendously! Email me if you want more info!
C.

Hi L.,

I used sign language for my daughter. I thought her how to tell me when she was hungary, more, and thank you. I loved it for the purpose of her being able to talk to me and i would know exactally what she wanted. This I think help me how because it took out the guess work. The thank you was just an added in. Wether or not it helps later on was not a concern for us. Hope this helps. Good luck!!

R.

Hey L., I have a daughter that has appraxia of speech. I was told when she was little about a year old or a little older to start doing sign language. She did very well doing sign language and when she could say the word, she'd stop using the sign and she did. She is now 3 and talking almost like she should. She does not use any signs such as cup, all done, please, help, etc. She says them all. I think that sign language is a very good thing to do when a child can't talk or before they start talking. They can make the signs with their little hands. They may not make the exact sign for an object or what they want but, they will make a sign that is close and you'll know what they're trying to say or are saying. Good luck with everything. I hope this helps you. Take care. J. A.

Yes, it helped me with my daughter. She was born with Down Syndrome. She was signing long before she was talking. I love sign language. It made it so much easier to know what she wanted. Before all she did was point. You can't always know what they are pointing at. When she began to sign it was so nice to know what she was wanting. I have always talked to her the same way I talk to my other children. She was just speech delayed. She is now almost 21 years old and speaking great. I have many sign language books but the one I love is The Joy of Signing. It's an excellent book. I hope this helps.
Have a great day, take care and God Bless ya.

C. C.

I recommend doing it. Our now 5 year old knew about 50-75 signs by the time he was 2 and they are now doing sign language in pre-k. It was very helpful, esp. the words for eat and drink. I had a Signed English text book from when I was in school so I suggest going to the library and getting several to see which one you like.

Baby Einstein has several dvd's on baby signing. I liked them because they show you how to do it and have several people signing. And my boys were enthralled. I had to watch because our boys were getting to know more signs than me. I feel it helped with there development. They can make the signs, sometimes not always correct but close. I always vocalized the word or letter when I did it to them and had them try to make the sounds.

Other children in other countries can know 2, 3 or 4 different languages by the time they are 5, any head start you can give to help your child, I vote do it.

I started teaching my son simple signs when he was 6-7 months old, but it didn't really 'click' for him until he was a little over a year old. Even though he understood a dozen or so signs, he only ever used 3 or 4, mostly 'more' and 'all done.' It did make things easier on us, because at least he was able to communicate SOMETHING instead of me having to guess all the time. I'm not sure if it helped him learn to talk any faster, though, because he didn't really start saying sentences and repeating words until a few months ago, and he'll be 3 in August. He still uses the signs every once in a while, moreso now that we've become friends with a deaf man and he sees ASL frequently. I think it was well worth it, and I plan on teaching our second one signs when it gets old enough. :)

my kids used to enjoy watching the Signing Times (with Alex and Leah) DVDs. although it's a drive for you, we were able to check them out of the Project Enlightenment library (which is an arm of the Wake County Public School System). my kids were older and it was more of an enrichment activity for us, but i still find the sign for "please stop" to work better than words. so, in summary, while i didn't address your questions, this series of dvds is palatable and educational and perhaps easier to try than a book. hope this helps!

My take on it is that anything you can teach your child in a relaxed, fun manner that might make life easier or more enjoyable for him/her now or later is great! One thing that's always bugged me is for 2 parents who speak different languages (or both speak more than one) to NOT teach their child their 2nd language. What a waste!! Children have learning 'windows' that -- if utilized at the correct times -- can enhance their repertoire of abilities.

Hi there! Good question to ask! Yes I used sign language with both of my kids and they both picked it up very quickly and still use it today. Yes there are reports that say that the baby can communicate faster and have a higher level of vocabulary b/c of sign language and I believe it, b/c it worked for us. Think of this, your child is screaming, fussing, upset over something and you can't figure it out. Why? Because he can't communicate it to you just yet. I took a sign language class in college and had an American Sign Language book that I kept so I just used that and it worked great for what I wanted to accomplish.

There is not right or wrong age to start, I started with my little girl around 6 months, and my little boy probably around 4 months. We started with simple signs as "more", "drink," and "food" being very broad with the signs. When my daughter started eating puffs and small finger foods is when the more sign clicked and she started to put it together. We just kept repeating the sign and asking if she wanted more as we were referring to her puffs or snack or food in general. When it came to drink, we asked if she wanted a drink, and showed the sign for drink. Constant repetition is key, that's how any language is learned.

My kids were more calm and we were able to understand them and they were able to understand us. Kids can understand verbal language early on, but just the communicating verbally is what is slow to develop. They understand signs, body language, tones in your voice, so why wouldn't this work.

Yes they can make the signs with their little hands. You're working with little hands with simple signs that are very easy for them to form. My daughter actually adapted the sign for more, but we knew what she wanted. Any of the parent websites out there have links to learning how to do a few signs. You take it as far as you want to go with it. My kids are 3 and almost 2 and they both use the signs still. My daughter not quite as much but she is 3 and still remembers the signs we taught her.

I think it has helped their language skills. My daughter at 15 months was talking in 2 and 3 words sentences and by the time she was 2 she had an ENORMOUS vocabulary and was talking sentences left and right. (Though she is a girl and some say girls develop faster in their language skills than boys.)

So overall, I do recommend doing this, why not!!!

We taught them the following signs: more, food, drink, milk, wait, water, please, thank you, yes, no, potty, music, sleep and I think that's it. Some stuck more than others, and for the most part as they did the sign they said the word too.

Good luck!

A. B

I started using sign language with my daughter when she was 9 months old. She was becoming very frustrated and throwing tantrums and so I did some research and found that many times children are trying to say something to us and we can't understand them so they start throwing these "fits". I started with "more" and "all done". She picked it up surpisingly quick but she did alter the "all done" to her own style of sign! I understood it though. She stoped throwing tantrums almost immediatly. I've since added "eat" to her vocabulary. She's now 14 months and can say these words fairly clearly. She stopped using the sign language when I could understand her words. Overall it was very handy!

i'm actually an interpreter for the deaf and i did teach my son signs when he was really little. We began really early because my husband was learning too ;) He began signing back between 9-12 months. we had no tantrums or anything because he could tell us what he wants. Now we did talk a lot to him too, but it totally cut out tantrums and confusion.

It's one of those that whether it works or not, it can't hurt. It's a bonding thing too. almost a game and it helps the baby to focus on you.

and i gotta tell you, little chunky hands doing awkward signs SOOOO CUTE!!!!! you may be the only one who understands their signs, but EVERYONE will melt!!!

A great one to get started with is "my first signs". And the recommended age to get started is 8 months, but a friend who has a little girl introduced it earlier and she picked it up right away. My little boy, however, while he loved watching me make the signs and had fun with the interaction took a-lot longer to make the signs. Either way... what does it hurt? They have the ability to learn languages at such an early age and this is nothing less than beneficial to them throughout their lives. They are such sponges when it comes to knowledge at this time... I say give them all you can! We are also introducing spanish to our toddler and he is comprehending it pretty quickly. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

L.,

It sounds like you've gotten some great responses. I used sign with both of my boys when they were babies. It was wonderful. I remember when we started teaching my oldest, he picked it right up and there were way fewer bouts of crying when I didn't know what was wrong. Him being able to tell me "milk" and I could fix it or "medicine" then touch his mouth and I knew his teeth were hurting, was fabulous. I taught my second son earlier and it worked great.

When the each began speaking, they would sign and speak for a short time, then when their speech was clear they gradually dropped the signs. Both of my children have a large vocabulary, but I tend to agree that parents who take the time and research to do sign with their kids, usually also talk to them often. I never "baby-talked" to my boys and always spoke to them like anyone else. I take time to explain things and they ask lots of questions.

I think the book/dvd I used was just called Baby Sign. Not sure though. I learned the signs (easy) then used them every time i said those words or used those objects. It was totally worth it. Good luck and God bless!

Hi L., Good question. I started teaching my son sign language on a regular basis at around 15 months. I hear that's pretty late to start, but I tried a little around 9 months and he didn't seem to be picking it up. I started with just a few signs (more, milk, eat, all done) and he picked them up very quickly at that age. I then bought the Baby Einstein "Baby's First Signs" and would watch it with him and we'd learn the signs together. I'd do the sign AND say the word and he'd do the same. There's a few other Baby Einstein videos that have sign language and I've used the internet to find other signs. I did use one book, but I wasn't a big fan because it was 'baby sign language' not the American Sign Language so some of the signs were different and I'd rather teach him the real language - just my opinion.

As for it affecting his verbal skills - I do believe it has helped a lot! My son would babble, but didn't say too many words. Once I started the ASL with him, he would always say the word with it and now he says so many things. Also, it's AMAZING to see his face light up when he makes a sign and I understand what he means. I'll say the word back to him and he says "yeah" and gets so happy! It's been a Godsend b/c sometimes I just can't differentiate the whines. And to compare - right around the time I started sign language with my son, I started watching a girl 1 month older than him who had several words in her vocabulary. I would try to teach her the same signs and she seems to only have picked up 3 or 4 words. Her parents don't use it with her at home so I assume that's why. But now, she's gone from exceeding my son's vocabulary to being far behind him in the amount of words she says... at least around me (and I'm with her 10 hours a day.) I have another boy on the way and I will try to use sign language with him earlier and see what happens. I think if your daughter is at a good age to pick it up if you wanted to start... I believe it is worth it. Good luck!