Is Speech Development Inhibited because of Baby Signing?

Through two decades of research, much of it funded by the National Institute of Health, Dr. L. Acredolo and S. Goodwyn have demonstrated that babies who signed were consistently more advanced in their language and speech skills than babies who never signed.

Some parents/caregivers may worry that encouraging their baby/toddler to use signs might hold them back from learning to talk. Research has shown that advanced development improves older children's language skills; toddlers at 2 that had been signing had significantly larger vocabulary than their non-signing peers and that by the time they were 3 their language skills were more like 4 year olds. The reason is simple, just as children who learn to walk stop crawling, babies who sign stop signing after they can talk.

Signing with your Baby acts as a bridge that helps the transition from pre-speech to the spoken language. Baby signing teaches babies useful lessons about how language works which speeds up the process of learning to talk.

To learn more about Baby Sign Language refer to learnbabysignlanguagenow.com

What have been your experiences with speech development?

Teaching Baby Sign Language to Your Baby or Toddler

Teaching sign language is not just a trendy thing to do, it is being used by many parents/caregivers. Parents are sharing their results and it is now becoming part of a respected form of education for earlier communication with nonverbal infants.

Signing with your child is very easy and it is a natural process for your child. In fact, we teach babies sign language without even thinking about it! Without even realizing it there may be many nonverbal gestures, like: nodding head "yes" or "no" blowing kisses, lifting arms to be picked up, etc. You will learn so much just by becoming aware of your baby's surroundings and what they are motioning for and how you can easily turn this into a sign for what he/she wants. You will be amazed at just how quickly you and your baby can communicate using signs.

It's never too late to start signing. A baby's mind is very much like a sponge, learning comes so very easy to them. Also, it is important to share your knowledge with the whole family and this makes it very easy for everyone to encourage the use of sign language for early communication.

When signing with your child keep these points in mind:

• Start simple with one or two easy words "milk" or "more"
• Always say the word with each gesture
• Follow your baby's lead by using an extention of what they already know
• Use signs as part of a daily routine
• Always praise your child's attempts

Don't worry about how many signs you use. It will be easier when you are comfortable using two to three signs at the beginning. The most important thing to remember when introducing signs is that - Simple is Best and be Excited. All babies learn at their own pace. Choose signs that are motivating and useful which will encourage faster learning.

There really are so many benefits to babies and parents who use sign language. If you are will to take the time to practice repetition, baby sign language (bsl) can definitely be a powerful way to communicate with your baby months before they are able to speak.

If you've started using sign language with your child tell me how it's going?

Benefits of Baby Sign Language

Today more parents are learning basic American Sign Language (ASL) and know the benefits of baby sign language when used with their babies and toddlers!

Baby Sign Language is different to sign language, it is based on the concept of using keywords to sign. Used with hearing children and adults, keywords are used with speech to communicate. Some of the gestures are similar to sign language and have been modified to be more easily performed.

Research has shown that by introducing baby sign language skills you will naturally promote earlier speech communication. One reason believed is because signing parents tend to talk more to their baby's and are helping associate words with items when signing and speaking are used at the same time.

There are a number of positive benefits for both parent and child. If you are willing to take the time to practice repetition, baby sign language (BSL) can definitely be a powerful way to communicate with your baby months before they can speak.

• Reduces frustration for babies and their caregivers
• Gain insight into your baby's world
• Early communication and results in earlier verbal language
• Stimulates intellectual development
• Results in a higher IQ (10-12 points)
• Enables babies to communicate their wants and needs much earlier in their life
• Strengthens the infant/parent/caregiver bond
• Enhance infant's self- esteem
• Encourages an early interest in books
• Enhances creative ability

Most babies don't begin to talk until they are 9-12 months of age, teaching your 6-9 month old Baby Sign Language gives the child a head start on two way communication.

This milestone may seem to be a small advantage; however research has shown that this small advantage flows through to have larger impact later on in life.

What are some of your experiences with using Baby Sign Language?