Sign Language: Helping Babies Tell Us What They Want Without the Fuss

Six years ago, when my sister-in-law mentioned baby sign language to me, my initial thought was, "Really? That seems sort of hokey." Two kids later and this mom is very happy that both of my girls learned a few important words to sign. As a baby, we taught my 5 1/2 year old to sign and now she teaches her 18-month old sister "words," too.

My daughter learning how to sign Yogurt.

Baby signing has been a blessing and saved us from major tantrums! As parents, my husband and I began introducing signs when our girls were nearly 7 months old. Every time we offered a bottle, we would use the sign for Milk. By 10 months, both girls were using the sign for Milk when they wanted a bottle. Slowly, we began introducing more and more signs.

Dena Ruege is a Certified Instructor with My Smart Hands, and teaches sign language classes for hearing babies and children, ages 0 to 5. Recently, my family attended a free session at the Parkland Community Library to see what My Smart Hands was all about.

 

TOP BENEFITS TO TEACHING YOUR BABY TO SIGN

From my own experience, I can tell you that signing greatly increased my children's abilities to communicate. By giving them signs to use, such as Milk, Nap, All Done, More, Please, Food and Potty, they could tell me what they wanted without pitching a fit.

According to the My Smart Hands program, research shows that babies who sign:

1. Talk sooner
2. Have increased cognitive development
3. Have larger vocabularies and word retention
4. Experience less frustration, crying and tantrums
5. Show more interest in books
6. Engage in more complex play
7. Score higher on IQ tests (when tested around ages 7 to 8) 

 

SIGNING IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMMUNICATION & FRUSTRATION

Dena teaches the group the sign for Cheese

I thought that Dena put it best when she said, "Signing offers more communication and less frustration." That's absolutely the truth! Just think how different each day would be if your little one could tell you what he or she wanted.

During the 30-minute class, we learned how to sign the song "On Top of Spaghetti," as well as signs for various foods, including Grapes, Cheese, Milk, Cake, Cookies and Ice Cream. She also taught the parents and kids how to sign Thank You, Again, Hungry, Eat and many other everyday words.

 

WITH SIGNING, PATIENCE & CONSISTENCY ARE KEY

Kids will not pick up the signs after one introduction. It takes time and consistency to build up the association between the sign and the object. So, every time you offer your baby milk .... sign Milk. When you offer food ... sign Food. When you put them down for a nap ... sign Nap. Then, one day -- when you least expect it -- your child is going to sign and tell you what's on their mind.

And THAT is an awesome moment in parenting!

 

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE?

My Smart Hands is the first baby signing program to receive the Parent Tested Parent Approved award of excellence for their American Sign Language curriculum, and the program is available right here in the Lehigh Valley!

Dena offers an 8-week "Level I" class on Friday mornings and plans to start a weekend class soon. For families looking for more one-on-one time, she also offers private lessons at an affordable cost. More information is available at www.mysmarthandslehighvalley.com or by emailing Dena Ruege.