How Should I Learn to Do Baby Signing?

I enjoyed signing with my daughter I got a book from my sil that was called baby signs (I think). But basically said to try some simple signs for things that happen in the baby's day. Pay attn to what signs they may be using (not necessarily the "official" sign) and go with that. I know of some folks that don't like signing since they think it effects their verbal. I'm mixed,my daughter wasn't very verbal when she was "supposed" to be BUT we were able to communicate effectively much earlier(she was 7 or 8 months) with her signs than if we waited until JUST verbal skills. Also I think that the signing helped her understand that there were more than just the one way to say something when adults can't understand her toddler talk. I encourage it with family and friends and enjoyed the experience but understand misgivings. I also didn't try to sign everything and let it go when she wanted to be talking. Have fun with it and good luck.

I have been a professional interpreter for the Deaf for almost 20 years and have been active in the Deaf Community for the same amount of time. I have taught my 4 children to sign successfully. I also taught sign classes for children in our neighborhood ages 6 mos- 8 years old. (There were 3 separate classes for the 3 different age groups).

I love the Signing Time Videos. Rachel uses ASL, and the signs she uses are more correct than the other methods I have seen. Also the videos are entertaining enough for all of my kids it keeps teh attention of my 10 year old and my 3 year old. Not to mention me, ha.

I know many Deaf parents who have these videos at home, and their children watch them too. the songs are catchy and fun and the truth is the videos teach correct ASL vocabulary.

I have had students (Mothers from my baby and me signing class) come to me and mention other books or methods of learning and they are teaching their kids signs that are not ASL someone has just made up some random signs that make sense for that purpose. There is nothing truly wrong with that since the majority of the people using those signs will likely never need to know ASL. But if the sign already exists and makes sense and is out there it only makes sense that all the people teaching their children to sign used the same signs.

I'll get off my soap box now. Signing Time is awesome!!

Signingtimekids.org is a great resource as well!!

N. Macedone

I'm with Erika B. We use the Baby Einstein "First Signs" and my 13 month old daughter has been watching it since about 3 months or so, maybe even earlier. She loves it and signs "milk", "baby", and "eat" so far, and is working on "Mom" and "Dad".

We did start with a book (an ASL one). But since then I've mostly relied on videos that I check out from the library. Or we wonder what a sign is so we can start using it and we look it up online (like this one: http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/concepts.htm).

Baby Signing Times and Signing Times videos are a great way for kids to learn sign. There is a whole series of videos in this collection, from first signs to more advanced. I like the Baby Signing Times videos as you can see what the signs look like when actual babies sign them - since the real sign and your baby's sign can be so different. You can rent them from the public library.

We LOVE the baby signing time DVDs. My son picked them up in days after starting to watch them when he was 12 months old. They have baby signing time and then they have ones for older kids. babysigningtime.com

www.signingtimes.org

Also watch your listing for PBS for the show SigningTimes

We used the book "Baby Signs" and the ASL dictionary since we needed real signs. We just looked up the signs as we were ready for them. It worked well with both our kids for things like more, thank you, please, all done, etc. One really took to it and learned the names of everything as well as favorite activities. The other just did it because it was required manners and didn't use it for anything else. GL! We loved it and are convinced it helped with the terrible twos stage because even if they didn't know the word, they were willing to try or even make up their own. Have fun talking!

Hi D.,
I was just talking to my sister in law about this the other day. I have b/g twins and they are 14 months old and I really want to start with them on this. She and someone else with twins both recommended to me to check out different DVD's from the library and see what you like best. If you can keep them long enough to learn it all then great, if not then you find out what you like before you spend money buying them.
Good Luck with that, it's been fun already for us and wow do they learn quickly....such sponges!!
D.

I haven't found a particular one yet, but a friend of mine who's husband and brother are both deaf began teaching her child sign language from birth. I remember her mentioning by month 3 & 4 how much progress he was making. Since it's my best friend & I need to be able to sign with her husband I wanted my baby to know too. She recommended a dvd for parent & baby since I am not a regular signer either. The visuals make it so much easier then books most of the time 2! There's also courses out there for parent/baby to learn sign language together as well.

Good Luck - C.

I bought the Baby Einstein "First Signs" DVD and it is excellent! It uses Marlee Matlin and really simple signs that my daughter picked up easily (like "all done"). I believe I bought it at Target. In the baby section, on an endcap.

We also have the BE "Baby Wordsworth — Words Around the House" DVD. This one incorporates signs into the rest of the DVD but it isn't the main focus. It's more of a follow-up to the other one.

We taught our daughter to sign when she was very young (still working on my son). From a very early age (7 mos) we plopped her in front of a couple of signing videos whenever we needed a few minutes to shower, cook dinner, etc. We, of course, watched them too and then did the signs over and over with her whenever their was an opportunity. By 10-11 mos, she was signing some of the basics... more, milk, all done, etc.

If you choose to go the video route, I would highly recommend the Talking Hands video (to learn the very basic signs-- and for the repetition) and then the Signing Time series (which are a lot of fun for the kids to watch -- and cover a whole range of topics). My daughter is now 4 and still LOVES to watch the Signing Time videos... and continues to sign despite the fact she started talking in sentences at about 15-16 mos.

We haven't been as diligent with my son, so he hasn't watched much of the videos. We just keep signing in front him and he's learned a few on his own. I think repetition on the parents part is key. Good luck!

We started going to the library and getting the DVD's called Baby Signs for our third child They are actual ASL signs not some pretend form of the word which I liked. My daughter who is 7 and my son who is 5 loves them and they know the signs as well and would sign to our then 9 month old. Our little son was super responsive and began signing in no time. He is now 23 months and now signs and says the word with it. It alleviated so many of the normal temper tantrums that I think most kids normally go through between 1-2 without having so many words. I know you can buy them but having the DVD for 3 weeks is usually good enough for them to grasp it. I would have him listen to it when I was in the car picking up the older kids etc. Good luck with it all!

Check out this website. It really helps me when I forget what something is http://www.mybabycantalk.com/content/dictionary/dictionar...
Hope this helps!

Hi D.,
I think baby signing is a really cool idea and its great showing it off to friends and family. I personally however never taught my babies to sign and they were all talking by 13mos, usually a few months earlier though, and I have heard that teaching your baby to sign may actually delay speech develpment. Do your research first and decide what's best for you and your family. Good luck!

C. C.

Baby signs is good, but you can get the gist after one read, so get it from the library rather than buying it. Hands down, the best resource is Signing Time. It is a set of DVD's that teach sign language to children. They have a few specifically for babies. My daughter knew over 150 signs at sixteen months old. I can't say enough about them. Get them from the library.

"Baby Signing Time" has 3 video's we own the first and love it! It teaches the basics. I have rented the others from the library and really enjoy them too. If you really get into it there are ones for older children too called "Signing Time" and I believe they have books and flash cards but I have found it easiest to learn from sight. Signing with our son has been a joy, we started at 6 mo when we introduced food, he was understand several by 9 mo. and really started signing around 11mo (baby, more, fan, and light). At about 13 month he was learning more than one a day. He definitely peaked around 18 months (he probably uses between 80-100, but I stopped counting a long time ago) when he began to speak more. Today at 20 months he still uses lots signs in addition to verbal language and it has been very helpful in teaching him colors and letters.

When getting started choose just a few (4-6), (eat, more, all done or milk and something fun things like light, fan, cat, or dog) use the sign every time you speak the word, once you can tell they understand the sign, ask your baby to show you the sign with his/her hands and start introducing more signs. You will be amazed at the language capabilities of infants if you sign with your baby. Good Luck, and if you need some more pointers let me know.

As someone who signs, I recommend the Signing Time videos. It is kids teaching kids, and it is fun too. I learned things I didnt know before. Good luck

There is a whole series of videos called "signing Time" which are absolutely fantastic! My daughter was very late to talk, but with these videos she knows dozens of words in sign language. We bought the Baby Signing Times DVD"s and rented the regular Signing Time DVD's from the library. Good luck!

I used to be on an internet radio program for mothers. The gal who started it runs her own company called SignBabies. You can go to signbabies.com she has books shes written that are great, she has flash cards, etc. You can also get videos of Signing Time from Deseret Book or off the internet, these are great for kids. I loved signing with my now 2 year old. It changed our lives, he never throws a tantrum. You can also download our radio programs, we talk a lot about signing and everything else. Go to Babiesandmomsradio.com for more info. or check it out on Itunes. Good Luck!

I personally love Signing Time on PBS. It is on at like 3AM here so we DVR it. They also have their episodes (and cool stuff like books and flash cards and music) on their website, www.signingtimekids.org. Julia has been watching since she was around 6 months old, which is when I started using signs with her, maybe earlier. I started with "please," "all done," and "more" as they are simple and effective in what she needed to tell me. She LOVES the show, its her favorite and she loves to watch "alex n lelah(leah)" There is obviously more in the show than an infant can comprehend, but she liked to watch the kids...but mostly she loved the songs. She loves the CDs we've gotten her of the signing songs. Now that she's an excellent talker we do'nt sign as much, but still sometimes. She likes to learn new ones, and we watch for entertainment as well.

Pick a book or show or anything for you---and learn 3 or 4. Then start incorporating them everytime you use that word. Our next ones were "help" and "thank you" and "hungry" and "drink and water(2 signs but she used interchangably" You'll be amazed at how much you learn...but its really the inundation in their environment that helps them associate I think.

D. - When my second was born, my mother-in-law gave my two year old Baby Signing Time videos. (vol.1&2) They are so much fun. My little guy is now 19mo. and loves them. Neither of our kids can sit still long enough to really watch TV but they both love the videos. Our little girl is now four and knows about 75 signs. I think the website is babysigningtime.com. They also have a segment on PBS Sunday mornings. I've learned a lot from watching the videos too!

I got the book "Baby Sign" (can't remeber the author) and it was very helpful in teach communication by hand to my two little ones. The first one, (girl) did really well. I started when she was about 11 mos. She signed a lot and learned a lot of early communication through it. My second (boy) was not as responsive but I was not as disiplined in doing it. I think it was both his personality and my commitment that affected the outcome. Good luck, I highly recommend it if your a perant that gets edgy with winning and crying and frustrated that you can't understand their needs : )

My sister gave me the book Baby Signs. But you can use ASL if you'd rather. I liked the book because it explains all the theory behind teaching sign. It really cemented my resolve to do it with my boys. And it was an amazing experience! You should hear their vocabularies now. And it's so gratifying to be able to converse with your toddler, stem tantrums, and see what they're thinking about. My boys astounded me by finding hidden, or even abstract images in books, and telling me what they thought it looked like. It's a window into their wonderful brains, and it kept them so happy because they knew I was interested in what they had to say.
BTW, the signs in Baby Signs aren't real sign language, but my boys dropped signing as soon as they could talk, and don't remember their signs anymore. So I don't see that it's a "lasting gift" to teach them real ASL. And they ended up creating their own signs, and I loved the freedom to make up a logical sign on the fly when my sons wanted to learn a new word and I didn't have time to look it up in an ASL dictionary. But if I needed inspiration for more signs to teach them, I found an online ASL dictionary with video to show how it's done. Just google for it.

I started signing with my son when he was about 15 months old I think. He was at least a year old and a lot of books will say that you can start as early as 6 month so I was afraid that he might be too old to catch on, especially since he was already speaking some words.

Anyway, I looked into buying/renting the Signing Time DVDs since my pediatrician recommended them, but they're pricey and always checked out at the library. I resorted to just buying a Baby Sign book from the store (I think it was Baby Signing for Dummies or something like that.) and learned the signs from there. My son caught on just fine and I've bought a ton of books since then, but they best thing I've found is flashcards by Sign Babies. It's great because it's easier to flip through and view flashcards than pages in a book. Here's their site: http://www.signbabies.com/ They have tons of different packs depending on what you want to teach your kids.

Sorry so long winded... As long as you're active about teaching and are consistently using the signs, the kid will eventually catch on even if they can't do it perfect just yet. I would definitely look into some books or flashcards first. I'm glad I never bought the DVDs because my son won't even sit through the episodes on PBS even if he knows the signs already, but that's different for every child.

GOOD LUCK!

We started with the My Baby can Talk videos - someone mentioned the website below. We started with the videos at around 6 months; my daughter is now 9 months and has a couple of signs down. It is a wonderful way for additional communication with your children. She loved the videos and stayed very interested in them much longer than I thought she would - she has no interest in the TV. We tried them out at the library and then purchased them. There are also a few board books with beginning signs available at the library as well. Good luck it is a lot of fun!

We liked the set from Discovery Toys. It was a DVD, two board book, and a poster with signs on it. My daughter loved the books especially--we would look at pictures of children signing, and then do the sign, and then she would sign as well.

Good Luck. If you don't know someone who sells discovery toys, pm me and I will give you a name and number.

Try www.aslpro.com. I am using this for my 2 year old and she is doing great. There is a special section for Babies that you might like! Best of all, it is FREE! Good luck!

I bought the baby signing times dvd's. They taught me the signes and then when Amelia was 9 months I had her start watching them too and she learned the signs.

Hi D.,

We just used this free online ASL browser. There were some signs that our son adapted himself (like flapping his hands furiously when he was 'all done') but we just chose some of the basics and started using them. This browser actually shows you how to do the sign - no classes necessary, no money spent!

http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm

Good luck!

Hi D.,
There are already a ton of great suggestions out here! I would agree with everyone on their recommendations of Signing Time videos and getting them from the library first to see how you like them. Even your older children will love them because they are really entertaining.

I did want to add however that classes can really be much more beneficial at first, especially if you've never signed before. There are a lot of things discussed in class that aren't discussed in videos or books - like hand shape, presentation of signs, seeing them demonstarted in 3-dimension, and most importantly the benefits when you are able to participate in an activity together as a family.

I've been signing with my daughter for over a year and a half (she's now two) and enjoyed the classes that I took so much that I'm actually working with my instructor now as a "signing mom" - helping to teach others the benefits and numerous rewards of signing. Here's the website to some local classes that are offered by Tamara Brody. If you have any other questions feel free to email me directly. Good luck! It's one of the best things you can do for yourself and your children! You'll be surprised by how quickly they pick up the signs and how much it can make parenting less stressful when they can tell you what the want/need.

Here's the link: http://www.sign2me.com/profile.php?ID=60

Oh, D.,Baby Signs classes are super! I started signing with my daughter in February 07 she was ~8 months, and by the time she was a year she had a decent vocabulary. She would sign about things that we hadn't even noticed and we'd end up playing "I spy" some!
https://www.babysigns.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=aboutus.main
They most certainly have books, videos, etc.

The most important thing I learned at the class is repetition and consistency (same with everything involving Toddlers).
Ex. "Do you want some MILK (signing)? Oh some MILK (signing) sounds nice, doesn't it? Let me get the MILK (signing) for you."
Worked like a charm, took some time and then she was signing all the time even making phrases!
Good luck and good job mommin'!
A.

I was told about 2.5 yrs ago that my DS was deaf. So we started the process of taking sign and learning to be able to communicate with him. I have found that there sometimes is a big difference between baby sign and ASL--so don't start thinking that because you know a baby sign that it carries over to ASL. As far as helping, I know that my son was able to communicate saying please, milk, more, finished, up, down, and his favorite animals by the age of 1. And his 2 next older sisters were learning the signs too, and it cut back on the crying and frustration when they couldn't vocalize the things that they wanted because often they had the sign to use instead. I wouldn't buy a book yet, I would check some out from the library and see which ones would fit your needs first, then buy only the ones that you want. There are a LOT of books on signing and baby signs, you just need to pick and chose. Fortunately for us our story turns out better than most because our DS is not deaf like they had told us, but the signing was a great help....and we have continued to use it with our next child too.
J.--SAHM of 6