Dispelling The Myth That Signing Delays Talking ~ Chris

Posted on June 26, 2013 by chris

Seriously, if I hear this one more time!  My wife actually just told me that she was talking to a friend about baby sign language and she had a nephew who was somewhat delayed in speaking.  Her comment was “I couldn’t imagine teaching him sign language, he’s already delayed in speaking!?!”

Really!  So you couldn’t imagine what a kid who’s delayed in speaking might feel having not been able to communicate at all?  Sorry for the emotion, but it’s such a pervasive thought that signing can delay speaking that it’s becoming annoying.  It just frustrates me to no end to think that people think you can mute a baby by giving them a second silent language as their motor coordination and voice structures catch up to their ability.  Signing has been shown to make talking more likely, not less likely to happen and also, when it does, much sooner.  End of story!

Even my mom has been known to express doubts as we taught our son to sign.  “Is he talking yet?”  She would prod.  “No mom, he isn’t, but he’s only 13 months-old, give him some time” I’d reply.  I’d then add that he was signing over 80 words.  However, by the time my son did start, he was mirroring the sounds we made daily, as if a switch had turned on.  He was adding words almost everyday from the moment he turned 17 months-old.  They weren’t all totally clear, but he and I, as well as my wife, knew what he meant.  Because he learned to sign, he understood how to label things.  He’d point at things, we’d say the word out loud and if he could, would repeat it back to us.  Often he would use the start letter of the word as his “approximation.”

Eventually, he had words he would sign and words he’d say and other words where he’d say and sign.  By 16 months he was signing 2-3 word sentences and this continued into his 17th months.

Signing gives babies a head-start, don’t let anyone let you think otherwise!

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Hitting The Big 2-0-0! ~ Courtney

Posted on June 19, 2013 by chris

I probably wouldn’t have believed it when we first started signing with our son, but he just hit the 200 sign mark at only 22 months old.  It seems like so many, but we’re still adding new signs to our family’s repertoire each week.  Even though his spoken vocabulary includes many more words and is expanding on a daily basis, he actually seems as receptive as ever to learning new signs.

As a family, our goal was never to give our son a second language that he could continue to use once he became a fluent speaker (although we respect that as a goal of many of you!).  However, we’re willing to continue to learn and grow our signing vocabulary as long as he is.

Some signs we continue to explicitly teach him.  We went for a walk last week on a very WINDY day and had somehow never taught him the sign before.  He was eager to do the sign and say the word.  Other signs he just picks up through observation, never doing them himself until prompted.  I’ve always signed the Alphabet Song while singing it, but have not broken it down into individual signs.  Awhile ago, he just started signing Z at the end of the song and recently he began to sign J.

He’s not speaking in sentences yet, so maybe when that happens he will abandon his signs.  I remember making a similar prediction though that his signing would slow down once he could replace his signs with words.  That has definitely not happened, and he actually still uses a lot of his very first signs, like MORE and EAT.  Regardless of what he does and when he does it, we’re committed to continuing to provide him with two ways to describe his world as long as he’s willing to use them.

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If You Aren’t Having Fun Signing With Your Baby, You Are Doing It wrong! ~ Chris

Posted on June 12, 2013 by chris

Baby sign language is not a chore and there are no goals.  Some parents have a bug which says they need to prove that their baby is smarter than the baby next.  I feel sorry for them, and will not fall into the trap of pinning my baby boy against theirs.  I started to sign because I enjoyed talking with my baby before he could speak verbally.  I wanted to know what he was thinking and what he wanted.  Part of my goals were selfish, for I also wanted to be able to better manage his needs.  I knew that signing would permit me to control temper (and it has), as well as to know what sorts of foods he wanted and preferred and which he didn’t.

The nice side benefit to baby sign language is a fresh look at an old world.  A signing baby can tell you want they think is cool…and trust me when I say it’s a lot different than you might think!

If you’re a goal oriented person, then compete with yourself instead of picking on other signing parents.  Monitor your progress and catalogue the words your baby signs – we did.  We wanted to keep track of the number of words our son signed for a keepsake that he would be able to reflect upon later in life.  Signing is not about anything else besides talking with your baby and anyone that does it will speak highly of it to other parents.  This is precisely why baby sign language is no passing fad.  We’ll come to have more and more signing parents as we move forward.

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Don’t Wait To Sign With Your Baby, Start Today! ~ Chris

Posted on June 5, 2013 by chris

Waiting to sign with your baby can be a big mistake.  There are so many experiences you can share with a baby that only signing parents really know about.  It’s difficult to describe exactly and it’s something that videos can’t exactly capture.  The moments are summarized when your baby notices a BABY signing and signs about it so the two of you can enjoy it’s melody, it’s knowing if your baby wants MILK instead of WATER, it’s knowing that your baby wants to read a BOOK instead of going outside for a WALK and it’s knowing that your baby is upset because their tooth HURTS instead of being SLEEPy.

Your baby can sign all these things and many, many more.  However, the longer you wait, the more experiences you will have missed.  Non-signing parents eventually do gain and intuitive sense about their children, but it can’t even compare to the level of understanding gained through signs.  A non-signing baby might point to the fridge if they are hungry, but they’ll do the same if they are thirsty.  A signing baby will tell you exactly what they want, be it YOGURT or MILK.  There’s just no need to guess.

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Some Quick Baby Sign Language Tips ~ Chris

Posted on May 29, 2013 by chris

1. Be consistent: When you introduce a sign, keep signing it.  If you stop, so will your baby.  To establish a pattern and memory, you need to create a routine.  The more steady you are with your signs, the easier and quicker your baby will adopt them too.  Baby’s like all people imitate what they see.  It’s just a part of being social animals.

2. Be expressive:  Use your entire body including your face.  Create big movements and actions with your body and over animate.  Show excitement in your voice and facial expressions.  Your facial expressions should be consistent and congruent with what you are signing.  If you are signing SAD, make a sad face, and if you are signing HAPPY, make a happy face.

3. Don’t be too rigid: It will take some time for your baby’s signs to become refined.  In the start, signs might appear similar or might be used for multiple things.  What’s important is that you and your baby understand each other.  Never insist that signs be perfect or you might spoil the experience.

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