Teaching Babies and Toddlers Sign Language
Every baby learns at their own pace, and most parents realize this with their own babies and toddlers. When one baby starts to speak another may be a few months behind, and that’s completely developmentally normal! While actually speaking may take longer to figure out, babies and toddlers are trying to communicate with us from a young age.
That’s why teaching sign language to babies and toddlers is so popular, many toddlers are able to learn and copy signs before they can actually speak.
What is Baby Sign Language?
Most resources you will find for teaching your child sign language are called “Baby Sign Language”. This is where signs for individual words are taken from American Sign Language (ASL) to teach infants and toddlers. It is important to remember though, that individual word signs don’t fully reflect ASL. ASL is a complex language with specific grammar and word order rules.
If a child is deaf or hard-of-hearing, it is important they learn proper American Sign Language compared to individual signs in “baby sign language”. Knowing this, it is also important to be respectful of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community when using signs. Try to use signs as properly as you can and do not “create” your own signs or names.
At what age can you introduce Sign Language to Babies?
Much like introducing any language you can start as soon as your baby is born. You will need to learn and practice the signs yourself in order to teach them. That said, 6 months is around the time your baby starts to babble and interact with the world around them more. Some babies will not actually start to sign back until 10/11 months. As with any skill, babies will learn on their own time.
Why teach Sign Language to Babies and Toddlers?
- Less Tantrums: Sign language allows your child to communicate with you before they can speak.
- Early Communication: Signs count as words and many kids will sign before they speak.
- Practice Fine Motor Skills: Learning to use their hands to sign is a great exercise for their fine motor skills as well as communication!
What are the Best Signs to start with?
The best signs to use are the words you already use with your child the most! If introducing sign language when your child is under one here are some great signs:
If you are teaching signs to your toddler you may use these more:
Tips for Teaching Your Baby Sign Language
- Use signs as you speak out loud
- You can show your child how to sign with their hands, but showing by example is even better
- As babies babble and have difficulty saying words properly, babies can babble with signs (they are practicing) or make variations
- Use signs with your family members so baby sees the sign used in multiple ways
- No need to practice “one” sign, you can teach multiple signs at a time for example “Drink” and “Milk”, just like you would when speaking out loud.
More Resources
I have two great books I really loved using when teaching my son signs. Both books cover lots of different signs, many pictures of children doing signs, as well as great tips on how to remember the signs.
Baby Sign Language by Mary Smith
Baby Sign Language Made Easy by Lane Rebelo
I hope this guide is helpful. Remember to have fun. If you are worried about delays in communication always check out Early Intervention options offered by Halton Region.
Kinder Buddies Oakville Daycare is a Quality First Daycare and Infant Care facility in Oakville, Ontario. We take care of children from the age of 6 weeks to 5 1/2 providing nutritious meals and fun activities all day long.
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