Tag Archives: Baby Signs

Make It Fun To Learn!

Baby Signs, Family, Kids Activities, Toddler Signs, , , , , , ,

Give that baby your undivided attention and set a playful tone.  Your baby will see that you are focusing on him/her and will try to play with you.  Their eyes light up and they get excited.  Mama or Dada is playing with me!  Use signs that he/she is motivated to learn.  If you are playing with a ball, use the sign ball and give/take the ball between each other.  Do the same with other toys or even a stuffed doll.  Use every day objects or foods that are around you.  It makes a difference when you take the time and make it fun.  Sets the foundation for future learning and engages your child in social interactions.

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Top 2 Reasons to Communicate With Your Baby Through Sign Language

Baby Signs, Education, Toddler Signs, , , , , ,

Why should I learn sign language to communicate with my baby?  This question is asked of me all the time.  There are many reasons but I feel these two reasons are very important in the development of baby’s language and relationship with family.

  1. The ability to express their needs and thoughts.                                                                              -Replace the crying with communication!  It reduces unexplainable emotional outbursts and those everyday moments where you don’t know if they are hungry, tired or thirsty.  Less fustration among each other when the child is able to communicate his/her needs.  It promotes self confidence in feeling satisfaction and and accomplishment.  It fosters a loving relationship with child and parent in knowing that needs are being met.  Instead of spending all that time trying to figure out what’s wrong, that time you can use and focus on bonding with your baby reading books, playing, and spending time with siblings!
  2. Boosts brain development.                                                                                                                        A lot of parents come to me and express concern that teaching their baby to sign will interfere with normal speech development.  I tell them, “It’s going to make them smarter, more creative and confident in communicating.”  It will not interfere.  It will actually enchance it!  It promotes creative use of language and increases vocabulary at a young age.

There are many, many, many reasons more why you should communicate with sign language….  Highly beneficial at all levels for babies’ intellectual, psychological and emotional levels.    Who wouldn’t try it!?!

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When can I start teaching my baby sign language?

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Start as early as you can!  I started with all three of my kids when they started moving their eyes towards me and responding to my voice.  With my latest baby, I started signing at three months old.  The first sign I did was milk since I was breast feeding her.  I would sign milk and then nurse her.  I signed it before every feeding.   But start teaching your baby signs when you think he or she is ready, even if they are not ready to sign back yet.  Simple signs such as milk, eat, nap.

Babies usually learn to sign before they learn to talk.  Get started as early as you can.  Once your baby can sign his or her needs to you, communicating becomes easier.  Talking to your baby while signing also encourages him or her to talk with their voice as well as their hands.

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How to use Flash cards

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A great way to help reinforce your teachings to your children, especially those that are already using computers and online applications in a school setting, is using flash cards.  I use the ASLsearch.com flash cards feature on their website with my two older children.

You are able to do a trial run before signing up.  I chose to sign up so I can look at what categories they offer and go through one.  As I go through it a couple times in one catergory, it has a variety of signs each time.  I make a running list that I can teach and show the kids.  This week I chose to focus on colors.  Using the signs with the kids during the week in our everyday activities and having them try the flash cards on the website once a day after school will help strengthen their retention of the colors catergory.

There is a wide variety of catergories which makes it easy for me to pick one such as colors for this week, animals next week, and so forth.  The catergories range from animals, baby signs, colors, numbers, home, food and drink, sports, school, weather, etc.  You can also customize a list of flash cards if you are studying for a class or want to learn specific signs.   You can even study the alphabet as well if you are now just learning how to fingerspell. I love how there are lots of options on what signs to use in that feature!

I encourage you to try it and see what other signs you can learn by using the flash cards.  Here is the link on how to use flash cards.

 

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Repetition is important!

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With a one year old baby, I have been using baby signs that are common in our daily lives such as milk, more, finished or all done, eat, nap, mama and dada.  As an example, feeding times is such a special connection with mama/daddy and baby.  When I cradle my child to set up for breastfeeding, I would sign milk.  I started when she was about three months old.  I continued repeating it at every feeding.  My husband reinforced the signing by using it as well when he would feed by bottle.  She picked up on the sign and was signing at 7 months old when she was thirsty.  Now with her at a year old, I still continue to sign every time I give her milk before giving it to her in her cup.  Getting in the habit of signing before giving your child something he/she may want will help your child associate the sign with the object.  It may take several days, weeks or months before your child starts to communicate for that object when he/she wants it.  Continue to use the sign once your baby uses it.  Include it as part of your daily lives.  Be patient… your child is learning every time you sign to him or her.  Give it time.  Babies can communicate physically 6 to 8 months before they are able to communicate verbally.

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