Beginner's Guide to Teaching a Toddler Sign Language

Are you having problems understanding your toddler? I have learned the fine art of using sign language to understand my toddler. Teaching a toddler sign language isn't as hard as you might think if you use these tips.

Sign language has been used for many years for people to communicate with the deaf or to understand someone who has a speech disorder. I learned the power of sign language when my third child was born and she would often cry out but her cries weren't those that I could actually recognize. I would become upset since I didn't know what she wanted and every book I read said the same thing but nothing worked. I decided to teach my toddler sign language after her pediatrician told me that it would be a great way for us to communicate with one another.

Here are some tips to helping you teach your toddler sing language. These skills take time to master but once you do you will be able to understand your toddler a lot more.

If you don't already know sign language you will need to learn it before you try to teach your child. It is okay to learn it along with your child as long as you take the time to practice with you child. There is a good list of sign language and pictures by following Google's search engine.

Once you have had the chance to look over some of the sign language that you want to teach your toddler you should practice each symbol one by one with a few days in between. Keep in mind that your toddler's attention span isn't that long and so it is important to keep refreshing the toddlers mind.

Once you know a sign language that you want to teach like "more" for when your child wants more to eat, you should use the symbol in the child's hand and then have their hand to make the same symbol as you say the word and show the meaning of the word. Keep doing this on a daily basis and as often as you use the word.

The next word that you want to focus on should be repeated like the word in our example above but you should continue to include both words in the same day after a couple of days of practicing the new word.

Don't become frustrated if your child isn't eager to learn sign language or has difficulty learning. Sign language takes time to learn even for adults and this is something new that they must practice at.