Teaching Your Baby Sign Language

Many parents are familiar with the scenario of a baby trying to "say" something and getting very frustrated when the parent can't understand them.

Now imagine avoiding tantrums and misunderstandings by teaching your baby to communicate with you long before he or she can talk. You can do this by teaching your baby sign language.

Background on Baby Sign Language

Teaching sign language to babies who are not hearing impaired is a relatively new concept, but one that is quickly gaining popularity. The idea was conceived in 1982 by two psychology professors, Linda Acredelo and Susan Goodwyn.

The idea of teaching babies to sign is based on a few simple principles. Babies have the ability, and the desire, to communicate very early on. It might not seem so, but to a baby, speech is a complicated procedure. It requires coordinated movement of the lips, tongue, teeth and vocal chords. While the skill of meaningful speech takes a while to develop, babies acquire motor ability fairly early on. So sign language makes use of babies' adeptness at using their hands.

Sign Language Doesn't Delay Speech

This is a common worry, but the experts say signing does not cause a delay in babies learning to talk.

In a 2000 study titled Impact of Symbolic Gesturing on Early Language Development, Goodwyn and Acredelo tested this idea. In the study, participants were divided into two groups, one in which parents were told to use sign language with their babies for certain gestures, and a control group in which parents went about daily life normally. The control group parents were not aware of what the other group was doing and did not know the study was about communication.

The study found that on "the vast majority of language acquisition measures," the babies in the signing group were at an advantage. They had, on average, a three-month head start in terms of speaking over the control group. The signing babies also formed significantly larger sentences.

Teaching Your Baby Sign Language

A good time to start is when your baby is about 4-6 months old, although it's never too late or too early to get started. Begin with simple words that will help babies communicate basic needs. Some common beginner words are "milk," "eat," "mom," "dad," "sleep," and "more." Form the sign every time you say the word to your baby. Every so often help your baby make the sign themselves.

There are many Web sites where you can learn easy signs. Start out with just a few, then add more according to your baby's needs and likes. For example, if he has a favorite teddy bear, teach him to sign "bear" so you know when he wants it. Keep in mind that at first, it may be hard to decipher what your baby is trying to "say," or he or she may use the same sign for a few different words. Don't let that discourage you! The same thing happens when learning to talk, and with time your baby will master many signs.

If you're sceptical about it working, you may be surprised to know that your baby may already be signing. Does she put out her arms in front of her when she wants to be picked up? That's signing. Does he wave bye bye or clap his hands to show he's happy? Those are signs too! So give signing a try!