Teaching Baby Sign Language - Communicate Effectively With Your Baby Before They Can Speak

There is a revolution taking place in the area ofhand gesture or sign, e.g. holding a bottle of milk while
parent-infant communication, an exciting method ofperforming the appropriate sign for the object. You
making the most of a parent's relationship with theirrepeat the process several times until the sign is learnt.
child. This revolution is teaching baby sign language toIt's simple, rewarding and great fun. It's recommended
infants before they are able to communicate usingto start slowly using simple everyday words (milk, bed,
speech. This article will provide a very brief outline ofteddy, etc.) and reinforce them by using the signs as
this fascinating concept.often as you can.
You are no doubt familiar with the sign language manyMost babies can start to learn signing between the
deaf and hard of hearing people use to communicate.ages of 6 to 9 months, when they will have developed
With baby signing the principle is the same, but thesufficient control over their hands to perform the
signs themselves are simplified and may involve othergestures. As your baby gets older he or she may
parts of the body in addition to the hands, for exampleeven be able to sign complete sentences. As with
opening and closing the mouth might be the sign formost things in life, practice makes perfect--repetition
'fish'.and plenty of encouragement form a central part of
A baby responds best to what he sees and what hethe process. However, it's important to remember not
can touch. This fact is the basis of the system. So,to push your baby too hard, be patient. If your baby
teaching baby sign language generally involves the usestarts viewing it as a chore rather than fun then they
of familiar objects in order to get the message across.will cease being responsive to your teaching.
You associate a particular object or concept with a