Do you think it is appropriate for small children to learn sign language from their parents before they learn how to speak? Children learn quickly…
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Do you think it is appropriate for small children to learn sign language from their parents before they learn how to speak? Children learn quickly…
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I odn’t see anything wrong with it. I think its kind of fun! Just don’t be forceful with it.
Baby sign language is awesome! I have taught both my kids signs, mostly around feeding.
It’s great to be able to communicate before baby has developed speech.
I’m teaching my son sign but i tell you what is gets frustrating trying to teach children just got to be patience with it
Sign language has helped us communicate with our 13 month old son. He knows how to sign for more, all done, drink, eat. (mainly things around food) It’s important that when you teach sign language to your little one that you are constantly using the words with it…myh son is now saying all done, more along with the signs. I think that it makes my day easier knowing the signs that my son shows us because I can’t understand all his babbling which makes him frustrated even more!
oh yes! We taught our son a few basics: milk, more, finished, food and thank you when he was 8 months old. It was SO helpful when he was learning to eat solid foods. We never had a “high chair tantrum.” He is 18 months now and is talking, but will still occasionally use a sign if the person he is talking to isn’t understanding him.
I am sorry but I disagree with the other answers. My friend taught his baby sign language and yes it was cool around 11 months to 16 months, he could communicate ect. Now the child is 3 1/2 and knows over 500 signs but REFUSES to use his words and speak. Its actually kind of sad because my 2 year old seems like a chatter box genious compared to his kid. My daughter already knows her ABC’s,numbers, colors, songs ect. He cant put words together to form a sentence and he refers to himself in a 3rd party kind of way.
All he really knows how to say is “more” at dinner time and “its ok Paul” (thats his name!), besides when someone is sitting with him reading a book and asking him to repeat words showing him pictures,
I think it was a MAJOR setback with his development and verbal communication skills, I wouldnt suggest it. Also they have a new baby who is 9 months old and they ARE NOT teaching him sign language.
I think that it is great. we teach it to our kids at daycare starting in the infant room. we work on more, milk and please. Please is the one they catch on to the fastes which is great becasue we are also teaching them to be polite. with the baby sign you don’t teach them too much like the 500 signs the other answer is talking about. you just teach them some basic need signs so that they can communicate before they can speak. many of our kids will instantly begin signing please anytime they want something and even when they are older we are finding that they will do the sign and say the word at the same time. The toddlers have learned to sign please when their mouth is full becasue we have taught them not to talk with food it their mouth so they will sign please for more food.
It takes time and patience and you sometimes need to take their hand and make them do the sign but once they understand that they will get something when they sign milk then they will continue to catch on.
I think that is a great idea and a great way for young children to communicate what they want. Part of the reason children throw tantrums is because they are trying to express what they want or need and get frustrated because the language barrier is delayed.
Children use sign language before they develop their speaking skills anyhow. Someone even turned it into a method and is making millions off of it now. If you want a kid to be bilingual, (sign language included), starting before they start talking makes it easier for them to learn.
Children who can communicate using signing before they can speak are much happier kids! They don’t get frustrated because you don’t understand what they want.
And the “signing time” series of videos are great!! My kids love them.
I would have said no…but since my son was at 2 yrs old and was getting very anger but not talking. I had to learn sign language …once I taught him simple signs…now he talk alot… LOL! He now signs and talks at the same time…he is learning more at his daycare as well. I’m signing to my 11 month old as well. I believe its a great language for a child to learn.
Surely nothing wrong with signing with a young one. 🙂 My daughter, born with a cleft lip/palate, learned some sign language when she first began speech therapy. We know about 50 or so signs.
my son has a speech problem and they started teaching him sign language to help him learn. they told me that most children learn by watching and doing. so if you teach them the sign with the word then they learn the word much quicker. start with things like mom, dad, hi, please, thank you and bye. good luck.