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Why Teach A Hearing Baby Sign Language?
- Mar 23, 2009 at 9:02 PM
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Why Teach A Hearing Baby Sign Language?
Many parents wonder why they should teach their baby Sign Language if
their hearing is just fine. Isn't that introducing something unnatural
and unnecessary? The answer is no. It is perfectly natural, more than
most people realize and the benefits are amazing.
Babies
are communicating to the best of their ability as soon as they are
born. They develop at an incredible rate during the first three years
just trying to get down the basics. A newborn infant cries when it
needs something because it has no other choice. He cannot point to what
he wants, say what he wants or move to what he wants.
Soon he
will develop cries that are slightly different from one another, taking
communication one step further. Parents learn to tell the "hungry" cry
from the "tired" cry or the "hold me" cry.
Then he will start to coo and babble, trying to tell you about his world.
And
then he will start pointing at objects and using the tone of his voice
to get a point across. This phase lasts from around 4-6 months up until
around two years. That is a long span of time to have limited
communication when it is entirely possible to have wonderful
conversations with your child that you can actually understand!
Baby
Sign Language is much more natural than most parents realize. We all
teach our babies to wave "Bye-bye", shake their head "Yes" or "No." We
show them how to blow on their food when it's "Hot" or gently pet our
arm if we want them to be "Gentle." These are all gestures used in Baby
Sign Language. Expanding their vocabulary gives you and your child some
great advantages.
By teaching them signs for things like "Eat",
"Drink", "More" and "All Done" you eliminate many tantrums that come
from a child being hungry and not having the tools to communicate what
need. Think about this: Your child wants some milk. A baby that doesn't
know signs will start by grunting and pointing in the direction of
where she thinks it might be. Of course if you're in the middle of the
grocery store or the back yard you might think she's pointing at
something completely different. Then she will start getting more and
more upset until she reaches a full blown tantrum... and we all know
how much fun that can be in the middle of the grocery store. A baby
that has been taught to sign will simply get your attention and make
the sign for "Milk" which is basically waving "Bye-bye" sideways (like
you are milking a cow.) The giggle they let out when you say back to
them "You want your milk?" is adorable. They are ecstatic that they
have been understood.
In my experience being able to tend to
your babies needs without the frustration is reason enough to teach
them Baby Sign Language, but there are many more incredible benefits.
Teaching Baby Sign Language promotes healthy
social and emotional development. Being able to communicate gives your
child the opportunity to explore more and share more allowing them to
develop to their full potential. Baby Signs helps boost babies' language and thinking skills. Start signing today!
Teaching
Baby Sign Language helps babies learn to talk sooner. One of the most
common concerns I hear as an instructor is "Will my baby learn to rely
on signs and decide not to speak?" Scientific studies prove exactly the
opposite. When a baby learns to crawl they realize that they can get
from here to there and work on improving that skill into something that
works even better. The same goes for signing. A baby realizes they can
communicate and grasps the concept of communication at a much younger
age. When you understand what your baby is saying you repeat it back
allowing them to hear the words more often, helping them to learn to
speak the word sooner.
Teaching Baby Sign Language creates a
stronger bond. Your baby can tell you what they see or hear, what
interests they have. This gives you a priceless window into the life of
your child. You and your child can share their world together. Their
needs are met faster and more accurately.
Using Baby Sign
Language in a daycare setting is a great way to create a universal
language between babies and caregivers. It can help comfort a child who
is upset about Mommy leaving, helping to explain that Mommy will be
back soon.
The benefits of Baby Sign Language don't end when your child starts talking. Most children
start dropping their signs as they start speaking more words,
eventually leaving all their signs behind. But the benefits of what
they've learned have just begun.
The more gestures a baby uses
at 14 months the larger their vocabulary is at 4.5 years. A larger
vocabulary is directly linked to a higher level of success later in
life.
Babies who were taught to sign scored an average of 12
points higher on an IQ test at age eight than those who were not taught
to sign!
Teaching Baby Sign Language can make potty training
before the age of two possible and even easier than waiting until after
age two! POTTY TRAIN YOUR BABY BEFORE 2!
We
all want what's best for our children. We want to give them the best
chance to lead a happy and successful life. Teaching them Baby Sign
Language is one of the best things you can do for your child.
http://www.babysignsprogram.com/withelizabeth
Comments:
CheshireHope: The words they want o learn and immitate are the words that are of importance to them. This shows you what they like and gives you the opportunity to play with and explorethings they want to learn about! Chil-led play is a very important part of development. Way to go!
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i love this post!
i'm teaching my children sign language. granted they know thinks like cat, dog, horse, thank you, shrimp, the list goes on. but they like to do it and even show off what they know.
- CheshireHope
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