It is common knowledge that babies will not begin to speak for a long while! Until your baby acquires basic language skills, trying to deduce what’s wrong can be stressful and frustrating.
Babies can begin to learn sign language at a very early age, but around six months old, they begin to really notice sign language. Some babies begin using sign language at seven or eight months old. Babies can actually understand a lot more than they are able to verbally communicate!
The advantages of teaching your baby sign language are obvious: you can communicate with them about their needs and build a strong bond with them at an early age, and many children who were taught sign language as babies have strong language abilities that develop earlier in life, and are able to more easily learn a second language. They even develop a higher IQ often!
You don’t need to hire a specialized teacher or take classes, although both are available with growing frequency as the trend of teaching babies sign language starts to really take off. If you prefer, you can teach your baby at home, learning along with him or her. While you make the sign for a word, say it out loud along with the sign to help the baby form the association in his or her mind. Make sure you use these signs consistently and as frequently as possible, in all environments (outside the home and inside it). Teach babysitters, family members, or other caregivers the signs so that they can help the baby learn too.
If you don’t already know sign language, you can learn it on your own. Books, instructional DVDs, flashcards, and websites all have a wealth of information on various systems of sign language. ASL, BSL, signed English, and several other distinct languages exist, making the task of coming up with signs for different words easy. As an added bonus, your child will grow up bilingual! If you prefer not to learn a new language yourself, you can make up signs, as long as you’re consistent in their use.
Older children will retain the ability to sign if you continue to use sign language around them. This can be a unique way of communicating with your child in the library and other “quiet” venues, and can even strengthen your family bonds. If you have older children with younger siblings, the sibling bond is stronger and sibling rivalry reduced when they sign to their little brothers or sisters.
The frustration for you of trying to help a crying six-month-old who cannot yet speak the words he or she so desperately wants to, and the frustration your baby also experiences, can be reduced much earlier than when you are waiting for them to develop conventional language skills!
Teaching your baby sign language will not only reduce frustration on both ends, but also help him or her develop later language skills early, and improve your child’s IQ and family relations later.
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Tags: Baby Sign Language