Apparently, once your baby can wave “hello”, he can begin signing other things, too. If you’re convinced (and I am), start signing a few things consistently around 8 months.
We started with “more” and “eat” and “nursing”. Julian started responding around 11 months by doing these signs back to us. I have to admit that his “nursing” looked very much like “bye-bye” and sometimes I thought he was telling total strangers that he wanted to nurse.
At 14 months, his vocab is still limited to about 5 words, so the signs have been really amazing. Our number one favorite baby sign is “help”, which is tapping both hands against his chest. He uses this to tell us that he wants us to open a drawer, help with a toy, or reach something that he can’t reach. Much more civilized than pointing and grunting.
I recently ran into a rookie mom named Yael at the park. She told me that she teaches a music, play and signing class called Signing Smart. It sounds like a fun way to learn. For Berkeley parents, the info is below. For parents everywhere, check out this link to find a class near you: http://signingbabyshop.com/classes/
When: Wednesdays from 11:15 - 12 noon, starting mid-June
Where: Congregation Netivot Shalom, which is in Berkeley at 1316 University (2 blocks west of Sacramento).
Cost: $150 for 10 weeks
What: 45 minutes of singing and signing, and includes all the materials - the Signing Smart Beginner Handbook, the Treasure Chest DVD, and an American Sign Language glossary DVD
How: Call Yael at 510.847.5683 or send her an email at yael@signingsmart.com
If you can’t commit to a class, try renting a video. Check NetFlix.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
We started consistently using sign with my daughter (now 8.5 months) when she started solids (4 months, on the doctor’s recommendation), and she actually started signing before she could wave or clap. She knows “drink,” “more,” and we’re working on “eat,” “nurse,” and “sleep.” She kind of took a break from signing so that she could learn to clap and wave, and those have been her obsessions lately.
There is an excellent resource for sign at:
http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm
Some must be adapted for little hands.
We’ve been doing baby signs with my son Nick and it’s wonderful - he did his first signs at around 8 months - ceiling fan and light. Those were his only signs for a long time, but in the last month (since he turned 11 months), he’s really taken off. He’s made up his own signs, like turning both hands for “Where is it?” and even makes little sentences, like “Where is the train?” It’s so amazing to see him able to communicate at such an early point, and I feel like it deepens our relationship with him. He’s now doing signs for: more, bird, wheel, tree, doggie, gentle, hat, diaper change, and yucky. It is certainly true that you need to know what you’re looking for - sometimes the signs are very generalized, but when I use context clues, I can usually figure out what Nick means.
Leave a Comment