It reduces tears, tantrums and frustration in tots, who, try as they might, cannot get their message across verbally, instructors say. It also helps toddlers master the ability to speak, read, write and count more rapidly.
When they have already learned that the sign "house" corresponds to an actual house, they've already done the conceptual work," Mikulska explains. "When they will be ready to speak, they won't need to do the work again in their head."
For sceptics who ask whether baby and toddler sign language might inhibit speech development as tots get used to signing, advocates give a resounding "no" and point to widely cited US research at the University of California. These studies showed that symbolic gesturing -- as it's called -- even facilities the early stages of language development.
