Baby Sign Language

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Pinky

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I tried to find the old thread's topic of Baby Sign Language but can't find it. Guess I have to make a new one. My passionate about baby sign language is very important for all hearing, hoh, deaf babies to learn sign language so early. It will be easy to communicate with family.

I do support baby sign language for good reason. I believe that you taught your babies and children to learn sign language so early.

Sign language in infants and toddlers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Both my granddaughters, age 3 and age 8 months are learning sign.

They have Signing Time, books and flashcards I have come across.

I am a happier grandmother when it is easy to make myself understood and understand them too.
 
My oldest first sign was bath at 12 months old...he LOVES bath...now he don't lol!

So not sure when our 2nd will sign. So gotta wait and see when he is getting older. :)
 
I read the information at first post website. The best for baby's age to learn sign language in 6 to 8 months old. I can do that with my son. I believe his vision is blurry at newborn until 3 months old start to change the vision can see better. I will countiune sign to him when he is few months old until his eyes will contact to my hands sign and face express.
 
LakeTahoe said:
My oldest first sign was bath at 12 months old...he LOVES bath...now he don't lol!

So not sure when our 2nd will sign. So gotta wait and see when he is getting older. :)
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Really?! I'm teaching my nephew (4) to sign too. And he loves "bath" too lol He's always showing her mom (my sister) what he learned :) I'm always signing around him, but sometimes he forgets to look at me! lol
 
I have a friend in Missouri who, because of her father's hearing loss, as each of her 6 children were born, with 1 set of twins, she was signing to them and speaking from day one. All of them were repeating signs to her by 5 & 6 months of age. The twins have been found to be deaf, they are now 18 months and according to the doctors, with ASL they have a vocabulary of over 1000 words and can sign full sentences.
 
My youngest nephew, age 3, watches "Signing Time" and has picked up a few words. Milk, Surprise, Food, Hungry. I try and sign to him but he completely shuts down and runs to his mom, my sister.

I used to sign to my son all the time when he was young. He learned "stop that!" & "no" really fast. He is now using what he knows, and what I am correcting him on, to talk 'behind' his father's back with me. When I was in ASL class he used to love to go to the local coffeehouse deaf event meetings with me.
 
The 2 year old we have loves to learn signs. He watches a tv programme that has Makaton signs but we show him BSL signs. He is very clever, I believe that young children can pick any signs up from early age.
 
Wirelessly posted (Sidekick LX: Mozilla/5.0 (Danger hiptop 4.6; U; rv:1.7.12) Gecko/20050920)

I visit www.mysmarthands.com and a few other baby sign language links. They're fantastic. :)
 
I am still waiting for my 6 month old grandson to use his first sign. I remember my first son signed milk first time.
 
How do you feel about teaching "Baby Signs" vs ASL? I think it bothers me more than it should. My attitude is that ASL is a fully developed beautiful language, why not use it? You wouldn't teach your baby baby-fied English, so why teach baby-fied ASL? I know some just want to have a way to communicate earlier and don't plan to use it beyond babyhood. But if you *do* use ASL, you've started your child on her way to being bilingual (we'll just assume the child is hearing for the sake of the argument). My kids won't have a choice, they are going to grow up in a household that is fluent in English, ASL, Lithuanian, and German so they are going to learn all of them. ASL is the most important to me, because I don't hear the voices of young kids or most women so they *really* can't get away without learning that one.

Do others feel this way about "Baby Signs"? For those that don't know, "Baby Signs" are signs that one woman made more simple and easier for babies to physically sign. Kids babble in whatever language they are primarily exposed to. It's not that hard, in my opinion, to understand your own child's ASL babbling. Eventually their signs will clear up like their speech will clear up. Their parents can understand them, and that's the point of it all anyway!
 
I remember seeing my daughter signing milk when she was 6 months old.

That made me so happy. :)
 
KristinaB said:
I have a friend in Missouri who, because of her father's hearing loss, as each of her 6 children were born, with 1 set of twins, she was signing to them and speaking from day one. All of them were repeating signs to her by 5 & 6 months of age. The twins have been found to be deaf, they are now 18 months and according to the doctors, with ASL they have a vocabulary of over 1000 words and can sign full sentences.
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wow....and my brother in law signs 'fart' and giggles...
 
moldyfig said:
How do you feel about teaching "Baby Signs" vs ASL? I think it bothers me more than it should. My attitude is that ASL is a fully developed beautiful language, why not use it? You wouldn't teach your baby baby-fied English, so why teach baby-fied ASL? I know some just want to have a way to communicate earlier and don't plan to use it beyond babyhood. But if you *do* use ASL, you've started your child on her way to being bilingual (we'll just assume the child is hearing for the sake of the argument). My kids won't have a choice, they are going to grow up in a household that is fluent in English, ASL, Lithuanian, and German so they are going to learn all of them. ASL is the most important to me, because I don't hear the voices of young kids or most women so they *really* can't get away without learning that one.

Do others feel this way about "Baby Signs"? For those that don't know, "Baby Signs" are signs that one woman made more simple and easier for babies to physically sign. Kids babble in whatever language they are primarily exposed to. It's not that hard, in my opinion, to understand your own child's ASL babbling. Eventually their signs will clear up like their speech will clear up. Their parents can understand them, and that's the point of it all anyway!
Click to expand...

I agree with you! If a person decides to continue signing with their child, they should teach them the correct way once they get older. People do teach a 'babyfied' version of Rnglish (wa-wa, da-da, wee-wee). Though people do this, I do not agree with it, even within the English language. I am a child caretaker and I am constantly asking the parents "what did they say" because they have taught them code instead of the proper way to say something. The same goes when I am around a child who is deaf/hearing and signs, only the parents understand when they are not teaching them properly. It is such a pleasure for both the caretaker and the child to have an understanding, it makes the process enjoyable and more fulfilling. Whether it's verbal or ASL, teach the child the PROPER way to communicate, don't assume they can't do it! =)
 
Juli-terp-to-be said:
My youngest nephew, age 3, watches "Signing Time" and has picked up a few words. Milk, Surprise, Food, Hungry. I try and sign to him but he completely shuts down and runs to his mom, my sister.

I used to sign to my son all the time when he was young. He learned "stop that!" & "no" really fast. He is now using what he knows, and what I am correcting him on, to talk 'behind' his father's back with me. When I was in ASL class he used to love to go to the local coffeehouse deaf event meetings with me.
Click to expand...

My niece is the same age and she has leaned all of her colors, I'm now trying ot teach her animals and she is doing well, she is very shy too so the best way to do it is as a game. Whenever my niece gets a color that I point to correct, I tickle her or pick her up and swing her around, making a big deal about it. Now she asks me to show her new signs all the time, it has to seem one hundred percent fun to kids at that age or they won't do it.
 
How much do baby signs differ from "adult" signs? My local library doesn't have much except for baby and kids level ASL.
 
KristinaB said:
How much do baby signs differ from "adult" signs? My local library doesn't have much except for baby and kids level ASL.
Click to expand...

If you're teaching ASL the signs are course the same-- but you just use words that are more familiar to a child-- and their daily routine... "Baby Signs" have more 'made up' signs that while mimicing what they represent they're not true ASL signs-- the Baby Signs Sign for "dog" sticks in my mind--

I thought at first (before I read the book) that I'd use "Baby Signs" w/Adam but so many of those aren't ASL... so instead I started teaching him ASL signs that related to what we do everyday... 'more, eat, drink...etc'

So yeah my ASL is limited to what a Toddler needs to know :giggle: I'm learning as he grows and changes... BUT at least I know what signs he does know will help carry him thru as he gets older...
 
Adamsmomma said:
If you're teaching ASL the signs are course the same-- but you just use words that are more familiar to a child-- and their daily routine... "Baby Signs" have more 'made up' signs that while mimicing what they represent they're not true ASL signs-- the Baby Signs Sign for "dog" sticks in my mind--

I thought at first (before I read the book) that I'd use "Baby Signs" w/Adam but so many of those aren't ASL... so instead I started teaching him ASL signs that related to what we do everyday... 'more, eat, drink...etc'

So yeah my ASL is limited to what a Toddler needs to know :giggle: I'm learning as he grows and changes... BUT at least I know what signs he does know will help carry him thru as he gets older...
Click to expand...

I'm learning for myself at 47.
 
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