Learn Sign Language With Babies
Learning sign language with your baby is a great way to help your baby to communicate before he can actually say the words. You'll both be less frustrated when baby has a clear way to let you know what she wants, so follow these steps to learn some basic signs.
Instructions
1. Find a glossary of good basic signs for your baby. You can either check out a basic sign language book from your local library, buy one at your local bookstore, or go online for sign language glossaries. See the Resources box below for a link to get you started or do a search for "sign language for babies."
2. Learn the signs yourself. You don't need to know 30 signs right away; just pick 5 or 6 to start with. Remember, keep it basic. Your baby isn't communicating in full sentences, and your baby's realm of experience is pretty limited. Pick words that you will use often with baby, such as eat, drink, please, more, sleep, blanket, mommy, daddy and I love you.
3. Repeat the signs at the appropriate times. Start as soon as you can with baby. Around 6 months is a great age to start; just don't expect baby to repeat the signs back to you for a while. Focus on one or two signs at first, then add in another sign or two after a week of repeating them. When you are about to give baby some food, for example, do the sign for food, hungry or eat, whichever you've chosen to use; say the word as you do the sign, then give baby the food. Do this as many times as you can during a meal. Incorporate other signs in the right context. You can use signs like mommy, daddy, please, and I love you almost constantly.
4. Guide baby's hands to do the signs with you. After you've repeated the signs for several days or a couple of weeks, start guiding baby's hands to do the signs as you say the words. Choose your times carefully; don't try to get baby to do the sign for food when he is starving. Instead, you do the sign while feeding baby and then when her appetite is eased, help her to do the signs with you.
5. Start asking for baby to say the signs with you. Provide lots of opportunities.
6. Praise when baby uses the signs. Clap, encourage and do it over and over again. Soon baby will start using the signs all by herself and you will have the benefit of being able to communicate with your child before she can talk to you.
Tags: signs with, your baby, baby hands, baby hands signs, basic signs, give baby