Baby Sign Language
 Handy Expressions offers a wealth of information about the fascinating subject of baby sign language, from an experienced (UK) baby sign language teacher.
Including research into the subject of signing for infants, a history of baby sign language, a comprehensive list of FAQ’s and featuring a full set of galleries demonstrating how to sign the most commonly used words, the website is the ideal resource for parents interested in learning and teaching baby sign language. Baby sign language is a way of introducing communication to infants before they can talk, enabling them to express their feelings, wishes and needs. It was initially discovered by child development experts who found that infants brought up in a signing environment (usually because deafness in the family) were communicating with their parents by signing back long before they were able to talk. This in turn meant that infants brought up in signing environments relied far less on cries or screams to convey their message and communicated their needs with sign language, resulting in far less frustration and much happier babies.
Baby signing bridges a very wide gap, giving your child the ability to communicate their wishes and needs with visual clues (signs) before they can physically form spoken words, which also gives them a structure on which to build the development of their vocabulary. Sign language also helps babies make sense of the words that they hear, as words are introduced along with the signs. This means that - as the signing vocabulary develops - so too does the verbal vocabulary. Signs are gradually dropped by the child once the even easier form of verbal communication (speech) is mastered - providing them (and their parents) with the perfect communication bridge.
One of life’s vital skills is communication, so cultivating the ability to communicate effectively from an early age should lead to greater interaction and people skills in adult life. Signing with your child provides the perfect opportunity to get them used to interacting with others and builds a stronger bond between parents and infants, plus its great fun! |
By using simple signs for everyday vocabulary (eg: ‘more’, ‘food’, ‘milk’ etc), hearing babies are also able to enjoy earlier communication with parents, reducing childhood frustration and behavioural problems. It also reduces the frustration for parents by helping them to
There are numerous benefits seen in signing infants. Recent research
From the moment of considering to have a baby to the first moments of life your little angel plays their part. Their little red face is all scrunched up, and the sounds that voice from her puckered little mouth are the most precious notes you could ever hope for.