Baby signing is sign language intended to communicate with hearing toddlers and infants. It was developed by professors Susan Goodwyn and Linda Acredolo beginning in 1982. In 1985, they published their paper and not long after, the number of parents who were convinced of the effectiveness of this method started growing.
The rationale behind the baby signing method
Proponents of baby signing believe that just as babies learn to crawl first before they can walk, baby signing serves as a bridge for that period when babies are still unable to communicate with adults using real words. Skeptics worry that once these babies learn to get what they want through signing, they will no longer find the need to communicate normally and may therefore have stunted verbal skills, but baby signing experts disagree.
They say that toddlers who learn to walk stop crawling because of the greater freedom that walking affords them, and the same is true, they say, once the babies learn how to use words to communicate with people. Speech is unquestionably a fuller and quicker way to express what they want to say, and they will transition naturally to speech in time.
Baby signing, it is said, gives babies a form of education about the process of language and how it works, enhancing their learning curve. By giving babies the “power” to use symbols and hand gestures to express their wants, label objects, and convey their feelings, they start developing a mental framework on which to build the spoken word as soon as their vocal cords become functional.
How baby signing works
To reinforce their interpretation of signs and words, parents are encouraged to always use the words while they sign. At an early age, hearing babies can already absorb and process these sounds – it’s just that they don’t yet have the physical ability to utter these sounds themselves.
Each time a baby uses a sign successfully, there are changes that transpire in the brain that make it easier for the child to gain a mastery of language. Their brains are sort of jump-started into beginning certain processes.
Take the case of a certain baby boy, for instance, who was taught baby signing when he turned 1. He learned his first sign – the word “fan” - and he rapidly developed his signing terms to 40 in a span of about 5 months. By the time he was 1 year and 7 months old, spoken words were not coming along as early as the parents hoped.
At this time, he had a dismal tally of only 7 words. However, after 3 more weeks, the parents were surprised at his progress and counted 67 words added to his vocabulary. It was as if something had clicked in his mind, like he knew what he wanted to say all along, only there was a connection that needed to be tied together!
To make baby signing really effective, the adults should be consistent. Different babies don’t need to have all the same signs universally, but all adults signing to a particular baby must use the same exact signs for the same objects or actions. You should also keep an open mind and incorporate signs that the baby may invent.
Most importantly, be patient with the baby and don’t expect him to learn signing immediately. Remember, always smile to make to make the learning experience a pleasant one for both of you.
