8 Key Tips for Successfully Teaching Your Baby to Sign

1.  Always say the word and sign the word together.

By saying the word as you sign it, you are providing another avenue (auditory) for your baby to learn and understand the word or concept.

2.  Sign the one most important word out of the sentence or phrase you are speaking, and repeat it 2-3 times if possible.

Initially when you are signing, you want to keep it simple.  You should choose the most important word to sign from a phrase or sentence you are speaking.  When you do this, you are highlighting one particular word out of a phrase and slowing down your speech rate, making it easier for your baby to understand this word and grow his vocabulary.  For example, if you are asking your baby “Do you want some milk?” you would say this but only use the sign ‘MILK’ when you say the word “milk” at the end.

You also should try to say and sign the word 2-3 times to reinforce the connection between the word, sign, and object.  Still using the above example, you might say “Do you want some milk?  Yes you do want some milk!  You are thirsty for milk.”  As you can see, you have maximized this opportunity by speaking, signing, and showing the object three times.

3.  Always ’speak’ for your baby when he does the sign.

You should always say the word for what your baby has just signed.  Essentially you are speaking for your baby until he is able to speak for himself!

4.  Give your baby the goods (milk, cracker, toy, point to the picture) immediately after saying and signing the word.

The closer you are able to present the word, sign, and object together the more quickly he will start to associate them together and learn the concept.

5.  Look for small attempts at communication (sign or verbal) and validate them by signing and saying the word again.

Your baby is always trying to communicate with you.  Watch for hand and arm movements and listen for sounds your baby is making.  For example, your baby may be eating food and initially clasp his hands together for the sign “more”.  Since you were paying attention, you can say and sign “More!  Yes, you want more!” again.  This lets him know that you were paying attention to his attempt to communicate with you, and reinforces this attempt.  He is much more likely to do it again since he got a positive response from you (and more food too!).  All babies initially make approximations of signs and with time and increased muscle control, become more accurate.

6.  Give lots of kisses, smiles, and encouragement for any attempt at communication.

This is the easiest tip of all!  Signing should be fun and rewarding for both you and your baby.  When done in a positive way, your baby is encouraged to sign and will want to please you.  Do not ever force a baby to do a sign if he doesn’t want to.

7.  Continue to say and do the correct sign for your baby to reinforce communication.

Babies do not usually make signs correctly to begin with.  For example, your baby’s sign for “more” might start out as a clasp of two hands together, then change to a clap with open hands, then change to one hand using the “flat o” handshape while the other hand remains open, and then finally to using the “flat o” handshape with both hands and make the sign properly.  The same thing happens with speech.  Initially your baby might say “aaa” for ball, then “baaa”, and eventually say it correctly “ball”.  This process is normal, and just like you would continue to say the correct word “ball” for your baby while speaking, you should continue to use the correct sign while signing.  With a proper model, your baby’s sign and speech approximations will become accurate.

8.  Consistency, consistency, consistency.

You must be consistent with using signs each day, and across time.  Only through multiple exposures will your baby be able to learn the new sign and word you are teaching him.  Just like you wouldn’t expect your baby to know how to swim after only a couple lessons, you can’t expect him to learn a sign after seeing it once or twice.  As with swimming lessons, it is only after going all summer long for several years can a person become a decent swimmer.  The same applies to learning to sign.  Consistency is the key.

The Snowball Effect- Baby Sign to Early Reading

We are all familiar with the “snowball effect”- it’s a process that starts out as something small, which then grows and builds upon itself.  I believe this is exactly what has happened with my daughters due to the use of sign language when they were infants.

For example, my oldest daughter used her first sign ‘MILK’ independently at 6 months old and quickly learned more than 30 signs.  Her expanding vocabulary, both sign and verbal, lead to an early interest in books because she learned that books contain “information” (pictures) and there was always something new to learn, sign, and talk about.  By 16 months old she was verbally identifying 15 letters of the alphabet (which she learned during bath time with foam letters) and currently, at 3 years old, she is reading and doing basic math.

Don’t get me wrong, my daughter has an amazing memory and I know this has definitely contributed to her ability to learn so quickly.  But I also firmly believe that baby sign language has given her this advantage, and more than anything has instilled a love of learning in her.  From the beginning, we established a special bond because I was spending quality time playing and talking with her.  She learned early on that I listened to what she ’said’ (signed) and what she had to say was important.  Then one day it was like a light went off in her head and she realized that every object around her had a ‘name’ (sign) and this started the process of learning vocabulary sooner.  I was able to meet her needs, and she looked to me as a source of new information (signs or verbal vocabulary).  Then once she was able to produce sounds more accurately, it was just a matter of her filling in the sounds with the vocabulary she already knew in her head.

Because she realized that books were a source of information (and initially it was just pictures of common things and animals), she grew to love them at a very early age.  Due to sign language, she was able to interact with me and the books even before she could say many words.  Book familiarity (knowing how to hold a book, turn pages from right to left, those things on the page are letters and words) came earlier than average, which lead to recognizing letters, remembering their sounds, and eventually to reading.

As you can see, it started out small with learning sign language as a baby.  But each baby step grew and evolved into something I never imagined possible.  While the “snowball effect” may not happen for every baby learning sign, I do believe sign language can benefit every child and can instill a curiosity and love for learning at an early age.

Homeschooling: My Journey

As you know, I started signing with my oldest daughter when she was a few months old.  She has been a little sponge right from the start and at 3 years old has started to read.  I really attribute this snowball effect to the use of sign language.  So in many ways I feel like I’ve been homeschooling her from the beginning, although my intentions have only been to teach her about the world around her and to have fun while doing it.

Needless to say, she is ahead of most children her age, which puts me in a dilemma when it comes to schooling.  I already know at her tender age of 3 that she will not fit in the public schools because she would be bored by the time she starts Kindergarten.  We considered private school because they can be a bit more flexible about a child entering school a year sooner, but even they are not comfortable with advancing a child more than a year.  It is understandable because schools look at a child from a social perspective and it wouldn’t be right to put a 5 year old in with 8 year old kids- I get that.

So really the only option left is to homeschool my daughter.  If I want to keep her interested in learning and to allow her to progress at her own rate, then I gladly take on that responsibility.  I don’t want to hold her back by not teaching her, just so she fits in with kids her own age.  Just as any parent has to accept their child’s rate of learning (whether disabled, average, or gifted) I have to accept hers and everything that comes with it, too. I do have faith in my daughter and us as parents that we will make the right decisions as we continue to navigate our homeschooling journey.  It may be a bit bumpy, but hopefully fun…welcome along for the ride!

Going (A Bit More) Green: My Journey

When my first baby was born, it changed my life in so many ways right from the start.  I vividly remember my daughter getting her first shot in the hospital and being upset not only because she was crying, but because I felt that my perfect little newborn was being contaminated.  I thought about the food I was putting in my daughter’s mouth and began buying more organic foods.  I also made a new rule that no shoes were allowed in our house beyond the door, because I thought about her crawling around on dirt, pesticides, oil, and other nasty stuff on the bottom of our shoes.  Basically I was questioning everything about how I had lived my life to this point!

Then, at 18 months old, I discovered my daughter had contact and food allergies.  She has contact allergies to St. Augustine grass (of course what’s in our backyard!) and dog dander, and a food allergy to milk (with a couple other mild food allergies mixed in).  So we went out and bought a better vacuum cleaner, better filter for our A/C vent, and started vacuuming every other day. No, our beloved dog Goldie was not going to get the boot since she was our first “daughter” from our college days.  (She didn’t seem to mind the more frequent brushing though!)  And of course we cut out all dairy products.

I was born a seeker, and only until I do research and feel informed do I then know where I stand and what I believe.  And so with this news I began questioning… Why does she have allergies to begin with?  Why are so many other children born with allergies too?  And is this somehow related to the rise in learning disorders and autism?  Are childhood vaccinations involved? Is it genetic or environmental?  Maybe a combination of both triggers it?  Or maybe the steady increase in use of pesticides and in our food and chemicals in our environment over the past 80 years started affecting us genetically, but we are only now seeing the side effects a couple generations later?

I feel I’ve been on the path to going green for a couple years now, but my purchasing behaviors have changed quite drastically since January of this year.  I came across HealthyToys.org and Skin Deep sites, which lead me on a quest to find safer cleaning and body care products for my family.  I now use the “Monster” steam clean mop to clean my tile floors (it can be used for hardwood floors too).  The steam lifts dirt and kills bacteria, so no need to use any cleaning products at all on my floors.  I also make my own cleaners and buy body care products without all of the toxins in them.

I feel much better knowing that my children are growing up in a healthier and safer environment, and that piece of mind is something I cannot put a price on.

Two good resource books I bought on living the “green” life are:

This book provides information on beauty and bath products and recipes for making your own healthy versions at home. In the index is a list of the top 100 most harmful ingredients which I found extremely helpful for deciphering product labels (initially it can be very confusing!)

This book is an excellent resource guide for making greener choices in your life including your kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, health care, and cleaning supplies. There are some good recipes for homemade kitchen and bath cleaners or greener product choices to purchase.

Happy researching!!

**Disclaimer: Going “Green” means something different to every person.  For example, many politicians believe it means flying a bit less in their private jets.  For me, it means doing what I think is healthiest for my family.  I by no means claim to be 100% green, but am definitely a bit more aware than I was before.  There are some things that aren’t feasible to change right now, like our vehicle.  I would love to have a nice hybrid to drive around, but until I somehow have enough extra cash burning in my pocket, it will have to wait.

Skin Deep – Healthy Body Products

After doing a little research into the chemicals found in children’s toys on HealthyToys.org, I continued my research into personal care products on a site called Skin Deep.  This site is similar to HealthyToys.org in that they have rated more than 42,000 products based on toxic substances they contain.  You are able to search by type of product and get a rating score from 0-10, with a 10 being of highest concern.

To be clear, some companies with natural products believe that Skin Deep does not distinguish between similar products that are produced differently.  For example, a botanical extract can be processed in a clean way and another extract with the same name can be highly processed with chemicals.  For a more detailed explanation, read this blog post.  I can definitely see how this may be possible.

More than anything, I want for you to consider this site as a springboard into further research for you and your family.  I want you to start thinking about the products you use to clean your house and use on your body.  I believe it is important to seek knowledge so you can be an informed consumer (and I realize that every person’s decision will be different!)

I look forward to your questions and comments!

Healthy Toys

I came across the link to HealthyToys.org in one of my speech-language pathology magazines since we use toys for therapy all the time.  I was immediately impressed by this site and their mission to inform consumers about the chemical toxins in toys and children’s products.  By toxins I’m not only talking about lead, but other chemicals such as chlorine, arsenic, mercury, bromine, and cadmium.  We are all aware of the numerous recalls due to lead in children’s toys, but who knew about all of these other chemicals in the plastic products we purchase?

HealthyToys.org has tested more than 1,500 products and you can search toys by brand and by type.  You will get an overall rating on a toy of low, medium, or high to help you rate the level of chemicals in a particular toy.

I also read the information provided on “Chemicals of Concern”, more specifically about chlorine (PVC) and phthalates.  I was surprised to find that this chemical is not only in our children’s toys, but in numerous other products like personal care items (soap, shampoo, hair spray, deodorants, nail polish, and fragrances).  You may have actually heard about this in the news recently because in February 2009,  Congress put a ban on childcare products and children’s toys that contain six phthalates in amounts greater than 0.1%.

Fortunately all the toys we’ve purchased, except for about two, are fine.  I especially believe that wooden toys such as blocks and puzzles (like those made by Melissa & Doug) are about the best toys out there, not only developmentally but for your children’s health too.

This information led me to do further research on personal care products.

My Teaching Philosophy

As a mother of two daughters, I believe one of my main responsibilities is to teach them about our world.  Every day is an opportunity to teach them something new.  Being so young, teaching moments in our household usually revolve around our daily routines such as cooking dinner, bath time, grocery shopping, folding laundry, or going for a walk.

Sometimes something unique happens (such as a slug crawling on the sidewalk) and it catches our attention.  With childlike curiosity we begin asking ourselves questions like “Do slugs have legs?”, “What does he do when we touch him?”, and “Where does he live?”  On our search for these answers, new questions are spawned and before we know it we are learning about other bugs and insects, insect habitats and the habitats of other animals, and on…and on…

From my experiences I believe that:

• A child is born wired to learn (although each at his own speed)
• Teaching and learning can be fun
• Learning happens best through everyday experiences
• The more avenues to the brain the better (AVK or multisensory approach)
• You should let your child lead (it’s like a dance!)

From birth, a baby is bombarded by new stimuli to his senses.  He starts to process this information and rapidly begins learning.  For example, a baby will quickly learn that by crying he will get picked up or when he pushes the button on a toy, music will be played.  I believe we all come here to learn, but it just occurs at different levels and at different paces for each of us.

I believe that a good teacher is someone who is also learning.  A perfect example is the pollywog experience with my daughter.  Before this, all I really knew was that tadpoles changed into frogs.  I didn’t know much detail about how this happened and had never watched it in person.  I would say that I learned just as much about polliwogs as my daughter from this experience, but most of all we had fun together.

“To be a teacher in the right sense is to be a learner.  I am not a teacher, only a fellow student.”

-Soren Kierkegaard

I’ve never sat my daughter down for a couple hours each day to do drills, flashcards, or anything of the sort.  Everything she knows has just been an extension of our everyday experiences.  For example, I had foam alphabet letters in the bath tub and she learned the alphabet and sounds each letter makes while splashing in the tub.  She learned colors while playing with play dough or painting; learned fruits and vegetables while shopping at the grocery store; learned matching from pairing socks while I folded laundry; learned measurements while helping me cook dinner or bake cookies; and learned basic telling-time skills because we feed our dog at 6 o’clock and her favorite show “Wheel of Fortune” comes on at 7 o’clock.  These are just a few examples, but all serve to show you that it has been through our daily routine that she has learned the foundation of numerous concepts.

I also believe a multisensory approach (also known as AVK) to learning greatly increases a person’s ability to remember information.  People usually have one or two modes of learning that are their strength and especially with young children it is difficult to know what mode of learning is their strength.  By using a multisensory approach, you are covering all bases.  To do this I incorporate sign language, music, and art as much as possible into our daily lives.

Lastly, you should let your child lead.  It truly is like a dance in that I see what my daughter’s interests are as a starting point, and we go from there.  By finding your child’s particular interest you can then incorporate other subjects such as science, math, reading, and history all while it remains fun.  Also, by letting your child lead you are allowing him to learn at his own pace rather than going at your pace.  This is important because you don’t want your child to feel pressured to learn, rather that learning is fun and something he wants to do.  If learning is child-driven then it will be a natural process stemming from a child’s curiosity about the world, and by feeding that desire, you will create a child who develops a love for learning.

Pollywogs in a Bog – Our Multisensory Learning Experience

I use this pollywog story as an example of how you can make any learning experience a multisensory one.  The inspiration can come from a song, book, painting, or idea that your child comes up with.  If you pay attention your child will tell you, so follow her interests!  It may take some time and a bit of effort on your part, but you can create a fun experience that will be informative and rewarding for your child.  You might even find yourself having fun too!

The Great Pollywog Hunter!

When my daughter was 2 ½ years old, she frequently listened to a favorite song about pollywogs (a.k.a. tadpoles).  We’ve talked about caterpillars changing into butterflies, but I wanted to show her that tadpoles also go through metamorphosis and change into frogs.  So I found some video of tadpoles changing into frogs online and she enjoyed that.  We learned that the back legs form first, then the front arms, and finally the tail shrinks away.  We created some art showing the process by drawing and using play dough.  Then I remembered that when it rains, our water retention pond becomes a very loud orchestra of frog noises.  So after the next good downpour we went out and caught some tadpoles.  My daughter had on her ladybug rain boots and a small net, and had an absolute ball being a pollywog hunter!  We put them in an old jar and while she watched them swim around, I got online to research how to care for tadpoles.  After a couple weeks we were rewarded by watching the entire metamorphosis from tadpoles into frogs right before our eyes!

Now if you go back and look at this from a learning perspective you will see how it was a multisensory learning experience.  We:

• Listened to the pollywog song repeatedly upon her request (you parents know what I mean!) – auditory
• Watched videos online – visual
• Drew and used play dough to show metamorphosis – kinesthetic and visual
• Caught pollywogs outside, raised them, and released them – kinesthetic and visual

It is now almost a year later and she still is able to remember the process of how a tadpole changes into a frog.  And every time we pass a water retention area with some water in it she says, “Mama, that’s pollywog water!”

For those wondering what to feed pollywogs, I took fresh spinach leaves and blended them with a tiny amount of water.  I kept the mix in a container in the refrigerator, only making small batches to last about 2 days at most so it didn’t go bad.   You can also use any type of lettuce leaves…spinach leaves were just the only thing I had at the time.  I started with a teaspoon of mix and put it in the water with the pollywogs.  Just watch the pollywogs to see how much they eat and add more if needed, especially as they get larger.  Also, initially the pollywogs only need water in the container but once their legs and arms start growing make sure there is a way for them to get out of the water onto land.  I placed a landscaping block in the container with pebbles (like that used in fish tanks) leading up to the block so they could easily climb out and start breathing air. Good luck and have fun!

What is Multisensory Learning (or AVK)?

Multisensory learning happens when more than one sense is used to acquire and retain information.  Learning is typically categorized into three modes or types: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic.

• Auditory learners acquire information best when it is presented verbally- by listening. They succeed best when directions are read aloud, by listening to and giving speeches, and when information is presented and requested verbally.
• Visual learners acquire information best when it is presented visually- by seeing. They succeed best when directions are written, by writing things down, and when information is presented in pictures, movies, diagrams and charts.
• Kinesthetic learners acquire information best when it is presented in a way that can be touched and experienced- hands-on. They succeed best by participating in field trips, science labs, using manipulatives (blocks, felt, props), and by being actively involved in some type of activity.

Every person has a different learning style with one mode usually a strength, but we all usually learn best when information is presented using a combination of all three modes called Auditory-Visual-Kinesthetic (AVK) learning.

Sign language is not only a beautiful language, but a perfect complement to teaching children in a multisensory way because:

• The auditory aspect of sign is when you say the word along with the sign. Of course, people who are deaf do not necessarily speak when they sign. But when using sign language with hearing children, using your voice along with the sign reinforces the sign through the auditory avenue.
• The visual aspect of sign allows for words and concepts to be represented and discussed in a more tangible way with children. For example, the concept of wind. Wind is invisible, so how do you get this concept across to a child? With sign language, your hands provide a visual representation of wind which makes the invisible visible.
• The kinesthetic aspect of sign is when the child makes the sign. Feeling how the sign is made creates additional avenues in the brain to connect the word with the concept.

By combining the auditory-visual-kinesthetic (AVK) aspects of sign language, you are giving your child three avenues to understand, remember, and recall information.  Once older, you will be able to determine which learning style (auditory, visual, or kinesthetic) is your child’s strength and can use that to maximize his potential.

Multisensory learning is especially useful for children diagnosed with a learning disability.  While commonly misunderstood, children with learning disabilities are actually of average intelligence -a requirement to qualify for the disorder.  These children just have a processing deficit that interferes with their learning.  By presenting information in a multisensory way, it greatly assists children with acquiring and retaining information, whether diagnosed with a learning disorder or not.

While sign language is not the only way to present information in a multisensory way, I believe it is an excellent starting point for babies and toddlers learning the foundation of language and for students who have a learning disability.

A Window Into Language Development

When using sign language with your baby, it opens up a window into her world that you would not otherwise be privy to.  A perfect example happened today with my 13 month old daughter.  I was commenting to my husband about getting some much needed “Zzzzzzz” while holding my daughter.  She proceeded to sign the word “cheese”.  It makes perfect sense this is what she thought I said because they both sound very similar.  But she only understands and has meaning for the word “cheese” and that was the closest word in her vocabulary that matched what I had said.  Another good example was one day when she was sitting in her high chair for lunch and I told her to take a “bite”.  Again, this was a new word for her, and the only word that matched in her vocabulary was “light” so she proceeded to point to the light above us.

Children are amazing little beings, and this proves that they are avidly listening and attempting to understand the world around them, even at a year old.  Without sign language though, I would not have had any idea that she was paying such close attention, and she would not have been able to communicate to me her misunderstanding about the words I had used.  From this valuable information I am able to clear up the error and have an opportunity to teach her another new sign.

A note to the reader…

Beware: Watch what you say around your children, as they are always listening!!

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