FAQs
Baby Sign Language Frequently Asked Questions
Homeschooling Frequently Asked Questions
Speech Therapy Frequently Asked Questions
Baby Sign Language FAQs
How early can I start signing with my child?
I started signing with my daughters when they were a few months old. Whether bottle or breastfeeding, there is a point when babies become a bit more aware and are able to focus on your face while you are feeding them. For my daughters it was about 3-4 months old, and usually around this time they also started smiling and interacting a bit more with me. This is the youngest I believe babies are able to start learning first signs, mainly because of eyesight development and the ability to maintain focus. I started signing the word ‘MILK’ and held my hand between their eyes and my face, basically within their gaze or line of sight. They were both signing ‘MILK’ independently by 6 months old. With that said, there is no WRONG time to start signing with your baby or toddler. I believe using sign language, whether your baby is 10 months old or 2 years old, will be beneficial.
When will my child start signing back to me?
This answer differs greatly from child to child. It depends on your child’s ability, the age you start signing with your child, and how consistently you use the signs with your child. Every child has different abilities, interests, and personality traits which need to be taken into account. One child may be of average ability and another may have a developmental delay; one may be interested in signing and another may not desire to communicate with sign at all; or one may be more of a people-pleaser and another may be more stubborn and rebellious. Age is an important factor because if you start signing with a newborn, it may be 6-8 months before he signs back whereas if you start signing with a 2 year old he may sign back to you that same day. Lastly, consistency is important because the more frequently and consistently you use signs with your child the more opportunities he has to learn the signs and will generally pick them up more quickly.
Will using sign language delay my child’s speech?
This is a common question and concern for many parents, but I personally have found the complete OPPOSITE to be true. Both of my daughters started speaking much sooner than their peers. They were saying about 30 words (or word approximations) at 1 year old, not including producing about 30 signs too. I believe this is because they learned the concept at an early age that every object around them has a name, starting with ‘MILK’. After learning this concept, a vocabulary explosion occurred when they absorbed the signs for numerous items (mainly wants/needs, food, animal, and toy vocabulary). During this time, they got plenty of positive feedback for attempting the signs or any speech sounds. This caused them to be even more vocal and try new sounds and piece them together to make words (or close approximations). The next concept they learned at around 12-13 months old is that two signs or words can be put together (such as ‘MORE PLEASE’ or ‘BYE-BYE DADA’). It is expceted that the average child is putting two words together around 2 years old, which puts them ahead of the speech and language curve rather than delayed.
My child does not make the signs correctly. Is this normal?
Yes is it very common and is called an approximation. An approximation is when your baby does a sign that may be similar or close to the correct sign but not exactly right. 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.
Why should I use American Sign Language (ASL) and not made up signs?
If you are going to take the time to teach your child signs, it makes sense to use a sign system that will be understood by others who know the same sign system. By using ASL, your child will be able to communicate with others who know ASL. You will also be able to create consistency for your child, as family members and caregivers will be using the same sign system. An added bonus is that your child is learning a second language which is recognized in many high schools and most universities as a foreign language.
Do I need to become fluent in ASL for my child to benefit?
No, not at all. Some parents learn and teach their child 10 signs, some learn 50, and some 200. How many signs one learns depends on the interest level of each parent and child. Some parents are interested in learning just a few main signs to improve communication of basic wants and needs with their children, whereas others may enjoy ASL and desire to learn more. Some children are happy learning a few main signs to communicate their wants and needs, whereas other children are interested in learning more signs. No matter how many signs you learn to use, I believe using any amount of ASL will be beneficial.
Does baby sign language (ASL) really help reduce tantrums?
Yes, I definitely believe this is true. Tantrums are usually the result of a child’s frustration, and often due to the inability to communicate a want or a need effectively. With sign language, you are giving your child a way to communicate needs and wants even if they are unable to speak the word yet. For example, you may have a 1 year old that is crying and upset because she wants something but you don’t know what. You’ve offered her milk, changed her diaper, and are rocking her in your arms. Well if your baby knows a few signs, she would be able to do the sign for ‘HUNGRY’. And not only that, but tell you using sign that she specifically wants ‘CHEESE’ and not a cracker. Giving a child the ability to communicate effectively not only reduces tantrums and frustrations…it empowers them.
Has there been any research done on the benefits of using ASL with hearing children?
Yes there has been for more than 20 years by respected academics, and the body of research continues to grow as using ASL with hearing children becomes even more mainstream. For more information on research that has been done I recommend doing a basic search on baby sign language research or on people like Joseph Garcia, Linda Acredolo, and Susan Goodwyn.
Homeschooling FAQ
Why did you decide to homeschool your children?
Homeschooling my children was something that was always in the back of my mind before I even had them, but I didn’t really think it was something I would actually do. I think this is because I pictured my kids wearing backpacks and hopping on the school bus for their first day of school just like I did as a child. Once my first daughter was born I started teaching her ASL, which led to her learning at a rapid pace (and I’m finding my second is also on the same path). By two years old she knew her ABCs (not just the song, but could identify each letter out of order, knew the sound each letter made, and could write each capital letter too) and could count and identify numbers 1-20. My husband and I knew at this point she would likely not have her needs met in a public school so just before her 3rd birthday we decided to enter her in a private school for a few hours 3 times a week mainly for socialization. We were up front about her abilities and were assured her needs would be met, but ended up withdrawing her a couple months later because she was so bored and didn’t like school. I knew then that I would be homeschooling her. If I want her to continue to learn at her own pace (not be held back) and continue to have the love for learning I’ve already instilled, then I know there is no one better suited to teach her than me.
What curriculum are you using to homeschool your children?
The only reason I am following a Core Knowledge (CK) Sequence (Kindergarten level) with my oldest daughter. CK offers curriculum for preschool through 8th grade and is based on the belief that knowledge should be solid, sequenced, specific, and is shared. I like the logical and thorough progression of skills laid out by the CK Sequence and the importance it places on incorporating music, art, science, geography, and history with reading and math skills. Most public schools I’ve worked in as a SLP are slowly but surely taking out music, art, and physical education programs due budget cuts and time constraints (because they need 3 hours a day to teach math and another 3 hours a day for reading to pass state assessment tests!). It also leaves me wondering what happened to science, geography, and history in our public schools. I am also finding that my way of teaching ideas to my daughter is in alignment with Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy (atmosphere, discipline, life). I firmly believe that children learn much of what they know from the environment they grow up in, and learn best when ideas are presented to them as living things. In this way natural curiosity about our world is fostered and learning is fun.
What is a typical day like for you homeschooling your children?
Every day is different! I have a monthly lesson plan, which at this point is more for ME to have a general idea the direction we are going. Since my daughter is only 3 years old I do not stress out if we don’t do much during a particular week. I read books, poetry, nursery rhymes, and fairytales to her daily and she sometimes reads a book to me (these are short phonetic books or Level 1 books). We do basic math skills such as counting and using blocks for addition/subtraction, learn about plants and what they need to grow, listen to music, sing songs, look at pictures of artwork, and she makes plenty of her own artwork. My main goal is for her to have fun, so if she doesn’t feel like doing something we don’t but usually she is the one asking me every day as soon as she wakes up if we are going to do ’school’ today. We go to the local butterfly garden, museum, and zoo. We play at the park, go swimming, ride bikes, and play hopscotch outside. We go to grandma and grandpa’s to hang out and check up on their garden. I find when my focus remains on having fun the science, art, history, reading, and math all easily relate to what we are doing and it tends to just be an extension of our daily lives. Inspiration usually comes from my daughter’s interests (with occasional guidance from me) and we just go with the flow…
Speech Therapy FAQs
I think my child has a speech or language problem. Can you help me?
While I would love to help you, I cannot diagnose a disorder or perform therapy over the internet. You need to discuss these concerns with your child’s pediatrician, who can then refer you to a certified Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) in your area. The doctor will need to sign an order for an evaluation to be performed by the SLP, who can then test your child for speech and language deficits. Once the evaluation is complete the SLP will be able to diagnose a speech and/or language disorder and can discuss appropriate therapy goals for your child.
For more information about speech, language, swallowing, and hearing disorders or to search for a professional in your area go to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website.
