baby

Article by Jennie Berendson

It is not hard to teach baby sign language to an infant. There are a few things that need to be considered when doing so. A parent has to pay attention to the baby and realize when they are ready to learn, they have to pick familiar everyday signs and be consistent, and they have to be patient and give it time. In this article I am going to help you learn how to teach baby sign language.

Parents might not recognize it, but babies are trying to communicate their needs and wants before they can talk. They might use head gestures or hand movements to indicate that they want something, like putting their arms up when they want a parent to hold them or pick them up. When a child is doing these things it is a sure sign that they are ready for a parent to teach baby sign language.

In order to teach baby sign language there has to be eye contact. Many people say that a good age to start teaching sign is between 6 and 9 months old, but children develop at all different rates. In order for a parent to really teach baby sign language the baby has to be able to hold eye contact for 7 to 10 seconds. When an infant can do that they are ready to learn.

Once a parent decides a child is ready to learn how do they teach baby sign language? The best way to do this is by modeling and showing the infant signs. It is important to connect the words and signs with everyday objects and activities. Some common signs are “eat”, “more”, “milk”, “mommy”, “daddy”. First signs are very similar to first words. Be consistent and use sign language whenever you do the activity or say the word. It is important not to force sign on the baby. They will do it when they are ready.

Be patient when you teach baby sign language. Some children pick it up right away and start signing at 6 or 7 months, while others may take 2 months to start. The babies sign might not look the same as yours either. They are still developing the muscles to produce the signs. It is similar to talking. Babies usually don’t start by saying daddy or mommy. They say “Dada” or “Mama”. The more they do it the closer it will be to what the sign really looks like

In conclusion, sign is something that is fun and easy to learn and teach. You just have to be consistent and patient and make sure the child is ready to learn. If you follow these things your child will be communicating with you before you know it.

For more information on sign language go to sign with baby. Another good source of books and dvd’s is Sign Language for babies

baby