The Truth About Baby Sign Language (Facts Every Parent Should Know)
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- Опубликовано: 19 июн 2024
- Baby sign language has recently exploded in popularity, but is it really beneficial? Or are there downsides that make it not worth it?
If you're considering teaching your baby sign language, this video will help you make that decision.
There are many claims around baby signing such as that it will accelerate language development, help with bonding, reduce frustration, and more...
But there are also several claims around the downsides, including delaying language development because babies don't need to speak to communicate, increased frustration, and increased stress on parents.
But which of these are true, and which are completely false? And how does it all balance out when making a decision whether or not to teach your baby how to sign?
The answers are all in this video for you :).
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References:
Fitzpatrick, E. M., Thibert, J., Grandpierre, V., & Johnston, J. C. (2014). How HANDy are baby signs? A systematic review of the impact of gestural communication on typically developing, hearing infants under the age of 36 months. First Language, 34 (6), 486-509.
Howlett, N., Kirk, E., & Pine, K. J. (2011). Does ‘wanting the best’ create more stress? The link between baby sign classes and maternal anxiety. Infant and Child Development, 20 (4), 437-445.
Kirk, E., Howlett, N., Pine, K. J., & Fletcher, B. (2013). To sign or not to sign? The impact of encouraging infants to gesture on infant language and maternal mind‐mindedness. Child Development, 84 (2), 574-590.
00:00 - 01:32 : Does Baby Signing Reduce Frustrations and Tantrums?
01:33 - 02:35 : Does Baby Signing Build Better Parent-Child Relationship?
02:36 - 03:52 : Will Teaching Baby Sign Help Your Baby Start Talking Earlier?
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Thanks for watching! Are you teaching your baby sign? Don't forget to get your free 0 - 12 months old developmental milestone chart here:
brightestbeginning.com/checklist/
I lived with my sister for two years and helped raise my nephews, and we implemented “Signing, not whining” with my 5 year old nephew. He responded very well, as it provided a way for him to express himself physically without throwing a tantrum. It also helped because he had to think about what he was feeling in order to articulate it, which ultimately helped him process what he was feeling
Sounds like you worked out a system which worked for everyone and most importantly gave the little one a way to communicate effectively.
That's incredible. Good job Auntie!
@@EmmaHubbard it worked great! Of course it might not be for everyone, but it definitely helped him express some of his big emotions
@@firstnamelastname9485 thank you!
I've used signing since my grandbaby was 2 months, I introduced "eat" and "diaper" , I don't use it for her to communicate to me, but for me to let her know what's going on, because words just don't cut it at that age, not yet. I sign and say the word. A couple weeks after teaching her "eat", when I'd sign eat, she get very wiggly and would stick her tongue out and pant. Now that she's just turned five months, her face lights up and I get a big smile, or she yells if she's hangry. She loves her eats. The other day I signed/said, eat. and headed to the bottle warmer to heat up mom's breastmilk (mom also signs with her), and noticed her soaked diaper. So I walked away from the warmer and she freaked out, she knows her routine well. So I laid her on the floor and got her attention, and signed; diaper/eat/diaper/eat. To let her know after diapering she will eat. Worked like a charm she calmed let me change her and then smiled at the warmer when we returned.
My 1st born was diagnosed with verbal apraxia at the age of 3. The handful of signs that we taught him as a baby were a life saver in his case. We just had a new baby and plan to sign with him as well!
Sounds like signing was just what your first born needed and something you are very comfortable with. Enjoy teaching your second bub the same signs!
My 1 yr old granddaughter has learned to sign before she spoke a single word. It has definitely helped ease her fits. I was completely shocked when she signed "more" to me. Wasn't sure what to think at first but she continues to expand her skills. So she is trilingual at just 15 months. Astonishing imo.
Trilingual that is incredible!
@@EmmaHubbard tell me about it. I'm lucky if I can remember English most days lol
@@firstnamelastname9485 😂
The problem with interpreting these correlation-type studies is that it could be putting the cart before the horse, and it's probably just that parents who decide to do stuff like signing are doing so because they are more tuned into their babies, not that it causes them to be more tuned in.
Good point but this was a randomised control study where half the parents were trained to model a target set of gestures to their infants and the other half were told not to sign. The parents were randomly allocated to these groups. So in this study the point you mentioned doesn’t apply. I do agree though that some parents might choose to sign because they want to tune in to their baby. But as I said responding to their natural gestures and cues can be just as effective.
@@EmmaHubbard Makes sense. I've been using a couple of hand signals with my new born since he was about a week old (he's 6 weeks old). I do one for when I'm about to pick him up, and one when I'm about to change him. He seems to visibly react to the signals, particularly the changing one.
For the picking-up signal, he often reacts and seems to 'assist' sometimes by lifting up his legs and giving his neck. It was something i was sceptical of at first but I do think it's a thing.
We got into the sign language class without doing any research, just simply wanted an opportunity to hang out with other mums and babies. Surprisingly our baby loves us signing to him, and I found out it helps with a baby learning multiple languages (English is my third language). Extra bonus!
Sounds great!
I realized the benefits of baby sign language when my nephew still was barely talking at age two. He wasn’t having tantrums but he was still pointing at things, so it made it harder to engage him in conversation and joint attention and to figure out what he actually wanted. Just knowing the words for cup, water, and milk would have helped him a lot.
As a deaf person who signs, the “sign language causes speech delays” myth has always driven me crazy. Even if it was true (which it isn’t) that a baby might talk later, if done properly they are still learning a language. In fact babies who learn sign language DO hit communication goals sooner, if you count sign language AS communication. Babies who are signed to consistently will often have their first word by 6 months, long before spoken language emerges.
Thank you Emma for your amazing informative videos!
I’m thankful baby signing doesn’t seem to be this hugely impactful positive thing because it does seem like just another stressful thing and I’m not willing to do it
Agreed - I’ve heard all about how impressed the daycare workers were that one of my nephews knew some ASL, but vocally I can still barely understand him and he’s 2. Another nephew of mine was never taught any sign, and became proficient with speaking from pretty early on, with great vocabulary. I’d rather spare myself the stress of worrying about yet one more thing to try and teach my son (he’s 10 months old), and trust that he’ll develop at his own pace like all kids do. I talk to him all the time, name things all over the house, read him books… I’m going to trust I’m doing enough, cause I just need to at this point.
It’s great that you can identify that signing is not for you and your family. Talking to your bub and using natural is just as beneficial.
Of course if you’re stressed out you shouldn’t do it, but if you wanted you can just use one or two of the most impactful signs for your family. For example you could only use the signs all done and diaper change and not worry about anything else. It becomes habit after awhile. ☺️
I’m teaching my baby to sign because I think Auslan specifically should be taught to everyone. It’s really helpful for both deaf and hearing people and I think its something I want my kid to know even when he is an adult. It’s just a helpful language for him to know for life really:)
It's great you are teaching your little one Australian Sign Language.
Baby sign language is amazing. My first child is speech delayed and baby sign language has helped him communicate when he wasn't able to say the word for something. His speech therapist said that sign language definitely does help promote language development. I'm teaching my daughter baby sign language as well. I want my children to grow up knowing a lot of, if not all of ASL . Growing up learning sign language can help them talk to deaf and mute people and they will have the opportunity to learn to be bilingual. You can use natural gestures and speak the appropriate words and phrases as well as signing. It doesn't have to be one or the other. I incorporate everything.
Thank you so much for providing your research and breaking each individual research article down super informative and much appreciated for parents to learn and understand
Honestly it’s my pleasure.
I’m trying to teach my little one baby sign language as she is going to the daycare. But we don’t speak English at home which might be hard for the teachers and my girl to understand each other. Hopefully the baby sign language could be the bridge
I love signing with my one and a half year old. It has been pretty helpful as she has developed a handful of verbal words that all sound like she is saying up. Help, on, off, up, all sound so similar when she uses them but I can tell when she is saying help because she knows the sign for it. Besides that it's been really fun watching her learn them and also come up with her own gestures for words like drop or slide. I've also read that it is good because it developes different neural pathways than verbal communication alone and this is healthy for the brain. You didn't seem to address that benefit in your video and I'm curious to know if you've heard of this and what you think of it.
Another great video Emma. Your videos are always evidence based and encouraging.
So glad you found this video helpful!
Emma my baby is 17 months and she will only say mama and dada. She understands a lot though. She knows how to do 20+ signs as well. Whenever I tell her to say water, milk, or anything else she will sign it instead of speaking it. She knows how to sign “the more we get together” song as well. I’m definitely super proud that she is doing all these signs but I’m worried that she’s not speaking bc she knows how to sign the words instead? She’s also learning Spanish bc her grandma speaks only Spanish to her and babysits her often. I’m going to talk to her doctor at her next appointment but I wanted to see what you think. 😁
It has been a year since your post, I'm curious, how are things going? I hope all is well :)
While I see the realities of the studies for the neurotypical child, I use sign in combination with speech and pictures for kiddos with language delays and see good results. Curious if you have insight related to young kids with special needs functioning at infant/toddler levels in terms of communication
Can you share more of your experience? Did you start applying sign, speech and pictures simultaneously? And how it's done? I don't know what way should I take to enhance the communication with my 22m LO.
@@sakurablunt 👋 Sakurablunt. First of all talk talk talk ALL THE TIME. Sing and narrate everything you do. Talk on behalf of your 22 month old. If your little one is looking for a favorite toy, say "I want my toy. Where can it be? Help me find it mommy. Help me please. Secondly, sign is the most natural because you don't need any special equipment like a printer or a laminator. Say the word while signing, then hand-over-hand help your little one copy you. Honor ANY attempt at signing at the begging.
Example: Tickle baby and stop. Say "Do you want more? Tell me more!" Sign and help baby sign more. Say "more! I want more!" Tickle again and stop. Say "Do you want more? Tell me more". Sign every time you say the word. Pause and give baby a chance to try to copy you.
This is the same support I give my clients. You get it for free 😉Good luck!
@@sakurablunt only use pictures if signing gets no response. If your baby does not respond and learn sign at all, that is a red flag for a language delay.
Hi Mam, My baby girl age is 1year 2 months but she has no teeth yet. I am worried about this. Plz help me.
My baby is 6 months old,she is too weak.please give me some tips
I did not teach my son to sign, (considered it), but then he started talking. He's 5 months and his vocabulary is more extensive then most 1 year olds I know. His Pediatrician says he is the earliest she has seen talk. Early talkers run in my family, but he is the earliest out of all of us. (My first words were at 6 months - momma, dada, banana).
My 5 month old can say: mommy, daddy, blue (yes, he has already learned basic colors and blue is his favorite), Elmo, doggy, I want (he says it like: "I won" but it means I want ____. A lot of times he will say "I won mommy" or "I won daddy", or, " I won UH" (which means I want up), etc.
My question is, since he is already so verbal would sign language be beneficial for him?
Wow, that's incredible!
@@pfifltrigg he is something else. When he first started talking I thought I was genuinely losing it and needed to go see a therapist. Turned out he was really talking and everyone else hears it too! 🤣👍
That is amazing. It's really up to you if you start signing. Given he is talking I would just continue to talk to him throughout the day and provide lots of repetition. Hope that helps!
@@EmmaHubbard that does, because I never learned sign language so I would be learning at the same time as him! 🤣🤦♀️ But if it was going to be beneficial for him I would have sacrificed and made it happen! 💙
W H A T. I would also lose my mind when my baby (17 weeks) would talk to me all of the sudden, but that's AMAZING!!!
I love your videos 😍❤
Thank you!
At what age can they learn to sign?
You can start signing with your little one when ever it suits you. Some people start signing at 6 months to their little one and others start signing earlier. Generally babies won't sign back until 9/10 months of age but like all things babies need to see the sign lots and lots of times before they know what the sign means and then when to use it.
I we wear dad pop
My baby is 6 months old,she is too weak.please give me some tips
Hi Inna unfortunately as I can't see your little one I cannot give specific advice. I recommend you see a paediatric physiotherapist/physical therapist who can see you in person and give specific advice.