What is the practice?
This practice uses simple sign language to help a young child communicate with and talk to others. The best signs to teach a child are ones that can be used to ask for more or to say yes or no. Some of the earliest signs infants can learn are those for eat, drink, more, up, down, yes, and no. Check out the Infant Signing Dictionary practice guide for other eaty-to-learn signs.
What does the practice look like?
Up! A baby girl is sitting in her high chair and is ready to eat. She knows that if she signs eat her mom will feed her her favorite foods. Mom always describes what her daughter is asking for. She knows it is important to use the spoken words with the signs to be sure the baby hears her talk about what she is asking for and what she is doing. As soon as the little girl is finished eating, she signs up knowing that her mom will lift her up out of the chair.
How do you do the practice?
Here are some things you can do to decide which signs are likely to work best with your child.
How do you know the practice worked?
- Is your child trying to use signs more often to communicate with you?
- Does your child try to combine signs to ask for what he wants?
- Has your child become less frustrated when trying to communicate and “talk” to you?
- Start by identifying things your child wants and likes to do but sometimes get frustrated with because he isn’t able to use words to tell you what he wants.
- It is best to pick just about three signs to get started. Choose ones that include movements your child is already able to do (for example, shaking his head).
- Just before or as part of an activity, demonstrate the sign for your child while saying the words that go with the sign (such as, “Do you want to eat?” while using the sign for eat).
- As your child learns to use a sign, add another one into the activity (for example, “Do you want more to eat?” while using the signs for more and eat).
Take a look at more fun with signing
"MORE, please!"
One-year-old Kayla especially enjoys playing lap games with different members of her family. She has been trying to tell her big brother Trey she wants to continue a game they are playing but it is difficult for him to know exactly what Kayla wants or is trying to say. Trey asks her, “Do you want to play again? Do you want more?” while helping her sign more. It doesn’t take Kayla long to figure out that by tapping her fin- gers and hands together a few times Trey will play the game again. Kayla has even started to use the sign for more to ask her mom and dad to give her more to eat and to ask for more toys to play with.
Mealtime Signs
Meal times used to be a hazardous event until 7-month- old Tyler learned the signs for eat, drink, more, and fin- ished. If his mother would give him the “wrong thing” it was More! surely going to wind up on the floor! Not anymore. Mom be- gins meal times by asking Tyler if he wants something to eat or drink while signing each of the words. As he gets closer to finishing, Mom asks her son if he wants “more to eat?” while using both signs together. Tyler answers by signing more. Mom responds by signing more drink and saying “Tyler wants more juice to drink.” When Tyler seems about done, Mom asks, “Is Tyler finished?” while signing finished. Tyler repeats the sign and meal time is once again a big success.
Improving Communication
Megan is an 18 month old with Down syndrome who can say about 10 words but most people have difficulty understand- ing what she is saying. Both Mom and Dad have recently learned that using sign language with young children with Down syn- drome not only helps the children communicate better but can improve the child’s speech as well. They decide to give it a try. They started with four signs that “go with” things Megan especially likes. They pick the signs for up, play, bath, and down. Up is used to ask to be picked up. Play is used to have Mom or Dad play with Megan. Bath is used to ask to play in the bathtub with her toys. Down is used to tell Mom and Dad she is finished eating and wants to get out of her high chair. Megan not only uses the sign more and more often but the words that go with each of the signs have become easier for others to understand.
