How to sign with your baby

He may have been a hilarious eyebrow-raiser back in 2004, but today the signing baby is an increasingly common sight. You can begin signing with your child from birth – but if you do, be prepared to wait a good few months for her to sign back.

Rachel Coleman has the following advice on how to begin signing, and what to expect from your baby:

Choose a few favorite signs and use them in your daily routine. Start with simple signs like “milk” and “eat.” Say the word as you sign it… Use the signs as often as possible. If your child is 10 months old or older, she may be signing back to you within a couple of weeks. If your child is younger, she’ll soon recognize the sign you make, but will need more time before she can make the sign herself. Watch for her to respond to signs you use often. For example, she may not sign “eat” yet, but may get really excited when you sign it to her. And that’s the first step. You’re helping your baby associate the sign with the concept it represents. Repetition is the key. Once they get it, and begin to use a couple of signs, you will be amazed at how quickly they’ll add more signs.

It takes a certain amount of physical coordination to model any sign, and while 10 months is the average age for babies to begin signing, some babies may not sign back until they are closer to a year old. This is normal. Be patient, and remember that even if your child begins signing later than average, he will still be communicating with you earlier than he would have, had you been relying on spoken language alone. Be alert to signs your baby may be trying to make. Just as most babies do not pronounce their first words accurately, so babies’ first signs may be a little off. This is fine, and there is no need to correct your baby if it happens. Says Coleman, “The goal is communication – not perfectly formed signs. Make sure to praise your baby’s efforts as you continue to model the sign properly.”

---

Could signing cause speech delays?