Sign language for babies?
What are some experiences that anyone’s had with teaching their babies sign language? Also what sources did you find the most useful…books, websites…?
Our family knows some basic ASL signs, and I used those to teach my nearly ten month old daughter some sign language. The most important thing is repetition when teaching, and so a simple sign language book and repeating the sign over and over again is all you need-not expensive DVDs or the like.
Gwendalyn can sign momma, daddy, milk, sleepy and no as if in conversation, and if I say several other words she can make the sign for them (though I do not think she really comprehends their meaning yet).
And, before someone else answers stating otherwise, it does NOT delay their speech. You use sign language in addition to speech, not in place of it. Gwendalyn can also say momma, daddy, no, doggy, bye bye, hi, thank you (tantu), that, up and bubba (for her brother, though she does not address her sister yet, much to my oldest daughter’s dismay) and probably several others that are escaping me right now.
EDITED TO ADD: Oh no! She also says “oh no”, usually after dropping something that she wants you to pick up…
