Is anyone else teaching their baby sign language?

Question

My son is 19 months old, and for the past three months I have been teaching him sign language. I've read a few articles online saying that teaching it to babies can delay their speech, but my son seems to be so far ahead of children his age when it comes to the words he can speak and recognize.

Is anyone else teaching their baby sign language? If so, how old is your little one now? How old was he/she when you started? How many words does he/she know? Do you think it is delaying his/her speech?

Thanks!

Answer 1

I've been teaching my daughter sign language since she was 8 months old and it has helped a ton.  She signs over 30 words and says about 30 words and she is almost 15 months old.  It is definitely not delaying her speech in anyway.  It actually helps kids learn to speek earlier.  I have written a blog about my experiences with her and have a lot of books and website on it if you want to learn more about how it helps babies learn to talk earlier.  

I also wanted to respond to the person who says babies can't regularly use sign language.  My child tells me when she is hungry, thirsty, too hot, etc. on a regular basis.  She is regularly talking to me now! Why I would teach her French instead I have no idea.  Maybe one day she tell me she's hungry in French but that doesn't help me now.

Answer 2

My sister is "teaching" her son sign language.  Granted he is only 5 months old right now but they watch signing time on television.  I think she is going to teach sign as she teaches speech so he learns both.  If you teach them together, I don't think it will hurt them but I am no doctor or baby expert.  You are not the only one.

Answer 3

potty training yes, sign language,no.... not yet

Answer 4

I haven't heard anything about infant sign language delaying speech. Babies develop motor skills far sooner than verbal skills, so using sign language will actually allow your baby to communicate earlier than if he only used verbal communication.

I taught both a niece and nephew sign language, starting when they were around 6 months old. They picked it up very quickly. The key is to be consistent. For example, if you want to use the sign for "hungry," then every single time you ask your baby if  he's hungry, you must use the sign AND ask out loud. My niece and nephew were soon able to model the sign language. Even if there signs weren't perfect, they made very precise movements with their hands, proving that they knew what they were doing.

I would also recommend baby sign language flash cards or picture books. You can get them at most major bookstores. These are great tools to sit with your baby and practice the signs, and they help you to learn more sign language as well.

Good Luck!!

Answer 5

Off all the languages you can teach a baby, why sign language? Unless there is someone in their family that cannot hear, it seems like another language like French or Spanish would do them far more good in the world.

I have never encountered a person that I could not communicate to due to deafness, yet I wish I had been taught French so that I could go to Quebec and not look like an idiot who knows 20 words. And from what I hear, the same goes for Spanish in the States.

I just think it'd be more productive to teach them a language they could regularly use.

But even still, it's good that you're expanding his knowledge and not just sticking to English.