sign language

[Lily84]

are any of you doing this? i want to do it with Shane. do you have a website that you recommend? I used to be a nanny for a little girl that we did signs with but i cant remember what they were or how to start. Thanks

[SukeyTawdrey]

We're planning to.  I guess we start now? It was actually hubby's idea, although I've signed with patients.  We have 2 baby signing books that were given to us and may follow their plans or use their suggestions but will probably go more pn instinct.  I've shown her "more" "dog" and "eat" and should probably also do "mommy" daddy" (we're as important as the dog, right?) and "milk"  I'm avoiding the dictionary in one of the books because I'd rather use real ASL signs even if I'm not teaching the grammar than "baby signs"  I'm pointing hubby towards one of my ASL dictionaries- I have a full and pocket Random House and something like Art of Signing (I can't resist the Barnes and Noble sale shelves) Fortunatly I"m already very fluent... for a 4 y/o!  LOL  I know all my animals, play signs, school signs, meal time, bath time, bed time, etc.  I couln't get by in the real world but Elisabeth doesn't know that!

[moogie]

we might give it a go this time around.  My almost 2 yr old barely say a word and it frustrates me big time.  so it would be good if Asha can communicate through signs with us.

[heathernkids]

I would love to try! It's not too late? Why don't we try and help each other. I'll be Xmas shopping this weekend and need to return some stuff to the library so I'll try to find a book too. This could be really cool!

[kristenp5]

We've signed with both girls since birth.  For Willa I mainly do "change" (for diapers),  "milk," "sister," "mommy," "daddy," "cat," "up," (as in I'm going to pick you up), "sleep," and "bath" .   I do the sign as I'm saying the word, then I do the sign for her with her hands.  As she gets older I'll start labeling more objects and emotions.  I think Ava got her first sign "milk" around 8 months old.  She started talking at 11 months old, but still mainly used sign with us until she started using 2-3 word sentences at 15 months old.  Ava still knows quite a few signs, but as she can express anything she wasts to say verbally she doesn't use them anymore. 

I personally loved it when she was about a year old because she could tell me what she wanted (especially with food), which helped cut down on frustration. 

[Lily84]

yeh that would be great! i have known about it for  long time and originlly decided NOT to do it because i thought i would focus more on ec. last night i thought wow how hypocritical, ec is learning to communicate with your baby, why wouldnt i want to further that communication trhough signing? plus, he is very quiet and hardly makes any noise so i think he will be a late talker.

doing signing together is going to be fun! im excited to start

when i was the nany to thel little girl when she was 14 months old one day her daddy forgot to give her dinner and he was laying on the floor, she walked to him and pulled on his pant leg and did the sign for hungry please. i thought that was so cute!

[Lily84]

here is a site that someone on BBC recommended to me and i really like it so far:

http://signingbaby.com/main/?cat=14

[mwelsh214]

Hey Ladies- I've been signing with Mohamed since he was born. DH thinks it's stupid, but i just ignore him. 2 of my favorute sites are: signwithme.com and mybabycantalk.com the second one has videos of each work showing you how to do the sign. Right now we use the common ones, mama, daddy, nurse, sleepy, bath, eat, hot and cold, happy, sad, cry, hungry....the ones he resonds to most are mama and daddy, and nurse. I know that he understands nurse cause if i do the sign ( we use milk for nurse, and bottle, for, well, bottle...) he starts opens his mouth and turns toward my chest. And if I do the sign for daddy, he looks to the door for dad, and when i say sleepy, he rubs his eyes.
I love the idea of it, it really helps in the communication department.  I hope everyone will consider it! Good luck!

[moogie]

h thinks it will delay verbal communication, i don' think i care if its delayed if we're communicating.  beats what i've one thru with a non signer non talker.

[kristenp5]

It's a common misconception that sign language delays verbal language.  When I was doing Early Intervention lots of parents were really opposed to using sign languge with their children who had speech delays.  But...all current research indicates that sign languages does not negatively impact verbal language.  Actually, kids who use signs generally have a greater understanding of language earlier because they can actively participate in communicating.


Here are a few article citations I could find on the topic:

Daniels, M. (October, 1994). The effects of sign language on hearing children's language development. Communication Education, 43, 291-298.

Daniels, M. (1996). Seeing language: The effect over time of sign language on vocabulary development in early childhood education. Child Study Journal, 26, 193-208.

Daniels, M. (2001). Dancing with Words: Signing for Hearing Children's Literacy. Westport, Connecticut: Bergin and Garvey.

[Lily84]

alright i read a lot and looked up all the signs, im going to start with mommy, daddy, milk, potty, cat, sleep. what is everyone else going to do?

for those of you who already started, when you do the sign for milk do you say milk? i have been calling it neenees and he knows that word. of course though when he starts drinking from a sippy i dont want to have to say neenees then or when he starts drinking real milk to think that is called neenees.  what do you think? should i just start calling it milk, or just teach him the sign for thirsty later when he starts drinking from a sippy? thanks

[moogie]

i'm focussing on milk and mummy but i want to do potty, but the sign for it doesnt fit me well theres no harm in making up your own sign right?

[Lily84]

i dont see anything wrong with using your own signs, i thought i would make up something else for dog because i really dont like that sign

[kristenp5]

I don't think there is anything wrong with creating your own sign, either.  It's more about consistancy than anything.

[SukeyTawdrey]

Lily- maybe use milk for nursing and cup when he gets a sippie?  I think that's our plan.

Megs- go ahead and make up signs- that's what one of the books we have did.  They don't use official signs. 
Out of curiosity- is your potty sign a waving "t" fist?  That's the ASL sign but I guess you use something different in Australia.  Do you use Brit signs?  I had a link to those somewhere. 
Anyway "potty" is a great sign to know- I use that at parties so my husband knows where I'm off to, LOL  I also taught him "more wine, please"  wonder if I'll get to use that again??