Baby Signing

[titch]

titch - would love to know if you recommend any classes in Cardiff, you are a bit far for me to come! also a link to your website (or pm me) cos i'd love to start from the off with signing. xx

Me too please! I'm in Windsor, thanks! xx

I teach sing and sign, dont think this is advertising as youre not in my area. www.singandsign.co.uk theres a section where you can look for classes near you.

The sign and sign signs arent BSL, although a lot of the signs are compatible, its not designed for deaf babies specifically, although they are most welcome in classes we recommend they get advice from the teacher of deaf about which sign system to use as they will use it much more long term than the rest of the babies in class.

 

[titch]

The evidence base for baby signing:


A study by Acredelo, Brown & Goodwyn (2000) funded by the National Institutes of Health in the USA looked at the effect of baby signing on children’s linguistic and intellectual development:

The study compared three groups of 11 month olds;

• One group whose parents were asked to encourage baby signing (alongside speech) when interacting
• One group whose parents were asked to focus on naming things (verbally) for their baby
• One group with no specific instruction at all

The groups underwent language assessments at regular intervals up until the age of 3 and were followed up age 8.

The results:
The tests showed that the baby signers language skills were in advance of the other groups, and they spoke in sentences sooner. In addition at the age of three years the baby signers were talking a full year ahead of the other groups.




Acredelo L. & Brown C. & Goodwyn S, (2000) “Impact of Symbolic Gesturing on Early Language Development” Journal of Nonverbal Behavior 24:81-103.

 

[titch]

also in this study the IQ scores at age 8 follow up were significantly higher for the baby signers group. Once I read the study I decided I was going to sign with my baby. And that was many years before I even got pregnant!

 

[titch]

I think it's a stage of communication development, vocal communication is probably the immediate next one. Ofc I have no professional opinion but signs have always being used?
For example when you teach a baby to wave bye bye?? Isn't that sth similar? In Greece parents usually teaching the babies to mimic the holding bottle and drinking motion for the babies to communicate that they want a bottle.
that's how I see it at least.
I already teach different things to Amelie though is very very young like waving and clapping hands and the sign for up and down when I put her on her bed or lift her from her bed.

yes yes! Exactly this. I get people (usually grandparents) saying to me that they'd not do baby signing with their (grand)child as they worry it will stop them talking or hold them back somehow. So I ask them if theyre planning on teaching LO to wave bye bye. Everyone knows we teach this to our LOs before they can actually talk. They also usually learn to put their arms up to ask to be picked up. its a natural developmental stage and baby signing makes the most of that stage of development to get the maximum benefit at a time in their life when their brain is growing at the fastest rate it ever will in their whole life.

 

[knopk@]

I have a weird question - i try to use signs with my lo but the only thing he likes is clapping hands. He wouldnt even wave.
He would look.at you all confused. It was puzzling me.
Just yesterday he finally waved - with his left hand! It dawned on me maybe thats why he wasnt doing it?
My DH is left handed but my MIL said he was undecided before school. Could it be confusing him?

Tapatalking so cant see signatures

 

[MrsT2011]

Thanks for the link Titch - they do a class 15 minutes up the road from me so will sign B up for when he's old enough x

 

[titch]

I have a weird question - i try to use signs with my lo but the only thing he likes is clapping hands. He wouldnt even wave.
He would look.at you all confused. It was puzzling me.
Just yesterday he finally waved - with his left hand! It dawned on me maybe thats why he wasnt doing it?
My DH is left handed but my MIL said he was undecided before school. Could it be confusing him?

Tapatalking so cant see signatures

Im not 100% sure but I dont think they get a dominant hand until theyre about 3? I'd have to google it. They do it in their own time, and some babies, just dont seem that into signing back BUT they still benefit from you using the gestures as youre talking to them.

 

[titch]

Thanks for the link Titch - they do a class 15 minutes up the road from me so will sign B up for when he's old enough x

Did you get B onto a course in the end? Hope its going well!

 

[MrsT2011]

Thanks for the link Titch - they do a class 15 minutes up the road from me so will sign B up for when he's old enough x

Did you get B onto a course in the end? Hope its going well!

Thanks for asking Hun! They don't run on a convenient day for me as I'm back at work - does it matter if they do it a bit later, my days might change in May when B will be 10 months so going to look into it again x

 

[KarenC]

We've just done week 4 of Sing and Sign in Chester and it's great fun. Getting the hang of the songs. Tilly just watches everyone as if we've gone mad, but I'm sure she'll get it soon. I can't stop singing the goddamn songs now!! x

 

[tweetyfoo]

I've ordered the singing hands DVDs and they are fab!


Please excuse any typos from my fat fingers!
Tapatalk madness!

 

[tiaflame]

Do you watch the programme with mr tumble in tweety? Kaiden loves that programme and even I have picked up some bits of signing from that xx


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[l_maclean]

Do you watch the programme with mr tumble in tweety? Kaiden loves that programme and even I have picked up some bits of signing from that xx


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Just be aware that Mr tumble uses Makaton - not BSL, so when he signs happy - he's apparently signing sex!!


On my iPhone - so cant see tickers

 

[tweetyfoo]

Yeah we have all the mr tumble DVDs. It's Makatin that Aaron needs to lean.

We've picked up quite a bit already. I jut need to start using it at home, but I keep forgetting g to sign! Plus he's like always in my arms


Please excuse any typos from my fat fingers!
Tapatalk madness!

 

[titch]

We've just done week 4 of Sing and Sign in Chester and it's great fun. Getting the hang of the songs. Tilly just watches everyone as if we've gone mad, but I'm sure she'll get it soon. I can't stop singing the goddamn songs now!! x

story of my life! My OH is a delivery driver and he sings the songs to himself in his van, just as well its winter and the windows are shut!

I do 3 classes a week, Im pretty sure I sing in my sleep. Glad youre enjoying it!

 

[titch]

Thanks for the link Titch - they do a class 15 minutes up the road from me so will sign B up for when he's old enough x

Did you get B onto a course in the end? Hope its going well!

Thanks for asking Hun! They don't run on a convenient day for me as I'm back at work - does it matter if they do it a bit later, my days might change in May when B will be 10 months so going to look into it again x

10 months should be fine, the gesture stage is about 6 -18 months (but varies for all babies so this is just a guideline)

You can buy a home programme, if you contact me through facebook about it.

 

[titch]

Do you watch the programme with mr tumble in tweety? Kaiden loves that programme and even I have picked up some bits of signing from that xx


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Just be aware that Mr tumble uses Makaton - not BSL, so when he signs happy - he's apparently signing sex!!


On my iPhone - so cant see tickers

It is a slightly different sign. Subtle difference but its there. Its actually not 'sex' but more a slang, similar to our use of f**k. But that doesnt stop us teaching our children to say 'fork'. Its all about context

 

[Karate Kid]

Is six months too early to sign? We go to sing and sign but I have signed milk and thank you from the word go.... C keeps gesturing what looks like milk and when I sign and say milk he looks like he is signing milk but I may BR going mad! Xx

 

[titch]

Not impossible hun. I've got a video of my LO signing 'more' at 5 months old. It varies loads though and generally we advise parents not to expect a sign back until around 10-12 months.

Like I said before, you signing while you speak is helping your baby make those important brain connections in their language centre so its never 'too early'. Most parents find they can't do a lot of signing until around 6 months as their hands are always occupied as LOs are so physically dependant on us before that age.

 

[Karate Kid]

Not impossible hun. I've got a video of my LO signing 'more' at 5 months old. It varies loads though and generally we advise parents not to expect a sign back until around 10-12 months.

Like I said before, you signing while you speak is helping your baby make those important brain connections in their language centre so its never 'too early'. Most parents find they can't do a lot of signing until around 6 months as their hands are always occupied as LOs are so physically dependant on us before that age.

Thanks Hun, we are really enjoying s&s x