Baby Sign Language Thread #3

[RachelC]

It was the best thing I ever did, now at 2 his vocab level is amazing and I hardly ever have to interpret his speech for others, I am convinced that the signing has made him such a great communicator now. Rachel do you think thats true?

Research has shown it's true 

[firsttimemummy]

Quote from: Chicane on Today at 08:54:35 AM
It was the best thing I ever did, now at 2 his vocab level is amazing and I hardly ever have to interpret his speech for others, I am convinced that the signing has made him such a great communicator now. Rachel do you think thats true?

I found that Murray's vocab range was way above his peers .... but actually found his speech was worse - I think it made him lazy as I could understand what he said as he would sign too .... it's only when I insist he speaks properly that his speech is really good now - not sure if this would have been the case anyway and I would have struggled understanding him ..... suppose I am saying that even if you understand, get them to speak clearly ... I LOVE signing and can't wait for Oliver to sign more

[RachelC]

Lucy, likely would have happened anyway, that's the great thing about signing, even if there is a speech issue, you can still communicate    DD2 was in speech therapy for a bit.  And Murray is still young... there are 5 and 6 year olds in DD2's class that I can't understand all of their spoken words (but their peers understand!!).

[*Ali*]

Hmmm I never found it made DS lazy with his speech. He is only 22mo and speaking in 4 word sentences clearly so a stranger could understand him most of the time. He learned to sign Biscuit when he could only make the b sound. I have never tried to get him to change how he says it and it graduated to bisk and is now biscuit. All Los are different of course.

[firsttimemummy]

Lucy, likely would have happened anyway, that's the great thing about signing, even if there is a speech issue, you can still communicate    DD2 was in speech therapy for a bit.  And Murray is still young... there are 5 and 6 year olds in DD2's class that I can't understand all of their spoken words (but their peers understand!!).

yes - I think he is just lazy at speaking (so am I, I suppose!) - when I remind him to speak clearly he does (mainly S and C at start of words but he is much better now he is in the habit of it) ... so glad we signed - I remember all my friends saying their LOs only babbled nonsense - it sounded like Murray was too, but as he was signing along with it I was able to understand the "nonsense" ...

[Ima shel Alon]

Ok, so we started. Very simple - mommy, daddy, book and milk. BUT - I find it so difficult to get his attention, to look at me when I am signing. Is that his age or him?

We also have a problem as DH and I are speaking different languages with Alon and English when we are all together, so we don't know in which language to say the work. Will he pick up "book" if we say it in three languages in different times?

[RachelC]

It's ok if you don't have his complete attention.  Just keep doing it.

And yes, use the sign with all three languages... the sign and object don't change

[firsttimemummy]

And yes, use the sign with all three languages... the sign and object don't change

someone that did the signing course with me was doing it as she spoke German to her son and her DH could only speak English ... so they were using signing as a common language.  Wow - Alon will be multi-multi lingual!!

[Khalam's Mama]

Alon, we are bilingual at home and K will sign in both languages. We always signed whichever language we used and I think it helped K realise the words meant the same thing.  DH would say "say thank you" in Swahili and K would sign thank you and say "Thank you " in English. It was never an issue that there was more than one language.

Now B is 6mo I have started signing to him too. I am encouraging K to sign to him too. It is so cute. I must video it. I am glad I kept it up. Now we are used to doing it it is easy to do lots of signs together.

Oh and I used to worry K didn't look at me. Once he realised I would make gestures to communicate he would look at my hands more. I find even when speaking he doesn't pay attention. I would just keep doing it.

[Papaya]

Felicity didn't pay much attention when I was signing at first, but now she watches my hands really intently when I do any gesture - to see if I'm showing her a new sign! It just takes a little time I think.

[Chicane]

Please post a video if do manage to catch K signing to B!

[Papaya]

Oh my goodness, in the past week we have had a signing EXPLOSION!

So F can now sign: milk, more, all finished, bath, dog, duck, cat, rooster, rabbit, horse, lizard, hat, home, and wash hands; and she attempts walk, music, sweep/broom and drink - for these she wriggles her hands in ways that actually look nothing like the signs yet, but I usually know from context what she means. We were having lunch a couple of days ago and she got really scratchy like she wanted something, but refused everything I offered her....and then she quite clearly told me that she wanted to go for a *walk* to see the *rooster* and the *cat* (who live next door). I almost fell off my chair in astonishment.

Exciting times - just wanted to share

[Chicane]

wow! That is so cool! Congratulations!

[Ima shel Alon]

I got all excited just from reading it, I can only imagine how excited you were. It's so amazing to see them becoming "people", iykwim. The suddenly have their personality so clear, with what they want and what they don't want, wishes and needs.

[lchuynh]

Wow, that's a huge "vocabulary" at such a young age - well done mum and bub! Such exciting times. I'd love to see videos of all your kids signing. Here is my little guy back in July demonstrating some signs and word comprehension. We don't get a lot of signs anymore so I'm so glad I have just a few clips when I actually was able to capture the moments. http://www.allnewadventures.com/2011/07/juggling.html