BABY SIGN LANGUAGE

[riuliani]

I am curious as to how long it should take for DS to pick up on the signs and repeat them back.  We have only been doing them for a couple of week, so I am not deterred yet but thought I should get a yard stick to see how we are progressing.  He is 11.5 months.

[meltown]

it is really individual.  but most babies it takes a couple months before signing back.  you will notice that they will understand things and connect it with the meaning before he will sign to you.  what are you signing at this point?

[riuliani]

At this point we are signing food, drink/milk/juice, potty (we have been potty training since 9 months), all done and sleep.  We are just sticking with those for now.  They seem to be the key ones that we would need him to know first.  I think he is beginning to understand the milk sign.

[meltown]

oone book I read said to pick 6-12 signs and have half of them be things your LO is interested in so it encourages them to sign back quicker.  we have been doing that with fan and outside and I have seen more interest from Braxton in signing.  are there a couple things that he is interested in that you could throw in there to encourage him to sign sooner?

[riuliani]

I'll have to think on that.  Thanks for the tip.

[Sarahlolly]

DD likes Giraffe!  Its her favourite toy!!

Sarah xx

[meltown]

that is great!  you should sign that with her then!

[Sarahlolly]

We do!!!  Makes her giggle though!!! LOL

[waffler]

riulani - I signed Mira since Day 1. Not a sausage, until I bought the BE signs DVD after she turned 1. Then, after about 2-3 wks of watching it daily, she started signing! Then it was an explosion of signs. I found then that I could also introduce signs on my own (i.e. those that weren't on the DVD) and she picked them up really quickly. Some LOs just pick it up so fast, others, like Mira, I suppose needed it drummed into her head for 25 mins a day

She is so thrilled now when she signs and I sign back because she seems to think "hurray Mummy understands me!"

[riuliani]

I am not expected immediate results.  I figured it would take a couple of months.  We have only been doing it for a couple of weeks.  Although when he sits on the potty he shakes his hands when he is finished.  I think he is picking up on the "all done" sign.  I encourage him when he does it and repeat "all done" over and over while he is shaking his hands.

My little guy loves TV, just not baby TV.  I can get him to watch an entire episode of Oprah but throw on a little Go Diego Go and he loses interest.  Wise beyond his years I guess? 

[meltown]

LOL my son will only watch certain Baby eistein and simpsons with my husband.  There is a more advanced baby einstein DVD called Baby wordsworth that has sign on it and it more focused on the older child.  maybe he would like that!

Congrats on the signing.  I think it is possible he could be picking up on it already.  some do quite quickly!

[Asher's Mommy]

Hello fellow baby signers! 


My name is Annette and I have a 17 month old boy named Asher.

We have been signing with him since day one but he did not pick it up until 10-11 months when he first signed "dog". Now, he has an almost 50 word vocabulary!!! I'm so proud of him!!!

I feel like I am only staying a few words ahead of him since I am learning too.

It is the cutest when he sees something and then looks at me to tell him what the sign is for it. I feel so bad when I don't know the sign  .

I just wanted to introduce myself and was hoping I could chat with you girls on occasion.

Annette

[meltown]

welcome!  good for you for learning more so he can get the new words!

[Asher's Mommy]

Is there an online (free) signing dictionary?

Annette

[riuliani]

There are two web pages I look at:

http://www.signwithme.com/002_browse_signs.asp

http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm