We began using signs with our son off and on since he performed his very first sign at 7 mos, "waving bye-bye," and thus demonstrated that he was ready to begin learning sign language.
There are basically 2 different methods for signing with your baby: Joseph Garcia's (you're teaching American Sign Language) & "Baby Signs" (you're making up your own sign language). Through the first - Joseph Garcia's system - your little one is actually learning a second language.
The advantages to his method are:
-ASL signs are nearly universal
-many childcare centers are teaching ASL and will reinforce at the center what you are already teaching at home. In other words, you won't have to teach every teacher or different caregiver, relative, etc. the special "Baby Signs" that you and your baby have created to communicate.
-There are a lot of supplemental materials with this system as well -like videos to watch with your baby, cute little posters at teacher-supply stores, books to read and practice signing with your baby, and even flashcards (I highly recommend using supplemental materials).
On the other hand, the disadvantages are:
-You, the parent, are also learning a new language and it is very time-consuming to study these signs (you really have to dedicate yourself).
-Also, some ASL signs are simply too complex for babies to learn...
Which is why "Baby Signs" was created. This is a method where you basically "wing it." You can either use the suggestions for signs offered in the book, create your own, or follow your baby's lead when he invents a sign, but you're supposed to be consistent. The advantages to this method are:
-They are much easier for baby to learn - so you wind up communicating faster with them.
-Also, during those spontaneous "teachable moments," you can create a sign right then rather than running over to your book or looking online for the sign and totally missing the opportunity to communicate right away.
However, the disadvantages are:
-Baby Signs is relatively new so very little supplemental material exists (I think there may be 1 video in the works right now and a few books).
-Nobody else will know this language that you and your baby have created -so if you want caregivers & relatives to understand your baby, you will have to teach each and every person.
-Your child will just be learning how to communicate with you temporarily and will not be learning a 2nd language that can be used for life.
We began teaching our son "Baby Signs" (with the Baby Signs book) and switched over to the Garcia method when we realized that our son would eventually be attending a daycare staffed by teachers fluent in ASL. We also realized that when ASL signs are too complex for babies, they will create their own easier version anyway and eventually develop the ability to form the proper sign -you just have to pay careful attention to what they're doing. Sometimes, what you think are random hand motions, are really their attempt at a sign of which you introduced to them the previous week;-) The Garcia video is a superb introduction to signing with babies, 100x better than the "Baby Signs" book we read. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND purchasing this kit as early as you can, preferably months before your baby reaches the 6-7 month mark, but remember: it is never too late! The video is the best place to start because you'll have the opportunity to see babies doing their various versions of signs -so you'll know what to look for. After the video, you'll need some sort of reference book that illustrates signs. The book & reference chart, included in this kit are decent. The book includes an intro on sign language and a small dictionary w/ illustrations of common signs. Though we found the book's explanations for signs somewhat confusing at times, we visit
the ASL online dictionary to see an actual person performing the sign. http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm
There are literally dozens of books, videos, and other materials for sale on Amazon that you might also consider. The Signing Time video series sets 1-6 (for babies to watch) and the Sign Babies ASL flashcards sets 1-4 are bestsellers.
Hope this helps!!! SIGN with your BABY - Baby Sign Language (ASL) Kit: Includes Book, How-to DVD, Quick Reference Guide
About a month ago, we ordered the "Complete Leaning Kit", which includes the book, companion video and sign language reference card. As recommended, we started in when baby was seven months old by demonstrating the signs for a few simple key words like "milk," "eat," "drink," "more," "finish," and "change," as in, "change your diaper." The signs are all very easy to make, and we both routinely repeated the signs several times in context to reinforce the associations.Fast forward to tonight: this evening we were at the mall doing some shopping for baby clothes when we happened to look down at baby seated in his stroller. He was making the "change" sign all by himself. A hoist and a sniff confirmed that he was right! It was time to change his diaper. A few minutes later he also signed "eat" to indicate he was hungry. He's also been making the "milk" sign for about a week at appropriate moments, and by eye direction and excitement level we know he also knows more words like "Mommy," "kitty," (we have a cat), and several others.I can't tell you how thrilling this is! If you have or are expecting a kid, or know someone else who is, you really ought to look into it!
Review Update: This set goes well with the "Signing Time" video series. There's also a "Signing Time" website, which may have products similar to Garcia's. I still have the handy 3-fold sign reference card from Garcia's set. It is marked with the dates of when a sign was introduced & when it was actually used by each child (I have 2 kids). It was handy for babysitters & relatives & is now a cherished momento of my kids' babyhood. The "Signing Time" series is great for kids, and Garcia's is good for adults as an 'all-in-one' reference with 'just the facts'. I think he even has an alphabetical sign list in the back of the book & the signs are listed @ the end of the video as well. Hope he has a DVD version - VCRs are so outdated these days... 10/12/2010
Well, I tried Baby Signs and found it to be full of talk about using Baby Signs and short on instruction on when, where, how and why to use Baby Signs. Making signs up was very frustrating - I'm not a creative-type person. I want a system that's proven and works. Then I found Joseph Garcia's book here at Amazon.com. Garcia's book is excellent!
Garcia's book is clearly written. It tells you exactly why, when, where and how to use American Sign Language with your baby. Garcia also reviews several studies reporting the benefits of sign language for hearing children. The instructions on how to teach the signs and how to make the signs are quite detailed and specific, so you'll know exactly what to do. (But not so detailed that you're lost!) Garcia also discusses how children sign differently than adults and how their signs may change as their signing ability improves. This is useful in "detecting" a child's first attempts to use a sign. If you're not watching carefully, you'll miss them!
The video is enjoyable and well-done - it's broken up into short, easy segments. It adds another dimension - you see many examples of children signing so you'll know what to expect from your child. More tips are given for teaching signs, including specific recommendations for additional signs to teach later. Garcia performs all the signs at the end of the video as a reference library of sorts. Seeing the signs in action was very helpful. Illustrations of signs can only show so much. The signs are timed so you can forward to the exact point where a sign is for easy review. It's also a neat way to show the signs to your child.
Lastly, the quick reference guide is very handy. It's much quicker than fumbling through the reference section at the end of the book. The guide is laminated, so baby won't tear it up easily. There's also a place to mark which signs you have shown baby and which signs baby can perform. It's useful for showing relatives or babysitters what baby is "saying" to them. You might want to get a spare guide just in case.
In summary, I've found the book, video & laminated reference guide to be very useful and helpful. I highly recommend them all! - Baby Signing - Baby Signs - Parenting Book - Sign Language'
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