The language of signs for babies

Sign language for babies is a tool that parents (caregivers, educators ...) can learn to use with their babies to facilitate communication after 6 months. At this age, babies begin to master the use of their hands, using them to communicate their desires , needs or simply to talk. For example, they

Sign language for babies is a tool that parents (caregivers, educators ...) can learn to use with their babies to facilitate communication after 6 months. At this age, babies begin to master the use of their hands, using them to communicate their desires, needs or simply to talk. For example, they ask us "aupa" by raising their hands so that we can hold them in their arms.

You imagine that your baby is able to tell you what he wants or needs without having to play riddles. When your baby cries you try to find out why, but since he can not tell you, you have to use the trial and error method. Sign language helps you communicate with your baby in a different way, taking advantage of the new skills your baby is developing.

Advantages of signs for babies

Signar is rewarding because it simplifies communication and facilitates an understanding with your baby, while providing a new stimulus for physical and mental development.

- It's fun!
- Reduce everyone's frustration.
- Encourages speech development.
- Develop your personality.
- Teaches you how to gesture.
- It encourages reading.
- Increase concentration levels.
- Strengthens verbal skills.
- Develop the baby's self-esteem.
- Promotes vocabulary.
- Reduces tantrums due to lack of understanding.
- Awakens awareness of needs.

And above all ...

- Reduces stress
- Develops intelligence
- Promotes a greater bond

How does language of signs for babies?

Sign Language for babies emerged in the US, in the eighties, thanks to the work of Dr. Joseph Garcia and two teachers, Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn. Dr. Garcia, a specialist in Child Development, observed that babies of deaf parents could communicate more easily than babies of hearing parents. In fact, around nine months, these babies were already advanced sign language users, while other babies of hearing parents could not express themselves at this age.

He also noticed that the babies of deaf-mute parents seemed to be less demanding since they could express themselves better. And, in this way, Dr. García's initiative emerged to study how sign language could benefit hearing parents. Her research with 17 families revealed that hearing babies could learn to sign very easily, as babies develop their hand management soon. This is how the Baby Signs or Signs for Babies came about.

Dr. García published his research in 1987 and later wrote the book The Complete Guide to Baby Signing.Dr. Garcia's mission is to "model" signs for babies and that babies know how to safeguard communication problems on their own. Dr. García has developed a method based on the realization of intuitive signs.

If my baby learns baby signs, will he stop learning to talk? Para Not at all! A study by Acredolo and Goodwin at the University of California and a grant from the National Institute of Health shows just the opposite. The Signs for Babies facilitate the acquisition of oral language. When comparing children who had used signs with children who do not use them, it was found that children who used signs obtained better marks in language comprehension and expression tests.

When will my baby respond with signs?

The typical age for a baby to start signing is usually between 10 and 14 months. Although that depends a lot on each baby since each baby is a world, as they say. Some will have more desire to communicate than others (some babies prefer to climb the sofa and others prefer to read books) or perhaps a development of higher related skills (for example, memory, imitation, attention). But it also depends on the consistency with which parents sign their babies. Remember that the baby will not be able to respond until 6/8 months, so if you start too soon your baby will not be able to answer you yet. But once you make your first signs, the others will come shot.