Why Teach A Hearing Baby Sign Language?

Why Teach A Hearing Baby Sign Language?

Many parents wonder why they should teach their baby Sign Language if their hearing is just fine. Isn't that introducing something unnatural and unnecessary? The answer is no. It is perfectly natural, more than most people realize and the benefits are amazing.

Babies are communicating to the best of their ability as soon as they are born. They develop at an incredible rate during the first three years just trying to get down the basics. A newborn infant cries when it needs something because it has no other choice. He cannot point to what he wants, say what he wants or move to what he wants.

Soon he will develop cries that are slightly different from one another, taking communication one step further. Parents learn to tell the "hungry" cry from the "tired" cry or the "hold me" cry.

Then he will start to coo and babble, trying to tell you about his world.

And then he will start pointing at objects and using the tone of his voice to get a point across. This phase lasts from around 4-6 months up until around two years. That is a long span of time to have limited communication when it is entirely possible to have wonderful conversations with your child that you can actually understand!

Baby Sign Language is much more natural than most parents realize. We all teach our babies to wave "Bye-bye", shake their head "Yes" or "No." We show them how to blow on their food when it's "Hot" or gently pet our arm if we want them to be "Gentle." These are all gestures used in Baby Sign Language. Expanding their vocabulary gives you and your child some great advantages.

By teaching them signs for things like "Eat", "Drink", "More" and "All Done" you eliminate many tantrums that come from a child being hungry and not having the tools to communicate what they need. Think about this: Your child wants some milk. A baby that doesn't know signs will start by grunting and pointing in the direction of where she thinks it might be. Of course if you're in the middle of the grocery store or the back yard you might think she's pointing at something completely different. Then she will start getting more and more upset until she reaches a full blown tantrum... and we all know how much fun that can be in the middle of the grocery store. A baby that has been taught to sign will simply get your attention and make the sign for "Milk" which is basically waving "Bye-bye" sideways (like you are milking a cow.) The giggle they let out when you say back to them "You want your milk?" is adorable. They are ecstatic that they have been understood.

In my experience being able to tend to your babies needs without the frustration is reason enough to teach them Baby Sign Language, but there are many more incredible benefits.

Teaching Baby Sign Language promotes healthy social and emotional development. Being able to communicate gives your child the opportunity to explore more and share more allowing them to develop to their full potential.

Teaching Baby Sign Language helps babies learn to talk sooner. One of the most common concerns I hear as an instructor is "Will my baby learn to rely on signs and decide not to speak?" Scientific studies prove exactly the opposite. When a baby learns to crawl they realize that they can get from here to there and work on improving that skill into something that works even better. The same goes for signing. A baby realizes they can communicate and grasps the concept of communication at a much younger age. When you understand what your baby is saying you repeat it back allowing them to hear the words more often, helping them to learn to speak the word sooner.

Teaching Baby Sign Language creates a stronger bond. Your baby can tell you what they see or hear, what interests they have. This gives you a priceless window into the life of your child. You and your child can share their world together. Their needs are met faster and more accurately.

Using Baby Sign Language in a daycare setting is a great way to create a universal language between babies and caregivers. It can help comfort a child who is upset about Mommy leaving, helping to explain that Mommy will be back soon.

The benefits of Baby Sign Language don't end when your child starts talking. Most children start dropping their signs as they start speaking more words, eventually leaving all their signs behind. But the benefits of what they've learned have just begun.

The more gestures a baby uses at 14 months the larger their vocabulary is at 4.5 years. A larger vocabulary is directly linked to a higher level of success later in life.

Babies who were taught to sign scored an average of 12 points higher on an IQ test at age eight than those who were not taught to sign!

Teaching Baby Sign Language can make potty training before the age of two possible and even easier than waiting until after age two!

We all want what's best for our children. We want to give them the best chance to lead a happy and successful life. Teaching them Baby Sign Language is one of the best things you can do for your child.