Teach Your Baby Sign Language

In this lesson, the processes for teaching your baby sign language is presented. It includes the steps of:

• Choosing an opportunity

• Speak and sign the word

• Work with your baby to make the sign

• Being patient when expecting the baby to "sign back"

• Adding new signs

• Where and when to sign

In this lesson we look at the six stages the baby will go through in learning to communicate using signs:

Stage 1 - Observation

Stage 2 - Realisation

Stage 3 - Mimic

Stage 4 - Spontaneous

Stage 5 - Multiple signs (sentences)

Stage 6 - Speaking

In this lesson we look at when to start teaching your baby to sign. We look at the options of starting at birth, starting at four to six months, eight to 10 months, and older than 10 months.

There are advantages and disadvantages to starting at each age, and these are discussed.

The steps to teach your baby to communicate using signs are presented. These include:

- Pick six signs to start: eat, drink, more, done, a favourite toy and a favourite activity

- Use them exclusively for a week or two

- Be patient; you will not get responses immediately

- Add signs slowly until you get responses

- Then add signs more quickly

- Look for opportunities to use signs

There are many dialects of sign language used for babies. This course does not teach one of these, but rather, teaches a way to communicate with your baby using signs, based in but not limited to the "official" signs. This private language between you and your baby is one you invent, making learning it and teaching it to your baby much, much easier.

The rules for making up your own signs are presented.

A system for keeping track of the signs you use with your baby is given, including a way to make the lists of signs useful for others who communicate with the child: grandparents, baby sitters, friends, etc.

At the end of the lesson, please start your List of Words. Get a notebook, or open a spreadsheet file and start three lists:

1. All words - will contain all words you are going to use

2. Most-used words - will be empty for now, but as you find words you use a lot, add them here

3. Confusable words - will also be empty for now, but as you add words whose signs are similar, add them here

A summary of the course up to this point is presented.

In this lesson we learn the signs for:

First Words

― Eat ― Drink ― More ― Done ― Change ― Bath ― Milk

Baby Stuff

― Dummy, pacifier ― Crib, cot ― Blanket ― Bottle ― Nappy, diaper

At the end of the lesson, please add the words you are going to use to your List of Words.

In this lesson we learn the signs for:

Clothes

     ― Coat ― Pants ― Hat ― Shoe

Other Words

     ― Same ― Different

     ― Hug ― Kiss

     ― Sleep

     ― Good ― Sorry

     ― Please ― Thank you

     ― Clean ― Dirty

At the end of the lesson, please add the words you are going to use to your List of Words.

In this lesson we learn the signs for:

Foods they eat

   ― Egg ― Bread ― Butter ― Cereal ― Sandwich ― Tomato

Fruits and veggies

   ― Banana ― Apple ― Orange ― Grapes ― Carrot

Transportation

   ― Car ― Truck ― Plane ― Pram or stroller

At the end of the lesson, please add the words you are going to use to your List of Words.

In this lesson we learn the signs for:

Toys and favourite things

   ― Doll ― Book ― Talking book ― Bicycle ― Ball ― Play ― Time ― Playtime ― Walker ― Swing ― Music

Outdoors

   ― Sky ― Sun ― Moon ― Stars ― Flower ― Tree

At the end of the lesson, please add the words you are going to use to your List of Words.

This bonus lesson covers the advantages of talking to your baby while doing everyday activities.

In this lesson we learn the signs for animals:

Domestic

   ― Dog ― Cat  ― Bird ― Fish ― Rabbit

Farm

   ― Horse ― Cow ― Sheep ― Goat ― Chicken ― Duck

Zoo

   ― Giraffe ― Gorilla ― Zebra ― Lion ― Tiger ― Elephant ― Crocodile ― Monkey

Australian

   ― Kangaroo ― Koala ― Echidna ― Kookaburra

Other

   ― Snake ― Spider ― Worm

At the end of the lesson, please add the words you are going to use to your List of Words.

In this lesson we learn the signs for people and actions:

Specific people

   ― Mom ― Dad ― Grandmother ― Grandfather ― Sister ― Brother ― The baby’s own name

People in general

   ― Man ― Woman ― Baby

Actions

   ― Kiss ― Hug ― Walk ― Run ― Sleep ― Play

At the end of the lesson, please add the words you are going to use to your List of Words.

In this lesson we learn the signs for:

Feelings

   ― Happy ― Sad ― Angry ― Afraid ― Hot ― Cold ― Frustrated

Independence

   ― Help me ― I’m stuck ― I’m hungry ― I’m thirsty ― I’m tired ― Change me ― Bathe me ― I want

At the end of the lesson, please add the words you are going to use to your List of Words.

In this bonus lecture, we suggest a way to surround your baby with language using talking books.

In this lesson we learn how to teach others - family, friends, babysitter, others - to use signs with the child.

In this lesson we learn how to stop signing and switch to speech when the time comes.

There are many resources for finding signs to use with your baby. Of course, you could, and probably should use Google Search or equivalent to find more and more recent web resources. You may also find:

Facebook Groups, searching for "baby sign language"

Meetup Groups, searching for "ASL" or "Sign Language"

Your local college or university, or continuing education centre

Congratulations! You have finished the course.

Please leave a review and any comments or questions you have.

Thank you!