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Will baby signing inhibit his speech?
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When should I start to sign with my baby?
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When will my baby start to sign back to me?
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Is my baby too old to start baby signing?
Will baby signing inhibit his speech?
Absolutely not! Actually it’s the opposite.
Drs. Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn conducted a study funded by
the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development. The study showed
that babies who used signs understood more words, had larger vocabularies, and
engaged in more sophisticated play than non-signing babies. Parents of the
signing babies in the study noted decreased frustration, increased
communication, and enriched parent-infant bonding. Signing babies also
displayed an increased interest in books.
When should I start to sign with my
baby?
Whenever you like! Most families start at around 7 months.
Some families even start as soon as their baby is born so that
they’re in the habit – instead of just chatting away to their little ones, they
incorporate signs too!
When will my baby start to sign back to me?
It depends on the baby and how often you sign with them. Just persevere
and one day you’ll wake up and you won’t be able to stop them!
Is my baby too old to start baby signing?
Not at all – even babies with 50 – 100 word vocabularies can still find some words hard to say and using signs can help bring these words along.