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! At Sunny Signers all ages are welcome as our classes focus on teaching parents to use the signs confidently at home - our babies range from newborn to pre-school. They may not sign back until they are physically able, but you will definitely see a response from them before this if you sign regularly and consistently.

 

When will my baby start to sign back to me?

All babies are different and so there is no magical fixed time. Physically they are able to sign when their little hands are able to point, wave and pick up small objects. It all depends on the baby and the amount of signs they are exposed to so getting family and carers involved helps enormously.

 

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. They will still sign for a while when they’re tired or want to get their point across if they haven’t got the words. Signing with older children is a fabulous tool for when a  new brother or sister comes along as the older siblings signs will be a lot more effective than yours!