Benefits of Baby Sign Language

Baby Signing Benefits for your infant or toddler

Before child can properly vocalize their wants and needs, they must master very complex actions of the muscles in their face:

Placement of tongue

Formation of lips

Shaping of nasal passage

Controlling of vocal chords

Breathing regulation, etc!

There are so many benefits for a baby utilizing Baby Sign Language it is hard for some enthusiasts to understand why more parents are not teaching their infants this particular form of communication.

Everyone has had moments in their lives when they could not communicate their needs in a way others could understand. The result is a level of frustration beyond compare. Babies are the same as adults in this regard.

Wanting something and being unable to explain what exactly is wanted frequently results in loud crying, utter frustration, and/or tantrums.

So the first benefit of using Baby Sign Language is it gives your baby the ability to express his or her important needs and thoughts.

Additional baby signing benefits:

• Promotes the development of language skills
• Reinforces language skills already developed
• Reduces frustration at not being able to express needs
• Increase speed of spatial reasoning development
• Develops understanding of language for communication of emotions
• Creates feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment
• May increase IQ
• Increases creative thinking
• Teaches a 2nd language that is formally recognized (ASL)
• Reduces unexplainable emotional outbursts
• Increases early literacy skills
• Teaches baby how to start (and participate in) a conversation

Sign language for infants gives babies a way to communicate what they are truly thinking, feeling and/or needing. Because they learn to communicate early, Baby’s mind develops a rapid interest in increasing communication ability.

Thanks to early learning of Baby Sign Language, infants quickly learn to match particular shapes or items with a particular gesture.

When your baby begins to speak, the same skills are used. One gesture means one thing in infant sign language. One word means one concept in baby talk. This enhances spatial relationships and reasoning, and cognitive skills development.

- from Babies & Sign Language

Great Baby Sign Language Animation

This is too cute- Harrison is only 6 months, but I guess it's never too early to start doing the signs!! He also thinks it's HILARIOUS when I ask him if he wants more using the sign when he's eating. Plus it gets him to open his mouth! =) Not like he needs the help usually, he's a little piglet at eating time. Anyway, check it out! Happy Signing!