How did you teach LO sign language?

WinesNot Whines

I tried to teach LO a sign for "milk" and it sort of worked, but not really -- he can do the sign perfectly, but now he does it ALL the time for everything! I don't think he understands what it means, or maybe he came up with his own meaning that I don't understand. Do you have any tips for doing this? At what age did your LO really understand signing?

doggylovr

thats what ds did in the beginning, it is good that he is using hte sign.  I started signing basic signs at 6 months and then he learned "more" first and now he has about a dozen signs.  Just keep doing it all the time and LO will get it.  He began signing back to us about 10 months but it wasn't until after 12 months that he became real good at it...he gets complimented on it all the time when out in public

JKM416

My mom used to work at a school for deaf children, and she bought us the Baby Signing Time DVDs.  They were easy to learn from, and then it was just repetition, repetition, repetition.  Saying the word verbally while signing it and demonstrating the object or action (which I'm sure you're already doing) is what worked for us, especially when we could show two different ones at the same time.  For example, DS was using the "milk" sign for anything to drink, so we'd get him a cup of milk and one of water and do the separate signs while offering each one so he could learn through comparison.

DD picked up on signs faster and earlier than DS did, becoming pretty proficient before her first birthday (when she was also saying plenty of words verbally).  DS took longer to show interest in signs, but he still uses them now because his vocabulary is limited.  I'd had the concern that using signs all the time could delay language development, but it doesn't seem to have had an effect on either kid, either way.

mommmyz

Both my MIL and FIL are deaf, so teaching signs was a requirement for us, because they are a big part of ds's life. We started using signs around 6 months, and have a baby signing DVD kit that MIL gave us, that she recommended. It says that the optimal time is around 8 months. We really didn't have him watch the DVD's, we watched it more for our knowledge, but it is something he can watch eventually. DH of course knows TONS of signs, from growing up, but teaching DS has been really helpful for my learning too!

Like pp said, it was really all about repitition. I think it's great that he's using the sign, even if it is for anything! Our first few were more, milk, and up. DS was a tad bit behind language wise, but I don't think it was because of signing. He didn't really use sign a ton either until 14 months, I think he was just late with his expressive language in general. I actually think signing helped him realize that any type of communicaton coud help him get what he needed, so it helped with his talking. MIL and FIL both sign constantly the entire time they are around him (they both speak pretty well too and read lips), and he is so fascinated!

 

tomandcourt

It's a lot of repetition, and pairing the sign with the meaning. So, J signs "more," "eat," "all done," "bath," and "please." (I think that's it.)

For "more": we would ask/sign "J, do you want MORE?" (sign over and over while showing him MORE food)

For "eat": same deal except showing food

For "all done": we would pull his tray away/move food out of reach

For "bath": we would start saying/signing when he saw us running water, and throughout the process - he picked this one up REALLY quick

For "please": I decided I was going to make him say or sign "please" when he wanted a pacifier. So he would point to it and I would tell him to say PLEASE while signing it, over and over. Man he got mad. Now he says it every time, and for other things if prompted, although sometimes I worry he thinks the word for pacifier is please.

Amalah has a good column on it in her Advice Smackdown.