Benefits
The benefits of signing with baby are vast. Baby sign language
has been shown to be very beneficial to a baby’s language
development. Babies are able to express themselves through
baby sign from as early as 6 months. They are able, therefore,
to communicate earlier than their vocal skills will allow
them.
Baby sign language has been shown to accelerate speech. Most
babies do not combine two-word communication until the age
of two, whereas it is claimed that signing babies use two-word
communication as early as 14 months.
It has been said that the use of baby sign language may increase
IQ. A study spanning more than eight years, conducted by Dr.
Linda Acredolo and Dr. Susan Goodwyn (funded by the National
Institutes of Child Health and Human Development) found that
hearing children, who had signed as babies, had a mean IQ
of 114 compared to 102 for non-signers.
Signing can stimulate the brain development - learning sign
language involves both sides of the brain compared to learning
a spoken language, where only one side of the brain is used.
Resulting in the building of more cerebral synapses.
Sign language can help improve memory, as babies are getting
a visual through the sign used in conjunction with hearing
the word, they are more likely to remember the meaning of
that word.
Babies love being able to communicate more effectively with
their parents and caregivers and enjoy being more easily understood
- thus reducing tantrums that are often associated with the
terrible twos and before!
Introducing babies to Auslan (Australian Sign Language) through
baby sign, they are learning the nationally recognised language
used by the deaf and hard of hearing community. Auslan is
used in many child care centres and schools and children will
be able to communicate these signs with Auslan users in later
life.
Baby signing is also beneficial for older toddlers who are
already talking but may not have the full vocabulary they
require to make their needs more easily understood. Introducing
signs at this stage can reduce tantrums brought on by frustration.
What Babies like:
• Being able to communicate with you
• Having fun with signing and song
• Enjoyment of being more easily understood
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