Have you considered teaching your baby to sign for ‘Mommy’s Milk’ or any other basic signs? In recent years, the growing trend of teaching babies sign language has become increasingly popular, and for good reason. The natural inclination for babies to gesture and express themselves is innate, and baby sign language can help very young children express their needs and wishes earlier than they could otherwise.
BENEFITS OF BABY SIGN LANGUAGE
Sign language provides the ability to communicate earlier than speech.
Infants from about six months of age can begin to learn the basic signs, which cover objects and concepts such as “milk”, “eat”, “sleep”, and “all done”. These signs are commonly used to alleviate the communication gap and reduce potential frustrations.
Earlier communication can provide psychological benefits, such as enhanced confidence and self-esteem.
Babies and children feel better about themselves when they are able to effectively communicate with the people around them. Parents also feel more confident if they are able to meet their child’s needs and wants.
Learning sign language aids in speech development and language skills.
Baby sign language helps children develop some of the mental processes that are used when speaking. Studies have also shown that signing can lead to greater vocabulary growth. In the 2003 Murkoff Study, it was discovered that 2 year olds who signed as babies appeared to have, on average, a larger vocabulary than babies who did not sign.
Teaching sign language may increase your child’s visual and attention skills.
As sign language is a visual language, it involves the visual and attention skills which are important skills in both learning and social interactions.
Signing with your baby is a wonderful bonding experience.
While signing, the parent and baby are talking, laughing, touching, and recognizing their attempts to see the world together. All of these interactions can help create a special and invaluable bond with your baby.
Are you interested in teaching your baby sign language but don’t know where to begin? Baby Einstein: My First Signs is a great introduction to several common words and phrases in baby’s life, such as “mommy”, “milk”, and “all done”.
