Baby signing. Anyone tried it?

[peachandpear]

There is apparently, a new baby signing craze out now. (for perfectly able hearing babies by the way). Has anyone, done it. Does it work? Does is delay their speech at all?

I used it with DS2 who had a cleft palate so delayed speech was expected. He's just 2 now and mixes signs and words but using signs saved us from a lot of fustrations and temper tamtrums as he coul tell me what he wanted. I'd recommend it for any child, regardless of ability.

My dp spoke to a couple who had used it with their ds since he was about 6 months old and they said it was wonderful. They reckoned that they had a much happier and contented baby because he wasn't frustrated at trying to 'cry' for whatever he wanted.

dp wants us to try it when our next one is born but I'm not convinced!!

How old is the baby when he/she starts to sign back?

We did it with both of ours. It wasn't hard work, and added an extra dimension to the way that they could communicate with us. DS (23 months) still uses some of the signs at the same time as saying the words, especially 'more' and 'please'. I think we started doing the signs when they were about 7 or 8 months old, and they started signing back around 11 or 12 months. We didn't do huge amounts of signs - mostly the basics - more, milk, drink, food, please, sleep, change (for change nappy), thank you, aeroplane, big, small.
It's also very useful for asking your partner to get you a drink when they're out of earshot.

I've been to a few classes, but the problem is I'm too lazy to put it into practice at home, so no signing back from ds yet. Also, I'd find it pretty hard to learn enough signs to really make it useful - e.g. to distinguish different types of food.

I started baby signing with dd (8 months) a couple of weeks ago. I only sign a few things like milk, food, cat (as the cat is always around). At the moment she just smiles at me when I sign - I think she thinks I've gone a bit mad. Apparently it takes about 6 weeks for them to start signing back, depending on their age. Someone recommended www.tinytalk.co.uk to me. It should answer all of your questions.

My husband's colleague has been signing with his dd for about a year and he swears by it. She is 18 months now and hardly ever cries because she can tell them what she wants most of the time with signs.

yeah - it's fab! We used it a bit with ds2, from when he was about 9 months - just a few words - "more" was a v. popular one! Didn't delay his speech at all - he talks non stop and is 19 months. Even now sometimes he'll use a sign when saying the word, so don't worry about speech delay - if they want to talk, they'll talk!

used it with dd starting at 6 months, and she started to sign back at 8 months(roughly- as they are still kinda "clumsy" at that age, if you didnt know to loook for the signs, you wouldnt have noticed she was doing them)

She was always advanced in her speech and I think that signing (and reading to her) helped a lot.

We just used basics - hungry, drink, more, sleepy, sore and play.

Shes 3 on monday, and we still use the sign for toilet as she is only just potty trained (more discreet than asking her every half hour if she needs the potty, as she seems quite shy about it)

A baby at Toddlers does it. Apparently the diamond shape we normally make in twinkle twinkle is the sign for women's rude bits...

Lol....thats true, SM. I used a few signs with DD from about six months, and she used 'down' and 'stop' very soon after during meal times - saving a lot of frustration.

Have done it with my dd since she was 6 months she is now 13 months and can sign hungry, more, duck, drink, pain, where, pig no and all gone and can understand more than that. Her speech seems to be coming on OK as the fundamental is that you don't just use the sign but always use the word too which encourages the speech.
It is a good class to go to too as there is some singing and music involved as well as the siging (I went to sing and sign).
HTH

Have done it with my dd since she was 6 months she is now 13 months and can sign hungry, more, duck, drink, pain, where, pig no and all gone and can understand more than that. Her speech seems to be coming on OK as the fundamental is that you don't just use the sign but always use the word too which encourages the speech.
It is a good class to go to too as there is some singing and music involved as well as the siging (I went to sing and sign).
HTH

We went to tiny talk and it's brill. DS2 is now 22 months and babbles away. The amount of frustration it saved when he couldn't vocalise what he wanted but could sign, was great.

He even invented some of his own signs, for words we hadn't learnt for plane and cold.

Absoltely amazing!!

Hi.
I start teaching classes in January. I have been so blown away at how fabtastic it is that I am almost evangelical about it If you can't get to a class it doesn't matter you can get books from the library or even buy a DVD.

My son is a right little hot head, he has calmed down so much since he was able to communicate with me - there has been no guessing since he was about 13 months old - he signs what he wants/is feeling or loves - he wasn't fast to pick it up either there were several baby girls who were signing in sentences at about 13/14 months which really impressed me. Ds is now 18 months and gesturing away like a pro.

It doesn't delay speech at all and is in fact the bridge to talking as you never sign in silence. Think of words that babies learn really early on such as bye-bye - they learn the gesture first usually then the accompanying word.

Hi, I started teaching my ds, now 18 months old, to sign from about 9 months - I used the dvd from Sing and Sign.... he didn't sign back until he was about 10 and half months old. I was stunned when one day he signed, 'more'. I nearly cried!! . My three other children were showing him the basic signs, milk, more, eat, water with me and I'm sure that helped too.

I did get some funny looks out shopping though!! I'm onto the Sing and Sign 2nd DVD now, and he loves it!! We're learning the signs for animals and different types of food - I can't recommend Baby Signing high enough - my little boy only cries when he is tired and then he does the sign for 'sleep'.

IT IS WONDERFUL - so sorry I didn't teach my others when they were little. I feel Baby Signing should be highly recommended by Health Visitors for everyone's sanity!

Wow. Sounds brill. Really want to try it. Have read the www.tinytalk.co.uk. Wish I knew about it with DS1, his speech was quite delayed and the frustration both him and we had was awful trying to communicate with him! Where do you get the DVDs from and what are they called?

I'd get a book from the library first with the main 10/20 signs you could try first.

Whats the title of the book and who is it by? I am feeling quite excited about this now....... want to start it right away!!!

Ahhh I'm really pleased for you, if you're consistent your heart will melt when you get your first sign back. I don't have a particular book in mind but if you ask at the library for books for signing/babies using BSL or Makaton they should point you in the right direction!

Hi - I'm hoping to do this soon and would love to know which books,dvd/vids anyone would recommedn. In the meantime Peachandpaer have a look here - www.britishsignlanguage.com - they have mini vidoes that work without broadband to show you how to do some signs.

this looks fabulous

baby sign book

peachandpear there are lots of threads on all types of baby signing on here. I did it with my dd and it was fab , she started doing them back at around 12mths. There are classes held all around the country. It is a wonderful way to communicate.

ahh ding dong thats the book I used for dd and she still likes me reading it now an shes 27mths. Its very good starting book. Lovely simple illustration

Brilliant - Thanks for that.

How lovely I think I may buy it myself even though it's not from the stable I'll be teaching stuff from.

Looks really fab.