If you are new to baby sign language and you are visiting us to find practical solutions and enhanced methods to accelerate learning we want to share with you a few tips. These tips worked for us and have worked for hundreds of parents and educators around the world. Give them a try, we are confident your baby will be signing in no time.
Pick Signs That Match Your Child’s Interest & Curiosity
This is one of the most useful tips we can give. Relevance matters when it comes to signing. Even if you have the whole deck of baby sign language flashcards select and prioritize the ones that matter most to your little one. You could include favorite foods such as milk and cookie or objects of interest such as fan or light.
Refrain from Random Signing:Keep it Contextual
Signing out of context when you are simply saying the word is not helpful. Make sure the child receives visual, auditory and tactile feedback when learning the sign. For example, you could have the baby hold a fruit while you sign it. Or you could use visual queues such as flashcards of model toys. Use food signs during meals and bath signs while giving baby his bath.
Don’t Overwhelm Your Little One
Pick a few signs and use them frequently until baby masters each sign. Having many signs for complex concepts that baby does not yet understand only leads to slower learning and frustration. As baby masters new words you can add new ones while still practicing the ones he already knows.
Use The Tools Available to You
Videos and songs as well as read-alongs create a great opportunity for repetition-based learning. Having and playing the basic signing time videos and singing songs with relevant signs while on the road sets the stage for very successful learning. Give it a try!
