I can’t begin to tell you how much I love receiving mail and Facebook questions from new parents wanting to validate their efforts and progress and asking for guidance to ensure their babies are exposed to the very best learning opportunities.
We all know not to compare but without comparison it becomes difficult to know if our little ones are meeting age-appropriate milestones. If you have been hard at work teaching your baby how to sign from the day they were born you may want to be in the lookout for these signs of positive progress:
Zero to Three Months
So, you are an early starter and you began signing to baby the day he was born. You sign milk to baby before meals and always reinforce signs like mom and dad through songs and through daily engagements. In fact, while you were on bed rest you memorized the whole Baby Sign Language Teaching Guide and you hope your little one is able to begin communicating even before he is able to hold his little head up. If you are this type of parent I have good and bad news for you. The good news is that your baby is in fact learning. He is thirsty for knowledge and is processing everything that surrounds him. The bad news is that you are unlikely to have a little signer this early in their development. There are precocious outliers who begin signing milk as early as three months but they are exceptions. During this time look for signs like visual focus, smiles and engagement when you sign. Emotional responses show that your little one is beginning to comprehend the sign in context.
Four to Six Months
This is an exciting time in early child development. You will begin to see beautiful milestones associated to sensory responses, motor skills, and communication. Chances are your baby will begin using both hands to explore objects, he will be able to roll tummy to back and back to tummy and you will see significant responses to speech and movement. If you have been signing consistently you are likely to see rudimentary attempts to mimic the sign. For example, when you are signing milk your baby will move his arm and hand and may attempt to open and close it.
Seven to Nine Months
During this period your baby will learn to sit without support allowing you to more comfortably model signs and show him or her flashcards. Chances are there will be increased interest in chunky books and improved focus on near and far objects inviting you to teach signs that have increased complexity as you work together to discover the world. It is not uncommon for babies to begin demonstrating clear signs specifically those related to objects that they see daily such as food, family members and favorite objects like fans. Most of the babies that sign during this period were exposed to signs from birth.
Ten Months to One Year
If you have been anxiously waiting for your little one to have a signing and communication explosion. This is the time that you are likely to encounter beautiful surprises. Your baby will enjoy listening to songs and will visually follow signing associated to sing-alongs. He or she will begin imitating speech and may say words like mama and dada. This is a transitional time where signing serves to provide clarity when your baby is frustrated and in need of something immediate and basic. Try to give your baby new signs relevant to the needs that he or she is likely to face.
One Year & Beyond
While baby sign language is transitional and intended to help the preverbal child you may want to continue signing and expanding their vocabulary. Through exposing them to new signs your baby will have improved fine motor skills and will learn the basics of multilingualism. In is not uncommon for toddlers to learn and use over 100 signs and combine signs together to form phrases and convey concepts.
At www.babysignlanguage.com we have curated the best resources to teach and learn baby sign language. You can select from a basic signing kit to a 12-piece ultra kit that will have your baby signing in no time. Visit our store to find the kit that best works for you.
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