Step Two:
Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

The secret to learning Baby Sign Language is lots of repetition. To teach your baby those first few baby signs, you need to give him lots of exposure to the signs. That means doing the signs over and over. With a lot of repetition, your baby will quickly learn his first few signs. This is done through:

• Daily Routines – Integrating signing in your daily life.
• Creating Opportunities – Giving you child more opportunities to learn.
• Baby-Initiated Signing – Being guided by your baby’s interest in signing.

1. Introduction

Children in deaf families routinely sign at six months’ old. What is their secret? Repetition! A child with deaf parents or siblings is constantly getting exposure to signing. This section will show you how to ensure your baby receives frequent exposure to signing in the context of your home.

Research by Dr. Joseph Garcia, one of the founders of Baby Sign Language, found that a typical baby starting at seven months’ old needs just two months of solid repetition and exposure to a sign to start using it – a lot faster than walking and talking. So keep doing lots of repetition and before you know it, you will both be signing up a storm with your child.

When to Start

A good time to start Baby Sign Language is at six to nine months. At that age, babies start to be really receptive to signs, and you are almost certain to see some signing back in the next ten weeks.

You can, of course, start even earlier. You can even do prenatal Baby Sign Language if you want! Babies whose parents begin teaching them signing at birth will learn a little quicker, but you do need to be more patient because you will have to sign to them for longer. You may be lucky enough to have your child be an early signer, but you should not expect results before your baby is at least seven months’ old.

Timing Your Signs

There are three times when you can perform the sign: before, during, and after the event you are trying to communicate. Try to do all three. For example, if you want to teach the baby sign for dog, first make the sign as the dog approaches, then as the dog comes to your baby, and then again as the dog leaves.

Line of Sight

You will need to keep your signs in your baby’s field of vision. Try to wait until your baby’s gaze and attention comes toward you; you may need to re-position yourself or your baby so that you are between him and the subject. There is no need to try to force the issue if your baby is distracted. Don’t worry, your baby’s attention will return to you eventually, and you will have lots of other chances to make the sign.

3. Creating Opportunities

In addition to the signs you will use in day-to-day life, you can create opportunities to sign less-common signs. You can read books, sing songs, or do flash cards to teach these signs. For example, while reading a board book about animals, you may get several opportunities to make animal signs that you would not encounter in everyday life.

Start Signing with the Baby Sign Language Kit

Our award-winning Baby Sign Language Kit gets your baby signing faster.

• DVDs – baby learns to sign while being entertained by the music of Rachel Coleman & the Signing Time Crew
• Flash Cards – extend baby’s vocabulary to topics like household items and animals with these sturdy flash cards
• Teaching Guide – covers advanced topics for faster results, potty training, and transitioning to speech
• Signing Dictionary – always have the right sign at your fingertips to satisfy your child’s curiosity
• Wall Chart – help grandparents, babysitters, and caregivers understand the basic signs

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