How To Incorporate Baby Sign Language To Early Child Development Curriculums

June 25, 2019 by Mey Lau

Whether you are a curriculum planner for a large educational organization or you run your own small daycare operations, including baby sign language in your curriculum has become the norm. Parents have come to expect pre-verbal communication in order to facilitate transitions from home care to school settings. There is also the comfort of knowing that a baby or toddler is better equipped to communicate needs even before they are able to use oral language.

If you have been looking for seamless ways to include baby sign language in your daily interactions as well as your planned curriculum, take note of the following ideas:

Use Ready-Made Baby Sign Language Materials

If you are an educator, you have probably realized that time is a scarce asset. Your focus should be aimed at teaching and not at reinventing the wheel. When possible, use tried and tested materials that are kid-friendly and easy to use. We love the flexibility of our heavy-duty cardboard flashcard set. The set contains 52 signs that set the stage for language acquisition. The same set can be used from birth all the way to kindergarten as a tool for learning how to sign, learning how to associate images to words, learning about groupings, and learning basic sight words.

Introduce Age-Appropriate Signing Games

Once a toddler initiates engagement, it will be pretty easy to incorporate signing in activities like group dynamics, sign the object, and be the fastest to sign. As the child matures as far as motor skills are concerned, you will be able to engage in far more complex games that will help in their development as well as language acquisition.

Use Multimedia

Need a moment? Getting kiddos ready for their nap? Consider taking advantage of our DVD collection. The songs are simple, the graphics are soothing, and before you know it, the kids will begin to recognize everyday signs in context.

Be Contextual

Being contextual and utilitarian in your approach is the best way to teach both verbal skills and sign language. Teach your little ones to use signing to convey their needs such as potty break, or stressors like being tired or hungry.

If you need additional guidance or want us to help you access baby sign language resources for schools at a wholesale price, please reach out at [email protected].

Overwhelmed Parents Rejoice! Less Can Sometimes Mean More

March 19, 2019 by Mey Lau

Make Happiness Your Goal

Parenting is a hard and beautiful journey. If you are now in a season of your life where you simply don’t have enough time, enough hands or enough sleep make it a choice to make things simple. Make happiness your goal by eliminating everything that is secondary to contentment. Make today about today.

Use Things As Tools For Learning

Take advantage of things you already have. From using clothes to teach your child about colors to sorting plastic dishes to learn about shapes and sizes. Daily use things are far more relevant than toys. Take advantage of what you already have

Select Didactic Resources

Pick toys, books and programs that are durable and will grow with your child. When we designed our flash cards our goal was to provide parents and educators with a durable tool that could help in language acquisition, vocabulary development, color recognition, identifying opposites and sorting groups. Our cards can be used from birth all the way to the first years of elementary education. Similarly, when you purchase toys select objects of engagement that can grow with your child. We are particularly fond of toys that invite our little ones to a world of imagination. Model figures, clays, coloring pens and building blocks are among our favorites.

Engage With The Environment

Spend time taking your child outside and expose them to journeys of discovery. Take time to explore textures, shapes and smells and you introduce your little one to new ideas to better their understanding of the world that surrounds them.

Involve Others

Your baby is a social creature. Gift them with social engagement by participating in play groups, reading groups and family activities. Provide them the opportunity to share, lead and explore the uniqueness of other people in their world.

At www.babysignlanguage.com we take pride in providing thoughtful materials to help your baby grow and learn. Take a moment to browse our baby sign language store

Eight, Healthy, Lucky, Fun & Green St. Patrick’s Signs We Need To Learn Today

February 16, 2019 by Mey Lau

This has been the fastest year ever. It seems like Spring sprung on us without ever having experienced Winter. So here we are, everything is greening up and trees have begun to blossom. If you are like us, you have started to look for photo opportunities to include in your Easter cards and you are absolutely thrilled about spending more time outdoors.

St. Patrick’s day is mainly an adult affair around our house but the kiddos are not fully forgotten. We make time for crafts, bake green bread and we always make it a point to buy awesome green shirts for our annual St. Patrick’s family photo.

To help you celebrate, we put together a list of signs that capture the color and the spirit of this festivity. Let’s get busy teaching our little ones magically green signs that will add to their ability to convey what they love most.

Grass
We love the idea of learning the sign for grass. It will be useful all season long and super fun when we get ready for our Easter hunt.

Green

We teach colors by grouping various objects of the same color and a single object of a contrasting color.

Hat

This is another favorite in our home. For St. Patrick’s day we buy glittery green hats. We love learning this sign because hats will come handy daily as the sun gets brighter and we will have plenty of opportunity to practice.

Leaf
Leaf is another super favorite green sign. We are lucky to live in a rural area and often pick up a few leaves to feed our neighbor’s alpaca.

Lettuce
If you have picky eaters like we do, lettuce may just be one of their favorite veggies. We use lettuce to replace bread and tortillas in many of our household recipes. Signing lettuce is super fun and super easy.

Peas
Peas are one of the first cooked vegetables we introduced to our little ones. We love the sign and teach it early on.

Turtle
We have a green turtle named Jackeline. She is our world and our babies love her.

Rainbow
We so love telling our toddlers about a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Each St. Patrick’s we draw rainbows in the tub using washable paint as we talk about all the good treasures one can find if you really look hard.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

If you found this information useful, check out our award winning baby sign language kit. It includes more than 600 signs, covers advanced teaching methods for faster results, and includes fun teaching aids like flash cards.

The Deluxe Baby Sign Language Kit, bundles together everything you need to get started with signing in one box, at a steep discount. The kit includes: (1) Baby Sign Language Guide Book; (2) Baby Sign Language Dictionary: (3) Baby Sign Language Flash Cards; and (4) Baby Sign Language Wall Chart.

Baby Sign Language Guide Book shows you how to teach your child how to sign. The book begins with a Quick Start Guide that will teach you your first signs and having you ready to sign in 30 minutes. As your baby progresses, you can delve into more advanced topics like combining signs to make phrases, using props, and transitioning to speech. (Regularly $19.95)

Baby Sign Language Dictionary contains over 600 signs including the most common words, the alphabet and numbers. The dictionary helps you expand your child’s vocabulary, and has the breadth of coverage that lets you follow any child’s natural interests. Each sign is illustrated with two or more diagrams, showing you the starting position, the ending position, and intermediate motion. This makes learning new signs easy. (Regularly $19.95)

Baby Sign Language Flash Cards include 52 sturdy board (4×6 inches) flash cards, covering a variety of basic signs. The flash cards allow you to teach words, such as animal names, that Baby is not exposed to in everyday life. The face of the flash cards shows the word and image for the child. The back of the flash cards show how the sign is performed, a handy reminder for the adult. (Regularly $24.95)

Baby Sign Language Wall Chart includes 22 basic signs, and makes a handy reminder for caregivers. The Baby Sign Language Wall Chart covers basic signs, like eat, drink, and sleep. Hang the poster in Baby’s Nursery to help babysitters, or other occasional caregivers learn and decode the most commonly used baby signs. (Regularly $9.95)

100% Signing Guarantee

Your baby signs to your complete satisfaction, or you get a full refund.

No questions. No time limits. No regrets.

Baby Sign Language Guide Book

Learn the best techniques for effectively teaching baby sign language. Including:

• Quick Start Guide – learn the first 10 signs and the basic principles required to start teaching your baby to sign (Chapter 1).

• Advanced Teaching Methods – use teaching aids like books, flash cards, and toys to keep lessons interesting and challenging (Chapter 5).

• Phrases – teach your baby to combine signs and communicate more complex thoughts (Chapter 6).

• Taming the Terrible Twos – reduce frustration and tantrums by enabling your toddler to communicate (Chapter 7).

• Transitioning to Speech – use sign language to expedite and improve speech development (Chapter 8).

Sarah learned her first 10 signs at six month and it made our lives much easier. Instead of screaming, she could tell us when she was hungry, thirsty, or tired. She learned another 50 signs by nine months and that was a blast. Now she is talking much earlier than the other children in her preschool and we think it is because of her signing.

We can’t imagine missing out on all the little things she shared with baby sign language. Thank You!

– Bennett & Melissa Z., CA

Pediatrician Approved

“It’s easy to see why so many parents swear by it, why child care centers include it in their infant and toddler classrooms, and why it has become so commonplace as an activity of daily learning … we approve.”

Heading Home With Your Newborn (Second Edition)

Dr. Laura A. Jana MD FAAP & Dr .Jennifer Shu MD FAAP

American Academy of Pediatricians

Baby Sign Language Flash Cards

52 high quality flash cards (4 x 6″). Featuring:

• Clean Images – real life pictures, isolated on a white background to make learning easier.

• Signs on the Rear – diagrams on the back illustrating the signign motion in case you need a reminder.

• Baby Friendly – printed on thick stock so little hands can play with the cards and they will live to play another day.

I was thrilled to see how easy the signs were for Abigail (3) and Eden (21 months). Much to my surprise they could figure out many of the signs from the flashcards on their own.

– Carrie P., TX

Study: Signing Enriches

“The Sign Training group told us over and over again … [signing] made communication easier and interactions more positive.”

“these data demonstrate clearly that … [signing] … seems to “jump start” verbal development”

“can facilitate and enrich interactions between parent and child”

Impact of Symbolic Gesturing on Early Language Development

Dr. Susan Goodwyn, Dr. Linda Acredolo, & Dr. Catherine Brown

Journal of Nonverbal Behavior

Baby Sign Language Dictionary

The Baby Sign Language Dictionary includes :

• Words (500+) – learn signs for nearly every topic of interest.

• Letters – sign the alphabet and teach basic spelling.

• Numbers (0-10) – introduce counting and basic mathematics.

Nicholas loves his signs and it lights up our lives every time he shares one of his little secrets. He is so observant, and we would miss it all without the signs.

– Donald Family, NY

Baby Sign Language Wall Chart

The full color wall chart (24 x 36″) includes 17 everyday signs. Use the wall chart for:

• Caregivers – help babysitters and other caregivers learn the basic signs so they can understand baby’s signs.

• Family – teach family the basic signs so they can join in the fun.

Everyone thought I was nuts when I started. A month later, all my friends saw Michelle’s first signs. Then they wanted to know how they could start.

Michelle is talking now and doesn’t sign much anymore, but it gave her a headstart over other children her age. Everyone says she talks like a three year old. Now she is helping me teach her baby brother Jordan how to sign.

– Adelaide S., CA

Study: Better in School

A group of second graders who signed as infants, performed better academically than a control group six years later. The signers had a 12 IQ point advantage.

Longterm Impact of Symbolic Gesturing During Infancy at Age 8

Dr. Linda P. Acredolo (Professor, U.C. Davis)

Dr. Susan W. Goodwyn (Professor, California State University)

100% No Regret Guarantee

Your baby loves signing, or a full refund.

As you can tell, we love Baby Sign Language. It transformed the way we interacted with our children, and we want every family to have the opportunity. Baby Sign Language will make a difference for your child. Give it a try.

If for any reason you aren’t completely blown away, we will cheerfully give you a complete refund, including standard shipping. No time limit. We are that confident!

Fine Motor, Speech, Language And Hearing Milestones For Your Baby

January 14, 2019 by Mey Lau

Feeling Sad & Disconnected? Here is How Baby Sign Language Can Help

January 12, 2019 by Mey Lau

Beyond Benefiting Your Baby

When we think about the benefits of baby sign language for pre-verbal infants we always shift our focus to the little ones learning how to communicate before they are ready for speech. At the heart of any baby sign language program we all have their welfare in mind but we cannot discount the collateral benefits from engaging in a baby sign language structured learning program. To me one of the most life-transforming benefits of signing is found in the opportunity to bond with your baby through interactions that demand our full attention and engagement. If you are struggling with postpartum depression here are four ways that baby sign language can help you through your journey.

Baby Signs Give You a Sense of Measurable Progress

If you are a first-time mom milestones are challenging and difficult to measure. Teaching your baby how to sign rewards you from the very start. From the moment you gain eye contact and receive responsive smiles to the very first sign your baby is able to model.

Baby Signs Gives You The Opportunity to Connect With Structure

Mothering when you are feeling down can be extremely challenging. Every task can become overwhelming and you cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel. If you are already under the care of a medical professional and you have family support to help with your little one try to engage in 10 minute sessions of intense learning and engagement. You will find that having a sense of completion will help and encourage you immensely.

Baby Signs Reduces Frustration

Having a baby that is able to communicate basic needs even before he or she can talk can significantly minimize frustration and reduce the likelihood of a meltdown. A baby that is happy and has their needs met will help you have a sense of control over your circumstances. Begin with simple signs aimed at needs and comforts such as food, rest and hygiene. Later you can advance to signs based on your little one’s preferences

Baby Signs Allow You a Break in Your Routine

As a full time caregiver you are often plagued with a deep awareness that you no longer have the opportunity to sit and rest. Spending 15 minutes on the couch watching a Baby Signing Times video can give you the much needed rest while keeping your little one engaged.

Some of our kits contain interactive toys to help you engage even when you don’t feel like you can. Often through role-play with finger puppets and other toys we are able to achieve a level of connection that is otherwise not possible.

We know that life can sometimes get difficult, we also know that all seasons come to an end. If you are struggling with the Baby Blues we encourage you to seek out help. With proper treatment and lots of support the Sun will shine once again. We promise!