Baby signs

The complete idiot's guide to baby sign language

Signing smart with babies and toddlers

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Baby signs : how to talk with your baby before your baby can talk

Linda Acredolo, and Susan Goodwyn.

New York : McGraw-Hill, c2009.

In 1982, child development experts Linda Acredolo, Ph.D., and Susan Goodwyn, Ph.D., discovered that babies can communicate with simple signs-even before they're able to talk. The result: Baby Signs, the groundbreaking book that has changed parenting forever.

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The complete idiot's guide to baby sign language

by Diane Ryan.

New York : Alpha, c2006.

You've heard about it, read about it, and maybe even seen it featured in a movie. What exactly is this thing called baby sign language? Simply put, baby sign language is a way for parents to communicate with their babies before they can speak by teaching them a few basic gestures or signs. It's a way to bridge the gap between the gurgling stage and the time when babies are actually able to talk. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Baby Signs introduces parents to the 60-80 most common signs non-verbal babies are able to understand and can use to communicate with adults.

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Signing smart with babies and toddlers : a parent's strategy and activity guide

Michelle E. Anthony and Reyna Lindert.

New York : St. Martin's Griffin, 2005.

With simple and effective methods, this book offers practical techniques and activities for communicating with a baby or toddler using easy-to-learn signs. 200 photos #38; 50 line drawings throughout.

Crying, smiling, and cooing are the ways babies know how to communicate their wants and needs. Their vocal cords that willl allow them to speak words clearly are still developing. Infants are smarter than we think. You and your child can communicate before they start talking by using baby signs.

Seven months is a good time to start signing to your baby. Their memory is developed enough to retain the visual sign. Work the signs into the daily routine. You can make any activity an opportunity for signing. Easy ones to start with are eat, drink and more. Repetition helps baby to make the connection between the hand sign, spoken word and object.

You may already be using some hand motions without realizing it. Do you wave bye-bye, nod your head up and down for yes and back and forth for no, or sing along with finger plays such as the Eency Weency Spider. There are many American Sign Language signs that are easy for you to learn and baby to use. Sometimes your family will create signs for special things.

Babies are ready to sign when they show an interest in communicating. They can start the conversation and you can follow their lead in the discussion. Toddlers who sign are less frustrated because they can communicate their wants and needs. Baby signs are not only a great way to communicate with the very young; it can open our eyes to their world.

Article by: St. Louis Public Library staff