There
will be many times during the day that you only have one free hand to use to
sign with your baby. Many times you may be holding your baby at the same time
that you want to show her a sign. Remember that your baby is perceptive enough
to understand a sign that normally requires two hands but is made with one hand
as long as you also take the time to make the same sign with two hands at other
times during the day. The best time to teach your baby to sign and use both of
your hands is while watching the video together.
Share books with your baby
Babies who sign at a young age show a higher level of interest in books than
their non-signing peers. This is most likely because they can interact with
their parents while looking at books. You can select books that include your
baby's favorite objects and then offer her the sign whenever you say the word
for the object. Watch your baby's eyes to see the images that she is most
attracted to in the book, comment on the image, offer the sign for the image
and then allow time for her to respond.
Recognize and respond to your baby's signs
Whenever your baby asks for something with a sign you should immediately reward
her by fulfilling her request. If for some reason you cannot give her what she
is asking for then make sure that you reward your baby in some other way and
make it clear to her that you understand what she asked for.
Likewise, every time you believe that your baby is attempting to sign to you,
you should reward her for her attempts. If you are not sure of the sign that
she is making then you can ask her with words and signs to help you to
understand better. For example, "Are you making the sign for 'shoes' or are you
making the sign for 'socks'?" Remember to present the words and signs at the
same time.
Above all be patient, offer a great deal of praise and make
learning fun
It is important to remember that your baby is very much like you are only with
fewer experiences. Your baby will learn to sign more quickly if she enjoys the
process of learning and she is consistently rewarded for every attempt to
communicate with you in this way. The more fun that you both have with signing
together the more motivated your baby will be to want to learn more. Remember
that this is not about the number of signs that your baby learns or how
perfectly your baby makes signs but the ability to communicate with you before
she is able to speak. Laugh, play and smile - your baby is talking to you!
