Jessica
McGlynn
July 8,
2007
Benefits of Baby Sign
Language
Teaching infants Sign Language has become an
increasingly common method among hearing families. Parents
are beginning to teach their babies signs for a number of
reasons, which aid both parents and their child in the
crucial developmental stage of life. Studies have shown
major benefits that come as a result of teaching infants
American Sign Language at a very young age. (Garcia, 1999)
Studies performed by the National Institute of
Health have found many long and short-term benefits of
teaching Sign Language to children at an early age. Sign
Language allows for infants to communicate very early in
life, much earlier than the child will be able to express
sufficient speech. Signing reduces frustration as children
can let parents know what they are feeling or wanting
without constant crying and aggravation with
miscommunication. Signs can also let you know if your child
is hurt or sick and what precisely they are feeling, which
can be a vital asset. Using sign language allows for more
bonding and interaction that comes with communication and
allows for the parent and child to have a closer
relationship early on. (Briant, 2004) Teaching a child Sign
Language stimulates multiple areas of the brain whereas
speech alone merely exercises one area. Using speech as well
as signs can enhance the child's understanding of the word.
Another major advantage of teaching a child American Sign
Language includes the fact that studies have shown that
those who learned to sign at a young age had a higher
Intelligence Quota of twelve points than children who did
not learn to sign. (Watson, 2006)
Some of the more personal advantages of using
signs include getting an earlier glimpse into the world
through your baby's eyes as they begin to communicate their
understanding and interpretation of the world around them to
you. You can also realize how smart your child really is as
they share an early glance into their mind and feelings with
you. (Briant, 2004) In fact, research has shown that
infants are more clever and understanding than we may think
at their early age. They begin to learn nearly immediately
after birth and the first few months are a vital stage of
learning development. Signs are also communicated through
vision, of which around ninety percent of information is
received. Signing allows babies to communicate and express
their needs and feelings long before they have developed the
ability to speak (Garcia, 1999)
There are also some specific benefits of
American Sign Language that a child will receive. While
enhancing learning and communication, your baby will also be
learning another language, which is an enormous perk. Sign
Language can be used later on in life as their sign
vocabulary expands to communicate with other people who are
familiar with that language. Additionally, parents will be
able to publicly give specific words or instructions to
their child such as "stop", "sit down", or "time to go"
without noise or the possible distractions but still
communicate a clear phrase to their child that can be easily
understood. (Watson, 2006)
One of the primary concerns of teaching signs is that it
will impede a child's speech development. This should not
be a concern because learning American Sign Language at an
early age has actually been shown to support talking sooner
and with a greater comprehension and communication than
children that did not use signs. (Garcia, 1999)
In conclusion, teaching a baby Sign Language at an early age
can help them to communicate earlier and includes numerous
benefits. American Sign Language, when taught early on, can
enhance intelligence, development, bonding, comprehension,
interaction, and easier communication resulting in
invaluable advantages to both parents and child.
References
1.
Briant, M. (2004). Baby Sign Language Basics.
Carlsbad, California: Hayhouse, Inc.
2.
Garcia, J. (1999). Sign with your Baby: How to
Communicate with Infants before They Can Speak. Seattle,
Washington: Northlight Communications. Bellingham,
Washington: Stratton Kehl Publications.
3.
Watson, J. (2006). Baby Signing for Dummies.
Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley Publishing, Inc.