Other times, eh. She's just too busy while we play to be paying attention, but I sign anyway.
I'm actually surprised how quickly I've picked back up on it. I took a one-semester class of signing in my sophomore year of high school. Despite the length of time between then and now, and although I've only had the little sign book since yesterday, I have been able to sign lots of words to her. I guess I'm kind of a kinesthetic/visual learner. Which I already guessed, but always forget about it until I have to learn something.
Anyway, like I said, it seems like it's helping a lot already. Todays lunch and breakfast went much more smoothly than any of the past week and half. I know you're probably wondering, "Well, yeah. Why didn't you do this earlier?" You want to know the honest truth? A mixture of two things: 1. I didn't want to put out that tiny amount of effort it takes to do it, and 2. I see it as being just the tiniest bit hippy, which turns me off. What can I say? I'm a traditionalist, and most of the time, I'm proud of that. Maybe not in this particular case though.
I have never once believed it would inhibit her ability to speak. Would it delay her speech a little? Maybe. Maybe not. This book actually says 10% of children have a speech delay for one reason or another, and usually it just works itself out. One day, the kid starts talking. Whether or not that's accurate, I still know (as I've known for a long time) that teaching young children two or even three languages to begin with ends up doing nothing other than improving their cognition. The same goes for sign language.
Any thoughts out there?
10 comments:
we also started teaching sterling signs because we weren't getting anything done. his first one was more. he didn't do it like we did it, but i knew what he ment. now that he says yeah, he doesn't sign more, but we've added please and thank you (which he just points to his mouth). the next one sign will be outside.
i have heard nothing but POSITIVE things about baby signing times...have you watched that or heard of it?? You should be able to rent it from your library...although I've heard so many wonderful things about it it might just be worth buying.
Good luck! Hope it helps the frustration. happy early birthday to her...can't believe she is almost one and we have NEVER met her...that is WRONG!!! :)
I taught Aidan to sign please and his verbal skills took an immediate turn for the better! All of a sudden he could speak!!!
Sam was pretty delayed in speech and signing saved us with him. Brodi learned it even though she talks well but uses it to emphasize the things she really, really wants,
We used Baby Signing Times. Both kids caught on quick.
Tiff, sounds like its time for a trip to MoHill for you!
I know, BJ! That's what Mike and I keep telling her! We're not keeping her from visiting us, she just won't come! :)
Baby Signing Times, huh? I'm sure I could find it here.
I was a signing sister on my mission and while I wasn't using it all the time I did learn some things. First, Teaching sign can slow down the speaking ability, but it doesn't have a dramatic influence. Key word "can." But the way I see it one reason it is called the terrible twos is because they cannot communicate and they get frustrated. I would rather be able to communicate with them sooner. As long as you also speak to them and show them letters and words you will be fine.
I say, if you feel like it is working to calm her down, keep doing it. Who cares if it slows down her speech, it probably won't I mean, she is half Conner.
I wouldn't do the baby sign thing, although I know people who love it. I simply don't like it because it isn't real sign language.
Actually Ave, it is actual ASL. It's just words instead of whole sentences. But there are actually some kids who can communicate with deaf adults through their signing.
oh! I was told that the baby sign dvd and books that we have at work do not use the same signs as ASL. I wonder? Will have to look into that.
Well, the one I have is based entirely on ASL. And as far as signs that I knew prior (alphabet and some basic other signs I learned in my high school signing class) it's all the same. The woman who wrote this book was kind of like, "You could teach them made up signs or something, but why when ASL already exists? And made-up signs will be useless once they learn to talk, but real ASL is something they could use if they continued to pursue it." Made sense to me.
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