Baby Signing

I did a search and couldnt find anything on the topic, so I apologise in advance if this has been discussed in another thread.

Has anyone sucessfully used baby singing with their infant? For those of you who have not heard of baby signing it is a sign language system that people use with their children to communicate with them prior to them developing language skills.

I went to a class today and thought that it was excellent but wanted to see if any BB's has been using it.

Aparently babies can start to communicate with these signs from an early age (our teacher today said her daughter started using the sign for Milk at 5 months) and that children who have used signing often grow up with expanded vocabulary.

Baby Signing was famously portrayed in the movie "Meet the Fockers" with Ben Stiller and Robert Di Nero. The baby used the signs for Milk, Poo, Sleep and Eat.

Yours thoughts are most welcome!

My sister, a speech and language therapist, teaches baby signing and she'll be teaching me in a few months' time.

Baby Signing means the child learns communication is good - leads to wants/needs being fulfilled - and is more motivated when it comes to being able to talk. Well, that's the theory, and my sister has seen enough of it to back that up! She's very excited I want to do baby signing, but I figure if the baby can ask for a nappy change I don't have to sniff the nappy AT ALL! Yay! Babies are meant to notice the signs around 3m old, well notice that they mean something, and start using them at about 5-6m old, well before they'd be talking.

I'll recommend it too, even though I've not started yet LOL.

I think it was ages ago & might be in archives somewhere now ;) A few of us have used sign with our babies. I only used a few signs with Matilda and I started at 6 months when Matilda was starting solids. We had signs for more, finished, milk, drink, eat(hungry) and one for love. It did take away heaps of frustration with her eating and thats why those signs stuck so well. She still uses them if she's trying to really convince us that she is finished with dinner ;) even though she can communicate well & we are choosing to ignore her....

I am really interested in this and just googled it to see if I could purchase a book! There's nothing on Ebay but I can buy direct from the site. It sounds like a wonderful thing and if I get started using it soon hopefully from 6 months I will see some results!! I love learning new things!! And I love watching Em learn new things even more!!

Wow, that would be so great to start signing to my little one now, but i am scared as he gets older that he will use the signs rather than talk as it is easier! I am interested to find out more....

Yup.. we're going to do it with Tallon. From what I've read on it tho, don't be disappointed if your bub doesn't do anything at 5-6 months, they reckon it's more likely to kick into gear around 9 months.

I've only just started -really- trying to do a few basic signs. It's hard to sign milk tho when I'm holding him ready to feed.. if I do it while he's sitting in his seat he won't associate it with milk! LOL. I'm sure we'll all get the hang of it soon :) I'm doing 'more' between songs that we sing, and when he starts solids, I'll be doing eat. I've done fish & bird (since we have those) but I'm not sure he's quite getting it. hehe.

I find the two-handed signs hard with a little one, coz I'm normally holding him at the time I need to sign it. I'm sure it'll get easier as he sits unassisted and stuff tho.

ETA: I'm using Tiny Talk coz I picked it up at the expo. Has a dvd and flash cards and stuff.

I've been signing to Kynan since he was about 6 months (I think! Can't remember exactly). I only do about half a dozen signs at the moment and he's been able to understand them for ages. He picked up on what the signs meant very quickly! It's only in recent months though that he's started trying to do a couple of the signs himself, like milk & eat.

Ivana, I have the same problem with the 2 handed signs! I only do a couple of 2 handed ones, the others I have changed slightly so I can do them 1 handed.

Teena, I have always been interested with baby sign, and just before Ben was born i bought "Baby Signs, How to talk with your baby before your baby can talk" By Linda Acredolo, Ph.Dd, and Susan Goodwyn, Ph.D. I havent really had time to sit down and read it, but i am very keen to start signing with Ben. I also think Snowy signs with Wolf.
I wish they had signing classes around here, but they dont, which is a shame. so i guess i will have to teach myself. KEEP IN CONTACT, i would love to see how you go!

Thanks for all your thoughts!

I'll let you know how we go. Ive started Allegra with Milk,eat, Mummy and more. I will stick with these for the nest week at least.

Snowy.... log on so you can tell me how you sign with Wolf!

Katie - Will keep you updated!

Newmumlou - I wouldnt be worried about them not learning speach. As Fletch said, you say the word as you sign.

Will continue tomorrow with A!

I've been doing it a bit with ds... am going to try and be more consistent now. He's 10 months old and I have chosen bottle, drink (for water to differentiate from formula), eat, book, sleep, mummy and daddy. They say you should only use a few signs at first.

If you don't want to buy a book there is a free AUSLAN signbank website that you can look up any signs you want. That way you can just choose a few to get started with: auslan.org.au

I've also bought a wall chart from everybabysigns.com.au which has selected signs for babies and young children but is still AUSLAN based.