Sign Language for Babies – Sure it is possible to teach!
Why Sign Language is used and for what reason?
Just like the rest of the languages, sign language is also one of the most important way of communication. It is a body language which is performed through hands by pointing or performing an action. Sign language is also being understood by lip-reading most often, depending on the proper or clear articulation.
People with hearing difficulties, people having Autism, deaf and mute people are the ones who are in need of knowing sign language. Now surrounding those people in need, their family, friends and school teachers and even class mates also feel the need to learn sign language so that they should be better able to communicate with one another. However, in most cases disabled individuals are provided with an interpreter who could translate into sign language.
Why Sign language for babies are important at an early age?
Teaching our baby sign language is one of the most important thing we could do to facilitate them in order to better communicate with the rest of their school friends or classmates who are deaf or mute. Doing so, the ones who are speaking in sign language will have good friends and good company and will never feel themselves alone or separate.
Beside teaching our baby sign language at their early age, we should also explain to them that they should never mock the ones with disabilities. We should explain and make our children understand that mocking or teasing the ones with disabilities, is like an unforgivable sin. Many young adults have lost their lives due to this. Our children should and must know that God has created each and every single individual uniquely. Each individual has been created with different talents, different capacities of learning and understanding.
The body and brain functionalities, capability of grasping information, being able to express oneself and many other known or maybe unknown factors cause them being different from the rest of other people. Doesn’t matter if they are deaf! Doesn’t matter if they are mute but they are still a human just like we are.
We need to teach our children not to judge quickly. We need to teach them to feel in depth the others and know in depth before judging quickly. I am sure if they are explained properly, they would never mock or bully or tease the people with disabilities. Here is a very interesting and educational video I would like to share with you about baby sign language. It teaches sign language through beautiful and fun songs for babies.
Why teaching sign language to a deaf baby is important at an early age?
If we teach deaf babies sign language at an early age, they will have their entire life to practice more by each day and progress. Whereas if they have the opportunity to learn sign language later in their life for some reason; they will for sure miss out a world of knowledge and lack communication where ever needed in those moments of their life.
At the same level that early education is important for babies, sign language is also that much important. If our baby knows how to sign, it is going to help them remain included in the conversations. However, if they are not able to sign, they will feel excluded from the group. Not only excluded but also that will affect their self-esteem. Besides, they will be able to resolve their own daily tasks without facing any difficulties and challenges.
My real life facts about Sign Language:
About five years ago I had a classmate who was deaf and also mute. She was studying with me in one of the courses during summer. Later on I found out that she had a daughter too. She had her own family. She used to be very smart, intelligent and very quick learner. She used to have her interpreter all the time with her during the class and she also used to have her during all the doctor appointments and other important events of her life. She was very much attached to her. She used to call her a family member.
She used to teach me some words and alphabets in sign language. She also thought me how to spell my name in sign language. She used to be very happy for the fact that she was having the support of an organization since her childhood. She was deaf from birth and mute too that’s why since early childhood she was a sign language learner. By the time she reached my age, she was as comfortable in sign language as the rest of people in other languages (other than sign language).
For me that was the first ever time in my life that I met a mute and deaf young girl who had a baby too. Meeting her at first, I didn’t realize if she was deaf but after I found out her fact brought me into tears. This was when I got curious more and more about deaf people and nurtured my curiosity by learning from her. Not necessarily learning more of sign language but also what they go through and how they feel. How they think and the way they read your lip as you talk.
When I found out that her baby was also a deaf and mute little girl, another time it brought me into tears. When it happened that I knew about her baby’s fact, I found out that it is inheritable. Sometimes, in some cases if we have health issues with the first child, we hardly want to decide to have a second child. I think for that reason she didn’t want a second one. I find it very sad how it affects the family planning and some other very important decisions of our life. Her life story was the reason why I thought of creating this article about the importance of teaching our children sign language from an early age. I now know that she is not alone. There are probably millions out there. Here is another video I found from You Tube which is very similar to the story of my class mate and inspired me.
Types of Sign Language:
1. American Sign Language
2. Canadian Sign Language
In Canada, ASL (American sign language) and MSL (Maritime sign Language) is spoken in all the English-speaking cities except for Quebec. LSQ (Langue des Signs Quebecois) is spoken in Quebec and some other French speaking regions of Canada.
Below is a very awesome resource which I have researched for learning Sign Language:
Learn & Master Sign Language (Full 25 Disc Edition) by Stacey Webb, MEd and Dr. Byron Bridges!
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To check out some other FREE resources available, click the links below:
- Sign Language Vocabulary: Same as English and French and the rest of the languages in the world, sign language also has its alphabets and vocabularies. It is very easy to learn and understand as they are all body languages and if we see it from the Psychological aspect of it, they all make very good sense the way those body actions are put into words.
- Sign Language Help: Grace sign is a Global down syndrome foundation who offers help to young deaf children.
- Where to Learn sign Language: Grace sign offers basic courses for sign language. It’s a good start for a new starter to join.
- Learn American Sign Language free: Sign Language 101 is an online resource who offers level 1 and 2 of sign language online and for free.
- Sign Language Services: Wave front center for communication accessibility offers services for emergency interpreting help. you could contact them at this 604-736-7039 emergency interpreting helpline.
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==>Here are some baby sign language books, dictionary, flash cards and some other important educative tools FROM AMAZON>==
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Hello.
This site is my favorite as I am going soon to be a Father. I was so courageous to reed every title to know what is next. This topic is very helpful. The number of a baby born is high every day and I am happy this site is there.
I myself will be back to visit as my baby is ready to be born soon. But I would like to know what I or someone else can do while a baby is still in the womb of her mother? Are there toys to use while a baby is not yet born? Like using objects that produce sounds and put them around his mother?
I suggest if possible to find an article for us on how we can help grow a baby inside the womb. Because my wife always asks me to sing for a baby and she adds she/he listens and kicks.
The website is helpful to keep up the good work
Thank you very much for your time in reading the article and for your comment. I really appreciate your honest words of encouragement and support.
I thank you also for sharing your experience with the rest of us about your own true life story. Yes, it is very much possible to teach your baby even in the womb of mother.
1. Good thing that you sing for the baby.
2. You could start reading bet time stories from now on. The stories should be highly educative and to the interest of the mother as well.
3. A mother could read too for the baby but still your engagement is meant something else to the Mom as well as the baby.
4. Toys which produces sound and music, is a good option too.
5. You both could start listening to new languages if that’s something which interests you. Even if the baby is in the womb, he or she could listen to it and eventually will learn them as easily as a piece of cake.
6. It depends hugely on how you want to raise your baby. If you are more scientific minded, you could always provide that environment to them and they will adapt.
7. A baby’s brain is similar to a sponge. As much you put in it in early ages, that much it is going to absorb.
Last thing which I would like to add up is to keep your wife away from any negative environment. The more she is happy the better it is for the growth of your baby. That’s very true that when baby’s listen to happy songs and are in a happy environment, it is good for their mental growth as well as physical.
I wish you all the best in your journey of parenting!
Meena
Hello there, Thank you for this great informative piece. Handling babies has always been one hell of a job for me. It’s just so difficult because they just cry and cry and it look like they hate me. Getting to learn some of this sign language for babies is just something I really appreciate a lot. With this sign languages, I really hope damp babies don’t cry so much anymore. Thank you once again.
You’re welcome! Thank you for your time in reading and leaving a comment.
I understand that handling a baby is not something easy. It needs some skills and connection with the baby. Unless you are not a father yourself, you might not feel connected and joyful to be around a baby. The bonding and the good connection will allow you to read baby’s cry and respond to it. Eventually, after having your own baby you will be as good in it that you will understand them even before they start crying.
Sign language is for everyone. Specially now a days sign language is as common as the rest of other languages. This is because organizations of our societies have done so much of research around this subject and the value of it has been known for language and communication facilitation not only among children with Autism but also who ever surrounds them.
Kind regards,
Meena
Hi there and can I say what a fantastic and and interesting post you have produced. It is a well known fact that it is easier to teach important skills at a young age. Languages are one of the hardest skills to learn as you get older as our minds are full of other stuff. When you are young, what is being taught to you is of the utmost importance and it sinks in easily. If you can teach a child sign language at the same time you are teaching them to speak then it will be very easy. It will also give the child a huge life skill he or she will be able to use for the rest of their lives.
Hello meena, thank you so much for taking out time to write something that is so magical like this. I think it really is important that we teach our kids sign language at an early age especially for the reason of trying to let them communicate with others too. Also if the kid is deaf, they will get used to sign language at an early age. I see your point when you tell us about your friend from school years ago. I’ll definitely start teaching my kids who are almost a year now. Thanks!
Thank you very much for your time in reading the article and for your comment. I really appreciate that. Thank you also for sharing your own experience with the rest. I am really glad you found it useful and that it adds information for your own journey of parenting.
I wish you all the best in your journey!
Meena
I read you article with interest. We have a grandson who is almost two – his receptive speech is clearly age appropriate or better, but he does not speak at all. He is taking swimming lessons and the teacher has taught him some signs. He has told us that its important to learn to use basic signs, but say the word as we normally would at the same time as learning the sign. I realized, through your article, I don’t know what system of sign language this guy uses. But, you have confirmed that we should be learning and helping our grandson this way as well.
I like the idea that we should teach our children the sign language. I wanted to learn this myself many years back but couldn’t prioritise it over other matters. But reading this has given me a motivation to do so as I see the benefits for doing so. It will be a win-win where both myself and my 2 daughters can learn together.
Being able to communicate is essential in order to develop good social skills and to create opportunities for a good life growing up and as an adult. Learning skills like this from the early stages of growing up is a wise choice for your children. As you write in your article, being seen as an outsider, being deaf, will quickly bee seen as a weakness and a target of bullying. By being able to communicate with sign language this can be avoided.
I don’t have small children of my own, but children are like sponges and soak up information and skills if we let them. Learning sign language is to use your body, and as such fun to do. As such it becomes fun to learn.
The resource you have provided in your article provides om good information and tool that will in teaching. The TED video about sign language is a very powerful story! The speaker has an impressive presentation! It has made a solid impact on me. You have inspired me to try to learn sign language myself.
Roy
Thank you very much, Roysin! for your time in reading the article and in leaving a comment. I appreciate your kind words of encouragement and support. I am glad you enjoyed reading through the article and glad that you are inspired to learn sign language. That would be a very kind act of kindness for the autism. If all people start thinking like this, there won’t be any negativity and bullying lift among people.
Kind regards,
Meena
This is such a good idea. On reading this , I remember that children enjoy action songs and using their hands to express what they are saying, so teaching them sign language would be great for them. There is also some depth to this as they would be able to relate to peers who are deaf/mute, and understand and connect with them when other children can’t. It would also serve them as they grow into adults as they would be able to feel and understand the needs of those who can’t talk. Thank you for this insight.
Thank you so much for your read through and for your insight. I appreciate your time. You’re right. The more we all together change our mindset towards helping disabled people, the more change will occur in the society. Our children will learn and adapt these qualities. The quality which is about having respect for all kind of human beings regardless of their disability, different nationality etc….
The change always starts and then occurs from within us up until around us.
Kind regards,
Meena
Sign language is the most powerful way to communicate with a deaf person. May them be kids or adults or babies. Deaf person has other senses more active compared to us. They lack the speed of learning in regular class room teaching with other kids. There are special schools for them. At times you boards in the us neighborhoods of deaf and autistic kids living around the area.
There are interpreters to help them out. Every kid should know how Not to tease or bully them.
There are lessons , books, research articles which shows how to develop those special need kids.
Thank you for this post on sign language for babies. It was very insightful. I learned a lot that I did not know. My hat is off to you for this. I have five kids oldest being 12 all the way down to 2 years of age. Do you think it would be good to teach them all sign Language?
Your Friend, Johnny
Thank you for sharing your ideas and reading through. Thank you for your comment. Sure, you could do if they are interested and if you like that as well. Knowing new languages and of course more languages is always something really beneficial in their life. It is something extraordinary for any individual as knowledge is power according to some old sayings. It facilitates their communication around any kind of people. Even though disabled!
All the best with your journey of parenting!