Sign Language

Jule'sMomInOR · #1 November 3rd, 2011, 02:15 PM

Are you using sign language with your LO? If so, what is their favorite sign? What's been the most helpful? How many signs do they know? What do you plan to teach them next

Juliana knows about 30-40 signs. The one she does the most is "more" but she started saying "more" within the last few weeks so she doesn't always make the sign. She says more to everything - more food, more playing, more da da, more dog. Milk is a close second, although sometimes I wish I'd never taught her that sign! I think "eat" and "drink" have been useful because I don't always realize quite how often she gets hungry and thirsty. Recently she made the sign for "hurt" or "pain" in front of her mouth, so I knew her teeth were bothering her. That was really helpful because sometimes I have the tendency to think she's just being whiny, whereas realizing something was bothering her made my have more sympathy (and get out the teething tablets). The next thing I want to work on are more food items so she can tell me what she wants to eat. We started "grapes" and "bread" today.

Overall, I'm really happy that we've done sign language.

Daffodil · #2 November 3rd, 2011, 02:34 PM

I'm not sure how many signs she knows, but she knows almost all of the ones on the 4 Baby Signing Time dvds plus a bunch more that that my husband keeps looking up and teaching her (mostly animals).

She seems to prefer signing to talking right now, although she'll sometimes sign and say the word. She'll make "sentences" with signing too, like "bath cold". And its hard for me to distinguish the signs, like when she first started to sign music, I thought she was asking for a cracker lol.

I do think the signing might be delaying her speaking...she has said a TON of words, but she doesn't do it on a consistent basis, except for a few. She just would rather sign. But I don't mind that she knows how to sign, I think its cool!

Jule'sMomInOR · #3 November 3rd, 2011, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daffodil

She seems to prefer signing to talking right now, although she'll sometimes sign and say the word. She'll make "sentences" with signing too, like "bath cold". And its hard for me to distinguish the signs, like when she first started to sign music, I thought she was asking for a cracker lol.

Too funny! I think we need to add "music" to our list. Juliana's sign for cold looks the same as her sign for car, so I never know which one she means.

sfarrow3 · #4 November 3rd, 2011, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jule'sMomInOR

Are you using sign language with your LO? If so, what is their favorite sign? What's been the most helpful? How many signs do they know? What do you plan to teach them next

Juliana knows about 30-40 signs. The one she does the most is "more" but she started saying "more" within the last few weeks so she doesn't always make the sign. She says more to everything - more food, more playing, more da da, more dog. Milk is a close second, although sometimes I wish I'd never taught her that sign! I think "eat" and "drink" have been useful because I don't always realize quite how often she gets hungry and thirsty. Recently she made the sign for "hurt" or "pain" in front of her mouth, so I knew her teeth were bothering her. That was really helpful because sometimes I have the tendency to think she's just being whiny, whereas realizing something was bothering her made my have more sympathy (and get out the teething tablets). The next thing I want to work on are more food items so she can tell me what she wants to eat. We started "grapes" and "bread" today.

Overall, I'm really happy that we've done sign language.

That is AWESOME!! Juliana is one smart cookie! I never really did sign language with London. Maybe a couple of words. She's talking alot more now, so we are doing great in the communication department. I was worried at first, but I have been working with her and its paying off.

Jule'sMomInOR · #5 November 3rd, 2011, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sfarrow3

That is AWESOME!! Juliana is one smart cookie! I never really did sign language with London. Maybe a couple of words. She's talking alot more now, so we are doing great in the communication department. I was worried at first, but I have been working with her and its paying off.

I feel pretty good about the signs she knows until we hang out with some of our friends. They are a little bit older (almost 2) but they know their shapes, colors, tons of animals, and a bunch more things. That seems like overkill to me but they're having fun so why not? My main goal with Juliana is to reduce her frustration and give her a mechanism to tell me what she wants/needs, not necessarily for her to be able to make the sign for tiger when we happen to see one at the zoo.

shockandawe · #6 November 3rd, 2011, 05:36 PM

Sounds like you have a mini genius on your hands!

We didn't do signing here at all. It's something I've always been curious to learn, but never was able to pick it up. When she was little I noticed Maggie used to rub her bottom lip when she was hungry - but it wasn't something I taught her, it was just something she did naturally. I'm not sure if it was exactly the sign for hungry or not, but it seemed like it could have been. On the flip side however, I haven't felt that Maggie ever lacked in communication - her vocabulary is huge already and we've done pretty well in the spaces where her vocabulary was gapped.

Daffodil · #7 November 3rd, 2011, 09:16 PM

I really recommend the Baby Signing Time dvds though, they are SO much fun...I even downloaded some of the songs on my iphone lol.

I am noticing her more and more saying the words with the signs but she doesn't complete the words. Like ball is "ba-", time is "ti-", and car is "ca-" . If she wasn't signing I would totally think she was just babbling.

SarahBethsMommy · #8 November 4th, 2011, 05:03 AM

Daniel signs a lot. I'm not sure how many. Maybe 40? It is his main form of communication, but he does usually say something along with his sign now.

His FAVORITE one is more. He wants more food all the time. He signs more when we are playing. He signs more when other people are eating and he wants THEIR food. LOL.

My favorite sign that he does is Sarah because he is calling for his sister. We hold our "S" hand up at our shoulder and kind of twist it to sign her name. He does that and yells "si, si, si" LOL. I just love it.

Most helpful is probably the foods. He knows the names for most of his favorite foods, so he can come up and say "eat" and I say, "What do you want to eat?" He'll sign "o's" for Cheerios, grapes, apples, whatever it is.

We just kind of do sign all the time. I'm not sure what will come up next, but I'll teach him whatever it is he needs or wants to know next. We'll see.

Daffodil · #9 November 4th, 2011, 10:07 AM

Arie always wakes up signing "all done"...I guess letting me know she's done sleeping. She'll do it even before she rubs her eyes and stretches LOL

Jule'sMomInOR · #10 November 4th, 2011, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daffodil

Arie always wakes up signing "all done"...I guess letting me know she's done sleeping. She'll do it even before she rubs her eyes and stretches LOL

Too cute! I am teaching Juliana the difference between day and night (so that eventually I'll tell her that we only have milk during the day) and she wakes up and signs "light" and then "day".

#11 November 5th, 2011, 07:23 PM

Caleb signs a few words. His favorite is eat. He signs, more, all done, hot, cold, down, up, milk, cat, and he will give himself a hug and say, "uggle" when he wants a hug. He has some others that I can't think of right now.

The most helpful have been eat and more.