Every parent has had moments where they couldn’t understand the needs of their baby or toddler due to the child’s inability to talk. This results in frustration for both the parent and the child. The main benefit of baby sign language is it provides your child with a method to express his needs, wants and thoughts, alleviating that frustration.
Before a child can talk, they have to learn a lot — placement of the tongue, formation of the lips, controlling of the vocal cords, breathing right, and then, of course the actual words. By giving them another way to communicate with sign language, before they learn to actually talk, you can make life a little easier for your wee one.
Babies-and-sign-language.com also notes these additional benefits of teaching your baby to sign:
- Promotes the development of language skills
- Reinforces language skills already developed
- Increase speed of spatial reasoning development
- Develops understanding of language for communication of emotions
- Creates feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment!
- May increase IQ
- Increases creative thinking
- Teaches a 2nd language that is formally and nationally recognized (ASL)
- Reduces unexplainable emotional outbursts
- Increases early literacy skills
- Teaches baby how to start (and participate in) a conversation
Their website offers a free baby signing chart, tips for teaching your baby to sign, and a whole lot more.
Have you taught sign language to your baby? How do you think it has been beneficial?
Leave your comments below and let us know.
