Baby Sign. - Round Rock,TX

I started signing "milk" to my daughter at 3 mos. Everytime I handed her the bottle, I would sign milk. She made her first sign at 8 mos. I used Signing Time. Don't pay for classes and books are hard because you really don't know if you are signing correctly. Signing Time worked great and my daughter loved them. She started speaking very early. She is now 2 1/2 and has a large vocabulary and she signs when she speaks. I think Signing Time has helped her communicate so much better.

baby sign is pretty much asl. start now say the word and sign it too. like talking certain signs are learned quicker than others. I would start her now. I liked the signing time videos. and yes it makes it easier to communicate in some ways in other ways they use other methods. mine signs more but if he wants bologna he points at it or brings it to you. instead of signing drink he brings you his tippy. if he brings me the bologna I sign eat to him but signinh eat isn't his prefered method.

if he wants another cookie he does sign more cookie. yes it helps but if they can get you to understand a diffrent way they will use that instead. if he brings me a banana I sign banana before I give it to him. it is just like talking some words are easy others are hard for them to say or sign. enjoy and I think it is great you are teaching them to sign

Let me first start with no, there is no difference in "baby sign" and ASL. It is just more simple first word type signs. I started signing with my daughter right away really thinking about it, at about 4 months. She resonded with sign at 5 or 6 months. We started with please, more, milk, water, thank you, all done. Those types of things and communication was great. My daughter is now 4 years old, she still signs, her vocabulary is HUGE! She loves the DVD's that I get from signingtime.com. I have a few books that were baby signs and songs. I got them from Barnes and Noble. I am sure you could look at amazon and find a plethera of ideas and options.
Happy signing!

It's been said already but the Baby Signing Time is great! We're not tv people but we do watch the videos. It's amazing how much my children learned from it. I watched every show with them - repeating them over and over and over again.... :) but we learned together.

My now three year old really "clicked" with signing at about 16 months - she was signing before then but I wasn't doing it enough so she was slow to pick up on it as well. We had all the basics which was great but expanding it was amazing.

My now 15 month old is fully versed in sign. (Both are speakers as well.) She signs as we read books the different animals, she signs when we're leaving the house car. She signs when she sees a baby or someone wearing a hat or glasses. She tells me when she's tired, sees or hears a baby crying, wants milk, water, juice or to eat. She knows different peoples names and can identify toys.

It's amazing how much she communicates to me and how much I can understand. Her vocabulary is no where close to being able to match her signing. She does vocalize but there is no way I'd understand it all.

I credit the 2nd childs huge advantage to me signing more, her sister signing and the videos which I started much later for my first.

There is a difference between some signing books/videos between ASL and baby sign. I prefer to try to teach the ASL and work with the child from there. For example to sign water take three fingers (touching your pinky to your thumb) and tap on your chin. My now 15 month old has been doing this sign for a very long time but she doesn't have the coordination to get the three fingers up. Her version is one finger up waved near her chin/cheek. We know it means water.

I would recommend whatever method you do use try for the ASL and adapt as your child does.

Good luck with it! It's amazing to see how well a small child can communicate at such an early age.

We used "Signing Time" with our daughter, and it was fabulous. She was language delayed, so the signs made a big difference in our house for communication. "Signing Time" uses ASL and portrays small children making the signs, as well as an adult making the signs. It was easy for her to learn and use. Even my older child and I got into it! We originally rented the videos from the local library for free. Eventually we bought a few of our own. I would highly recommend "Signing Time" and signing in general to all parents! (Feel free to PM me if you have questions.)

I used sign with both my girls, and I think I started them around 6 months or so. My youngest wasn't quite as receptive as my oldest, but she had an older sibling that was happy to do her talking for her. ;-)

I ordered a kit from http://www.sign2me.com/shop/page3.html.
It walks you through step-by-step the best way to teach, has a video, book, and a "cheat sheet." I think it was around a year or so, I started running out of signs from the kit, and bought an ASL book. At around 18 months, my daughter knew about 50 signs. It was lots of fun, being able to communicate. We'd go to the zoo, and she'd giggle, point, and make the signs for tiger and lion.

I'll never forget when it first really started "clicking" for her. She was about 10 months, and I was watching the neighbor's dog. My daughter sat on the back steps with me, started rubbing her chest (please), then she would clap and hold her arms out (just like I would do when I would tell her "come 'ere" as I was picking her up).
She was telling Nikita, "Please come here." :-D

It really is such a joy to be able to communicate long before your baby can speak. Everyone I know that's utilized sign language has been MUCH less frustrated (both child and parents). It minimizes the guessing games.

Good luck, and happy signing!
M.

We took a class where the lady taught Baby Signs https://www.babysigns.com/ to get materials. It is a little different from ASL just because they use some diferent signs that are easier for kids to do. I started at 4 mo and she caught on really quick and I think it helped a otn with communiction (like wanting milk or more). There is also DVD's by a woman http://www.signingtime.com/shop
SHe actually devoped songs and such to help teach her family how to commnunicate with her daughter who is deaf. These are great and we would watch these a little later on (whn she was 1 or so) and she picked up a lto more. This is true ASL so maybe more of what you are looking into. I am going to continue to reach to new baby when it arrives, I thinks it helps woith communication and tantrums becaus ethey can let you know what they want when they cant voice it. I also believe that it helps to teach them word association. My daighter even talks about how she is going to help teach the new baby signs, its cute.

Its never too early and teach her whatever signs you want. ASL or baby signs, doesn't matter as long as you both get your point across!

we used signing with both of our kids, they know real some real sign language now.
There's a book called " Baby Signs" that we used, I think we started at around 6 months.

MY daughter started almost from the day her son was born...she used a sign language website on line and just kept repeating the signs. The first thing she started teaching him were "Mama's milk" "Mama" "Papa" "more" and "all done". I can tell you that my heart almost exploded the day that he learned how to sign Grandma and then USED it when he saw me!!!! It made life SO much easier for them...he was able to communicate with them in sign language long before he was able to communicate verbally!!! He could tell them is he was hungry or thirsty or wanted to go outside, if he wanted a carrot or a cracker....if something hurt he could tell them what hurt. And I really think it helped his verbal skills because they were able to communicate with him so much more since he could respond to them. I can't say enough for sign language for babies...and even after they start talking, when she couldnt understand what word he was trying to say she would ask "Is there a sign for it?" and the confusion would be cleared up immediately!!! Our 2nd daughter is now teacher her 6 month old son sign language....following in her big sisters footsteps!!!
Google sign language for babies and I am sure it will direct you to an ASL site that can be a great help to you. As you can imagine, some of the signs are different than standard ASL just simply because a baby's motor skills are not developed yet.

First, use ASL. There is no reason in teaching baby sign when ASL is actually a language and the studies show that learning ASL actually counts as learning a second language.

You can start as early as you like. I started both of my boys at 6 months, but you can certainly begin signing sooner. I would recommend a class if you can find it in order to surround yourself with like-minded mamas. There is a great CD and work book called "Pick Me Up" with great music.

My son, now 2 1/2 peaked at about 200 signs. We signed a TON with him. It was and still is great. When he was little, he would say "zhoo" and we didn't know if it was zoo, shoe, or juice, but he knew the signs for all three, so he'd sign and say "zhoo" and we could tell what it was.

We had zero meltdowns or frustrated times until after age 2 and I truly think that was due to knowing what he needed.

We are now introducing German at home and sign language has been great for that too. I reinforce the German with a sign.

Good luck. It is such a great thing to do!

I can tell you from a grandmothers's view I wish that I had had this as a option when mine were little. My daughter had done this with two children now and boy seeing a little telling her that they want more water, more milk or that they are done eating makes life simpler for her. All I could do was guess at what they wanted. And I had the temper tantrums that went with it when I did not guess right. Best thing that had come around. please do it. It will make your life simpler, I think that she started when they were able to set up in the high chair and were eating from a spoon. so your child is just about the right age to start.

"Baby Signs" is basically ASL, but with some modifications to make it easier for little hands. I bought a kit at Barnes & Noble that included four board books, a kid's DVD, a parent's DVD, a guidebook, and a quick-reference magnet for the refrigerator. I started signing with my first daughter at 4 months (she didn't start signing back until about 11 months). I started with my second daughter at 8 months (she started signing at 11 months, too).

It has been a HUGE help in reducing frustration due to lack of communication. I definitely think it is worth it!

We started around 7-8 months. It was the the best experience. I got a book (Baby Signs by Linda Acredolo) from the library and incorporated the signs in our every day life. It was absolutely amazing how quickly my daughters understood and began using the signs. My husband and I are strong believers in baby signing and still talk about how fabulous of an experience it was for our family. Go for it!

ADD: We didn't take any classes. The signs were simple enough and with reinforcements by hubby and other family members that was all we needed. If my memory serves me correctly, yes, ASL is different. It is more sophisticated and complex than baby signs. You want simple, easy to do signs for your young child.

BTW: My girls are 8 and 5.5.

most programs are the same as ASL, but check first. I like the ones that teach through songs. I started about 7m, but I think it was too early, because I lost motivation, however my son did very well. Most my friends started later and their kids still did well w/it.

Start by watching the Signing Time Videos. There are Baby Signing Time ones that are just very limited word use and are good to start with. And start using signs ASAP. They start to recognize signs around 6 months and can react soon after and sign back by 9 months. Start with things like "milk" if you nurse, eat, sleep...simple concepts that she can start to pick up on. When she's a little older - 12 months or so - she could watch the Signing Time with you and you can use the signs you learn together.

You can also check around near you. There are many signing classes out there now. We have "Happy Hands Signing Academy" that you can take classes through to learn signs to use with your children.

We used Baby Signing Time for common words as mommy, daddy, milk, more, drink, eat, water, etc - mainly to learn ourself to be able to teach our DD. We started using sign when we spoke the word when she was four months. You can start this early but she won't have the motor skills until 6 months or so to sign herself.

I see that you are from Round Rock - Stepping stone schools use/teach sign to all their infants and toddlers which helped tremendously with our DD. She started going to one when she turned one. Within a few months, she was learning new signs and we had to ask the teachers what she was saying =)

The key though is to use it when you say the word all the time so that she understands that it's a form of communicating. Also, they learn sign much easier and faster than they learn to talk. Our DD had about a dozen words she could sign before she started talking. Have fun and good luck!

Ahhh - definitely worth the effort. Is so cuts down on frustration on both sides. I think I started with both around the time that they started to eat solids, so at 6-7 months? I never got really deep into it, but we all still use milk, more, banana, ball etc. The day care teachers are also using and teaching signs and it makes that part of the day also easier for everyone! There is no con to it in my mind.
I used the Baby Sign book and it was fine. If I would have known ASL like you , I would have used that : )
Signing Time is a great show to get some new signs in, but for now this would be more for you : )

All the best!

Goddard School begins sign language in the infant suite and offers a parent workshop (available to non-enrolled parents as well) via "My Smart Hands." They are offering a "crash course" this Saturday. Here's a link with more details:
http://blogs.goddardsystems.com/Cedar-Park-TX/2009/12/22/...