Benefits
Signing parents have the opportunity to be able to open a window into your child’s mind. Your baby will be communicating much earlier and have more meaningful conversations. When babies can communicate more effectively, parents will spend less time guessing what your child wants and more time developing a relationship with them.
Signing as a part of a childcare setting allows caregivers to model effective communication and helps children to communicate with one another. Children will learn language at different speeds and signing is a way to level the playing field. Signing gives children the tools to effectively communicate with each other as well as those who care for them. In addition to all these benefits, signing caregivers are adding diversity and creating a stepping stone to bilingualism for all the children in their care- what a bonus!
Signing with your baby
- Strengthens parent-infant bond.
- Empowers babies to clearly communicate
- Reduces frustration for babies and caregivers
- Encourages early language development
- Stimulates intellectual development
- Provides a window into baby’s world
Signing in the classroom
- Engages children in learning
- Raises cultural awareness of special needs
- Increases self esteem
- Adds second language learning
- Helps children of all abilities including autism, language delay, attention issues
- Provides additional language learning for gifted children
- Decreases classroom conflict since children can more effectively communicate their needs
black & white photos by Allison Hope Photography