What Age Should I Teach Baby Sign Language?
What Age to Teach Baby Sign Language – Toddler Interpreter recommends that you start to teach your baby between the ages of 3-9 months to see the most benefit.
Sign Language for Babies is useful at any age before the child is able to speak in sentences. Most babies should be able to be understood by members in their family by the age of 31 months. Anytime before this age will be appropriate for using baby signs to bridge the communication gap.
Some parents decide to start to Teach Baby Sign Language from birth. However, starting with your baby this early will make it seem like a very long time until you see the Benefits of Baby Signing and it may discourage some parents from continuing.
Most babies will have the dexterity and muscle control to reciprocate the Baby Signs to you at the age of 6-9 months. It is important to note that you receive the benefits of Sign Language for Babies long before the baby is able to sign back to you. At around the age of 4-5 months, the baby will be able to recognize your baby signs, especially if you use them regularly and consistently. This can prove to be very beneficial as they have the ability to understand what you are communicating with them from a much earlier age.
The authors of Toddler Interpreter started to teach baby sign language to their daughter Scarlette when she was only 4 months old. In the video above, she signs for milk for the first time at the age of 9 months.
At 4-5 months, your baby almost certainly won’t recognize the sound of the word milk but they will be able to recognize the Baby Sign for milk. Even though they are not signing back to you as yet, you can communicate with them to let them know it is time for milk or time for bed. This can help to settle them down into their routine and they will feel more comfortable knowing that you are taking care of their needs.
Using the baby sign for milk before and during their feed will reinforce the association between the word, the sign and the outcome, leading to a better comprehension and understanding. Babies have no control over their environment, so being able to understand you will help them to feel settled. It is important to start slowly by introducing only one or two baby signs at this early stage so that you don’t overwhelm the little one with too many things to remember.
Although there is no right or wrong age to begin to teach your baby sign language, you will find baby sign language to have the greatest impact if you begin around 3-6 months of age. This will allow you to to be understood by your baby from a much earlier age. As they become older they will begin to use the Baby Signs to ask for things, especially if they have seen you using the signs consistently. If your baby is at the right age to teach baby sign language, head over to Toddler Interpreter for some affordable resources or download your free baby sign language chart here today.
Toddler Interpreter teach Baby Signs and they offer the best Free Baby Sign Language Chart available online and their Baby Sign Language Book is used by parents and childcare centres in the United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to Teach Baby Sign Language. Sign Language for Babies is easy using Toddler Interpreter’s comprehensive Baby Sign Language Dictionary. Sign Language for Toddlers can help reduce frustration and Baby Sign Language has proved very beneficial for Premature Babies, children with Velo Cardio Facial Syndrome and other babies at risk of developing a speech delay.
