Baby Signing with Eve Stanway
You know how frustrating it is when you can't communicate with someone. So just think what it's like to be a little baby who can't even say a single word yet to the most important person in their whole world - you!
Baby signing classes are a fun and effective way for you and your baby to understand and bond with each other better. The signs and songs are easy to learn and remember, and they can be used by the whole family. The social aspects of the signing group are often of great benefit to parents too.
From the age of about 7 months babies start using a combination of sounds and gestures to communicate. Baby signing encourages both babies and their parents to enhance these early attempts at communication by introducing specific signs for commonly used words, such as drink, eat, milk, etc. Thus baby signing supports and extends the baby's naturally emerging language skills in a way that has been demonstrated to encourage and enhance speech development.
The principles of baby signing as I present it also aim to lay down basic skills of rapport with your child, creating a foundation for communication throughout that child's life. Simple things such as eye contact, awareness of body language and the many other ways in which we communicate with each other on a completely unconscious level are all involved.
I started teaching sign language to mother and baby groups 4 years ago. Communication is a very natural part of our lives; however, I have seen some of the difficulties that can arise during the early months and years of parenthood, when it is so hard to understand the needs of one's child. I have used sign language with both of my children and spoken to many others who have done the same and we have found that it provides another form of communication until the child is able to speak. Although it does take some time for the first signs to come through, it makes a very dramatic difference to the parents. state of mind when they feel that they are doing something effective to bring forward that early and necessary communication. In addition I have found that signing continues and develops as your child grows. My son is now 6 years old and although he doesn't use that many signs now, he understands a great deal and is instrumental in teaching his baby sister her signs. I have also found it to be of great educational benefit, regularly using the number and letter signs to help with his literacy and numeracy skills.
My studies and interests have always directed me to communication, language and how the mind acquires new knowledge. You will be fascinated as you learn in the classes how we develop our own personal identities and how we overcome new challenges to incorporate changes into our lives as we grow and experience more.
You can see some of the first signs that are tought on the course here.
You and your little one(s) will be most welcome. Come and join us to learn these most worthwhile skills.
Ring 020 8523 2669 / 07977 420 861 to book into the next series of classes.
Common Questions
- Will teaching baby signing delay my child's language development?
- No, provided that you always speak and sign simultaneously. Babies need to hear the language and signing is not a replacement for spoken language but rather an added tool which allows pre-lingual babies the opportunity of successful communication before their can actually form words to talk. You can imagine how being able to communicate basic needs and wants goes a long way to reducing your child's frustrations. Research indicates that babies taught signing will speak earlier and have expanded vocabularies than babies who don't sign.
- When should I begin signing to my child?
A - 6-7 months is a good age to begin, or when your child is sitting up. From this age babies begin to try to use sounds intentionally to communicate, i.e. Ma-Ma or Da-Da. They can begin to associate meanings with sounds and signs. When this is recognised by a parent or care and responded to positively the child is encouraged to try again.
- How many signs will I/my child learn?
- By the end of the course you will know about 150 signs. The amount your child learns will depend on how much you sign to them. Typically babies who have attended my classes will use around 20 or so signs intentionally but will understand very many more.
- How long will my child carry on signing for?
- Children become very interested in using signs from about 10 or 11 months until around 19 months. Spoken language then takes over. However at around 2 years, the sign-taught babies often start to ask their parents for signs for particular words. Then again at about 3 years old children often become motivated to use their signing, perhaps viewing it as a 'secret' language. Experience from my own son who is now 6 shows me that signing continues to be useful as a tool for teaching reading and early numeracy skills.
- What about if my child has siblings?
- Children may well be the best teachers of signing. An older child who knows some signs may become very keen to teach the baby brother or sister how to sign. This allows the child to communicate with the younger sibling to the enjoyment of them both and any parent who watches this. Signing is very much a family activity and the more people within a family who learn some signs they more enjoyable and functional it becomes.
- What other benefits are there of teaching signing to babies?
-
Signing has been taught to babies in America for several years longer than in the UK, therefore much more research has been done in the USA. This research confirms that signing babies often have early communication and greater vocabularies. They also seem to gain many of the other benefits that come from bi-lingualism, which great connectivity between their left and right brain hemispheres and a good basis for further language development.
- How about toddler tantrums and reducing frustrations?
- Signing to your toddler provides a good alternative form of communication when, for example, you wish to talk to them discretely, or you wish to remind them to say .please. or 'thank', or simply perhaps to let them know that you are pleased with them or that you love them without making an overt gesture.
Whilst it is never right to teach your baby to sign without saying the word with the sign, a toddler can often appreciate that special bit of notice or a reminder that is signed in their direction.
Use of signs during tantrums or, for example, when your child chooses not say a necessary 'sorry', reinforces your communication and may give the child a way to be good, i.e. sign 'sorry' instead of saying it. Signing can also provide an opportune distraction before a tantrum even begins.
Much of all communication is non-verbal including in our facial expressions and in our body language. Sign language can be a very useful tool to express ourselves to our children and in allowing them to express themselves.
A final point to consider that with the integration of hearing impaired children into mainstream schools, the likelihood is that your child will attend school with other children that sign and your child's awareness of signing may greatly enhance their own experiences of life.
Cost of Baby Signing Classes
The cost is £50 for the full course of 8 sessions.
The classes are 1 hour long including a 10 minute tea and biscuit break. During the break I encourage discussion of all aspects of communication and also the swapping of ideas about child care, places to go with your children, etc.