Posts Tagged ‘parent sign language’

Sign Language and Literacy

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

At the Goddard School of Cedar Park, we begin sign language with babies in our infant suite.  We do this because it accelerates speech development and promotes early childhood literacy.  Today’s article is by guest contributor, Tara Kendrick, mom-entrepreneur and owner of My Smart Hands Austin, which teaches sign language to hearing babies, toddlers and their families.

baby_sign language_infant_goddard

I think one of my favorite things to do with my boys is to read and sign books. As babies my boys started out enjoying turning pages, pointing out pictures and lifting flaps. Then it was reading a story and them memorizing the words as a read the book for the hundredth time. Now that my oldest is 3 year old, he wants me to use his finger to follow the words as I read to him. It is so amazing to see their love of language at such a young age.
I have also seen huge jumps in language development with my 3-year-old and my 17-month-old because I taught them sign language as babies. Communicating with ASL has allowed us to understand each other more quickly, and has given them confidence in their surroundings. The boys love to learn and are excited when you are able to understand what their needs are.

Now, put reading books and signing together, and you have a double dose of language development! Not only can we empower our children by giving them the opportunities to share what’s on their minds, but also we can help develop their imagination, verbal and language skills.

In a study conducted by Marilyn Daniels, she showed that signing with books increases reading readiness, develops literacy skills, and enhances comprehension. When we sign while reading, we teach children to read and scan the most important words in a sentence.

When I teach parents how to sign a book to their child, I tell them to pick the important words on the page. The words that the child will best understand, such as the noun or action word. For example if you read “ The truck stopped at the house where the big dog sat.” You would sign truck, house and dog because these are the words the brain is focusing on.

The more the child can understand, the more he will be excited about reading with you and learn to love reading on his own!

SIGNING WITH BOOKS
Start with simple board books or touch-and-feel books that have simple, bright, and “touchable” pictures. I always like ones that have one picture and word per page.
When reading a story, remember you do not have to sign every word. Just pick out key objects or pictures that are important to you and your baby. You will be amazed at how meaningful and enriching reading combined with signing can be.  This is a great way to practice signing using repetition because babies love to hear the same book over and over.

The other benefits of signing with books include:

  • Increased imagination of the child.
  • Adds rich meaning to reading, making it a fun and inviting experience.
  • Associates reading with positive experiences and opportunities for a shared experience for mom, dad and siblings.
  • Encourages the child to be an ACTIVE participant: the child is involved in the PROCESS of reading while you point out words and they SIGN along with the book.

Visit our website @ http://www.goddardschool.com//Schools/Cedar-Park-TX/Schools.gspx & follow us on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/GoddardSchoolCP

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Sign language for parents

Sunday, August 16th, 2009

At The Goddard School of Cedar Park, our faculty begin teaching sign language with infants.  We’re often asked by parents how they can reinforce at home and join in the “signing fun!”  Here’s a guest article by Tara Kendrick, owner of My Smart Hands – a program that teaches parents how to sign.  She periodically comes to The Goddard School to work with our parents.

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As a new mom, I was worried about everything. Would I bond with my child?  How will I comfort him? Will I know what he needs?  Throwing myself into parenting books, I soon came across information on sign language. My fears diminished as I began to understand that using sign language with a child who is not old enough to speak allows a window into their world.

When my son was only 4 months old I began using the basic signs I had learned in my research; eat, more, and milk. As he began to pick up signs, I realized the benefits of using this wonderful language between mother and child.  I remember my excitement the first time he crawled into my sister’s kitchen and patted his thigh.  He wanted to know where the dog was!!!  And he was only 8 months old.  When my second son was born, I further developed my knowledge of sign language and was eager to talk to my friends about how much sign language had enriched my relationship with my children.  It seemed a natural fit when I came across the program “My Smart Hands.”  Now, as an Austin Mom and Business owner/instructor for My Smart Hands in Austin, I am able to teach others how to use this wonderful language.

There are several key areas that I stress to the caregivers in my classes. At the top of the priority is list is that signing with babies reduces frustration. Babies are able to make simple signs long before they have the ability to produce speech. When babies wave bye-bye or put their arms in the air when then want to be picked up; these are simple gestures, or signs, that baby uses for communication.  Signing with your baby gives them the tools they need to communicate their needs to you before they can talk.

Another benefit is when teaching babies to sign they are exposed to more language than non-signing babies. Adults and siblings around the child tend to want to see what other signs the baby can do, and therefore he is exposed to more language stimulation.

Some parents express the fear that signing can delay speech.  There is no science that demonstrates that signing will prevent your child from speaking when he or she is ready. In fact, many parents report that their child’s first words are often the words they already know the signs for.

Here are some easy steps to take when starting to use sign language with your baby, taken from the My Smart Hands workbooks, designed by Founder, Laura Berg, used in our classes.

1. Start with 2 to 5 signs- This is not for the child but for the parent. You can remember this many and consistently do them every time you use the word and then when your baby begins to sign back to you, you will feel good about your efforts and keep going! Start with signs like milk, more, mommy or daddy!

2. Introduce signing into your daily routine-For example, every time you offer the baby milk , use the sign for milk in front of the bottle as you are asking “would you like some milk”. They are now hearing the word, seeing the sign and seeing the object. Soon they will make the connection!

3. Be consistent- The more often you sign the word as you say it, the sooner the baby will begin to pick it up.

4. Use motivational signs- You can also sign objects or foods that the baby really likes. She will tend to want to try to sign banana a lot sooner since she would be motivated to tell you that is what she wants because it is her favorite.

Don’t give up!-Babies will start signing around 8-10 months, but sometimes it may take longer. If they aren’t signing back right away, it does not mean they will never sign. If you are consistent, they will get it and start signing to you more and more!

My Smart Hands Austin has classes around the city including Austin, Round Rock and Cedar Park.  For more information about classes, times and Tara CLICK HERE

To find about more about The Goddard School of Cedar Park, visit their website or call 512-258-5292.

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