Benefits of Signing with your Baby
The benefits of teaching sign language to a preverbal baby
- Creates a new awareness of a preverbal baby's potential
- Strengthens the parent-infant bond
- Reduces frustration for babies and caregivers
- Stimulates intellectual development
- Enhances infant self-esteem
- Accelerates verbal language development
- Provides a window into baby's world
The benefits of teaching sign language to a verbal child
Photo Courtesy of Sign2Me™/
Northlight Communications
Northlight Communications
Sign language can be used to improve hearing children's:
- English vocabulary
- Reading ability
- Spelling proficiency
- Self-esteem and self-confidence
- Comfort with expressing emotion
- Increased interest in books and literacy skills
Sign language helps all children become better readers. Sign is a visual language. As children are learning sign, they are exercising the visual-spatial part of their brain. This is the same part of the brain they will use to read. Research shows children that learn sign language are more readily able to translate letters and words to the written language.
Research also indicates that learning a second language, including sign language, actually increases IQ scores.
Mother-proven benefits of having a signing child
- Children can cry and sign simultaneously
- You can eat and sign
- Parents can correct a child from across the room
- Children can communicate with parent from a distance without yelling
- Children can be reminded to use manners from a distance
- Children learn to read body language
- You can talk in a movie theater or church
- You can talk under water
- Your child can complain when a parent is flossing her/his teeth too hard
- Your child can express where they are feeling pain and what they need
What teachers are saying about signing in the classroom
Photo Courtesy of Sign2Me™/
Northlight Communications
Northlight Communications
- Boosts enthusiasm and readiness to learn
- Influences a child's ability to attend
- Decreases classroom conflict
- Reduces instances of biting and screaming
- Raises cultural awareness
- Increases self esteem
- Teachers know children’s interests and can plan their lessons around their interests
- Sign Language can serve as a language bridge for children and staff who speak different languages