How to Attend a Baby Sign Language Class

Because young children are able to learn sign language earlier than they can learn to speak, teaching your baby to sign provides her with an opportunity to express her needs. Having the ability to communicate can increase your child's confidence, reduce her frustration and strengthen your relationship with her. Research funded by the National Institutes of Health has also linked baby sign language with increased vocabulary and elevated IQ in older children. Additionally, taking a baby sign language class can be a fun opportunity to get out of the house and meet other families.

Instructions

    • 1

      Wait until your baby is the appropriate age. This will depend on your child's development level as well as the minimum age requirements of the class. Speech pathologist Kelli Atangan, owner of Little Hands Speech Therapy in Ashburn, Virginia, recommends waiting until your baby is at least six months old before taking a class. Babies don't have the motor skills necessary to begin signing back until eight months or older.

    • 2

      Find a baby sign class in your area that best meets your needs. Check the library bulletin board, ask other moms, and search online to learn about what's available. Your community may offer a variety of classes, allowing you to choose between ASL and makaton signing, or between activity-based and music-based courses.

    • 3

      Attend class consistently. You and baby will get the most out of your class if you attend regularly. After all, classes typically build on each other, and you need to learn the signs as well.

    • 4

      Practice at home. The more exposure your baby has to sign language the more she will be able to learn. In addition to practicing the signs you learned in class, you can learn new signs with books and videos. The Emmy-nominated television series "Signing Time!" teaches sign language through music and movement.

    • 5

      Be patient and remember that learning language can be a slow process. It usually takes a few months of you signing to your baby before you see results, but most parents find signing with their baby to be very rewarding when it does happen.

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