Can sign language help with transitions?

Transitions are hard for most families – getting our children from here to there when they don’t want to go.  My son can be very stubborn when it comes time to leaving the house, especially when he has no idea where he is going or what he will be doing.  We were invited to a party by a family, who also has a son with special needs.  They often give parties and we’ve never gone before.  I thought we’d better go this time.  I signed to Chad we were going to a party.  To my surprise he very willingly got dressed and out the door we went.  He did say something about ‘birthday’.  What other kind of party could it be?  I let it go at that, even though there was no birthday celebration to be had.  I was so proud of my son that day because he sat very nice, laughed, carried on good sign conversation with me, which would involve others.  Nice socialization.  He signed ‘birthday cake’, which I ignored.  It was time to leave and my stomach was in a knot about the pending transition battle.  I led the way.  Just before he went down a flight of stairs to the front door, he stopped, turned around and sang and signed ‘happy birthday’ to the boy he went to school with.  Oh my boy!  Give them language and watch what happens.  Teach your baby a new sign today.  You will be amazed where they will use it…www.TalkingWithBaby.com

What is the teacher strike about?

Watching the school teachers strike in Chicago drives home the need for parental involvement in education.  I heard a man on the radio say a child with books in the home will out perform a child without books.  We probably can't always be in control of our education options outside the home, but we sure can get our baby off to a great start by starting early.  Try a new sign for your baby today - get ready for the future!  www.TalkingWithBaby.com

The future of education

Last week I watched a conversation about U.S. competitiveness and investments in education today and concerns for the future.  This was hosted on CSPAN-2 for Center for American Progress.  I found the statistics alarming when comparing the United States to up and coming China and India.  In the next 10 years, this panel predicts major changes if we do not improve our education system.  They also stated that the people now retiring are better educated than the young people entering the job market today. 

The emphasis was on making an investment in education, paying particular attention to K through 12.  There is mention of early childhood (birth to 3), but I didn’t get the impression there is all that much focus on it.  Could that be because it’s too hard to capture that audience if these babies are not sent to a facility?  I emailed one of the people on the panel with this concern and there was an agreement that early childhood education is “extraordinarily important.” 

Know how to keep PK-K kids quiet?

Summer camp is over – know how to get and keep the attention of PK-K kids?  It’s so easy and anyone can do it.  I finished two weeks at the Hmong Culture and Language Camp where I had the opportunity to work with the youngest of campers.  Some were shy, some not so shy, and some that didn’t speak English.  With a gradual daily introduction of signs, we built our vocabulary by learning Hmong history, even added two songs that were sung at the celebration that ends camp.  The last couple of days of camp, I was able to stand in front of the kids and start signing one of the songs they learned without verbalizing anything.  And the next thing that happened?  The noisy kids noticed an unusual thing.  Quiet.  Those that were talking stopped and joined in with the others.  Even the non-English speaking students were able to be part of the group by signing as well.  And oh the smiles, did I mention the smiles.  Smiles came from even the shyest of campers.

Incorporate some signing today, see if it will help connect with little ones – and oh, have some fun! www.TalkingWithBaby.com

Olympics 2012!

Olympics 2012!  One of the best parts of the Olympics is the opening ceremony.   I knew there was going to be a struggle to get this on TV because of the ‘routine’ with my child with autism, followed by a struggle with my child with Down syndrome, all of which are in the same package.   Chad learned the sign for ‘Olympics’ in early grade school and we use the sign only when it’s time for another Olympics.  Once I changed the channel on the TV to the Olympic coverage, all I needed to do was sign ‘Olympics’ a few times and with a minimum of struggle, we were watching the opening!   As he was engaged in the program, he started signing all the things he saw…flag, marching, dance, and helicopter were some.  Not sure why, but he burst out laughing when Mary Poppins came down from above.   There, of course, was lots of ‘parade like waving’ back at the TV.

Teach your baby a sign that reflects something happening today to engage them and share the excitement.   www.TalkingWithBaby.com

How to start teaching Baby American Sign Language

I have the privilege of caring for Evie http://talkingwithbaby.com/pages/EvieusingTWB/  and her new sister Baby Meadow while they are in transition to a new daycare.  Evie is now 4 and Meadow is 5 months.  If you are a new parent, or one with experience, or someone involved with a non-verbal little one, see if the following scene sounds familiar. 

You are dropping Baby off at the daycare.  Instructions include last time a diaper was changed, Baby was fed, and any special instructions like, “may be getting a cold”, “didn’t sleep well last night”, or “doesn’t seem to be herself today”.  When was the last time you gave the caregiver your language instructions?

Jen left me for the first time with Baby Meadow along with Evie.  She told me she was working on the signs for ‘eat’ and ‘more’ and out the door she went.  Things were fine until Meadow started crying.  Okay, now what?  I looked at her and said “eat?”  Because her mom was already working on the words, ‘eat’ was a familiar sound to her.  She immediately stopped crying and I fed her.

How easy it is for caregivers to be in charge when a baby is introduced to language.  Using a word she was familiar with instilled security and confidence she was in good hands.  I am at the end of my time to care for them, but can see that over these last few weeks, Meadow is now looking at me and not the bottle when I say ‘eat’.  I’ve started showing her the sign and even model her own hands to make the sign.  How easy it becomes when a baby knows they are understood and the whole eating process has slowed down.  We are both happy we know what she wants!   

Teach a new sign today, see what your Baby is trying to tell you!

Should I teach my baby sign language?

In a short word, yes! In addition to the many reasons you may already be familiar with, consider these additional two.

Babies learn by cause and effect.¹ Babies get hungry, they cry, they get fed. Simple. If parents want to start the language process, this is the perfect time. Begin by signing ‘eat’ when your baby cries when hungry. It goes as easy as this, baby cries, slowly say and sign “eat, eat, eat” (usually done slowly 3 times to help baby focus and begin to understand) then feed your baby. You are helping your baby to identify why their stomach hurts and what happens to make it feel better. They will soon learn signing ‘eat’ gets results and will begin to use that sign on their own. See how Baby Leah starting signing.

Another great cause and effect you can introduce to your baby is during diaper changes. Slowly say and sign “wet, wet, wet”. While putting on the dry diaper, say and sign, “dry, dry, dry.” The use of these words and signs helps baby begin to understand the difference between a wet diaper and a dry one, which will make them more comfortable. (When your baby is old enough to understand, teach them the word and sign for ‘bathroom’. It’s a more dignified way for them to tell you when they need to go, especially when in the community where the traditional “potty” word may gain unwanted attention!)

Just a couple ways you can begin using sign at home.

The other reason you should consider teaching sign language is because during early development, baby’s brain is actively making connections (called synapses) that help them make sense of their environment. What an opportune time for learning. By pairing words with signs to objects, colors, activities, etc., and through repetition and practice, your baby will begin to understand and respond on their own with sign followed by verbal words. You will get a jump start with language development and maybe even improve your baby’s IQ. Babies love to hear their parents’ voices, so learning one-on-one with them is key and interests them the most.¹

Reference

¹ Buchanan, Carolyn. "Shortcut to Genius?" Scholastic Parent and Child Apr. 2010: 64. Print.

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Have fun! Teach your baby a new sign today.

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