Baby Sign Language: Boosting Language Development in Infants and Toddlers

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You’ll often find that infants and toddlers are more likely to copy simple actions than spoken words. Why is that? Well, as babies grow during their first year, A LOT of skills are developing – including their prelinguistic skills. Prelinguistic skills are the skills a child has mastered before they say their first word(s). Imitation is one of the most important prelinguistic skills, and imitating actions, developmentally, comes before imitating sounds and words. Looking at it from a developmental standpoint, copying simple actions (like baby signs) develops before copying sounds or words. So, if we teach infants and toddlers to communicate by copying simple baby signs, not only are we strengthening the prelinguistic skill of imitating actions, but we’re also giving them a way to communicate with us before they’re able to say words.

For example, think of waving. Infants and toddlers usually learn how to wave hi or bye pretty early. And what are some of the first words they use consistently besides mama and dada? Hi and bye! Coincidence? I think not! 😉

So not only does teaching baby signs give your child a way to communicate before they can say words, but it also supports their spoken language development as well. Babies under one year of age who are exposed to baby signs with spoken words have higher language skills at two and three years of age compared to their peers who are not exposed to baby signs (see the research here). Similarly, children who have language delays show significant improvement in their language development when exposed to baby signs (see the research here).

The Basics

In this era of technology and information, I’m sure you’ve heard of baby sign language. But if not, baby sign language is the use of signs and gestures to communicate with infants and toddlers. Baby sign language originates from American Sign Language (or British Sign Language, Australian Sign Language, or really any other sign language – but for this post, I’ll mostly refer to American Sign Language). American Sign Language (ASL) is a complex language system that has its own grammar and word order rules. Baby sign language is a simplified version of ASL and doesn’t follow ASL’s grammar and word order rules. Baby signs are also used at the same time as spoken words and are adaptable based on the child’s motor abilities. I usually tell the families I work with, “As long as you know what they’re signing and they know what they’re signing, I don’t necessarily care what the sign looks like.” Just like toddlers say some words incorrectly (aka word approximations), they can also use baby sign approximations.

The Benefits

Baby sign language helps to bridge the gap between gestures and spoken language. It supports your child’s understanding of language because the sign acts as a visual cue for the spoken word. It also gives your little one a way of communicating when they can’t use spoken words yet. You’ll also notice less frustration and fewer tantrums because they aren’t struggling to get you to understand what they want. Plus, when they start to use spoken language, children who use baby sign language have larger vocabularies because they have learned to associate the signs with words and concepts. Teaching baby sign language to your little one also strengthens the bond you share with them since it encourages interactions and responsiveness. Learning baby sign language increases your little one’s confidence, memory, and problem-solving skills. Some research also suggests that children who learn to sign may have an easier time learning to read later on, as they have a head start on understanding language and symbols.

Baby Signs and Children with Language Delays

When working with children with language delays, my priority is establishing a way for them to communicate. Baby sign language is typically an easy way to give them that. Children with language delays often exhibit frustration and tantrums since they can’t communicate their wants and needs effectively. Baby sign language acts as a bridge to spoken language; therefore, not only does it give them a way to communicate with you, but it’s also boosting their ability for spoken language as well. A study by O’Neill et al., 2019, found that children with language delays between the ages of 2 and 3 who used gestures (like baby signs) no longer demonstrated a language delay between the ages of 4 and 5.

Getting Started

Yay! You want to start teaching your little one some baby sign language! That’s AWESOME! Here are the steps I teach parents and some tips:

1. Pick one or two signs to start with. Choose words like “milk” or “eat” since they will help your child communicate their wants or needs. Once they catch on, you can start adding more signs.

2. When teaching the sign, make sure to get your child’s attention. Say their name, tap their shoulder, put their hand on your face, etc. This is an important step because we want them to SEE you doing the sign as well as hear the spoken word.

3. Model the sign and say the word at the same time. Wait a few seconds before signing and saying the word again. This gives your child a chance to copy you if they can. (Only try to get them to copy you twice before moving on - we don't want them to associate baby signs with getting frustrated).

Tips:

• Choose signs your little one can use to meet their needs and wants (eat, drink, more, please, all done, help, play, etc.)

• Choose signs for words your family uses frequently throughout the day

• Use the signs consistently and often throughout the day. The more they’re exposed to it, the more likely your little one will catch on and use it themselves.

• Incorporate the signs into your daily routines. This will help your child learn them more quickly and let you teach them without adding more to your already busy schedule.

When to Seek Professional Help

Every child is different and develops at their own pace. Milestones are meant to be a general guide. They DO NOT determine a child’s or a parent’s worth or value. If you have any concerns about your child’s development, I will always recommend getting an evaluation. It won’t hurt anything and will either get your child the services they need or let you know they’re on track. However, if your little one is having frustration and tantrums because they can’t communicate their wants and needs, I recommend contacting your pediatrician for a referral to a speech-language pathologist ASAP.

Myths and Misconceptions

The question I get asked the most often when I introduce the idea of baby sign language is: “Why would I teach sign language if my baby can hear?” Research shows that we learn mostly through sight (3% taste, 3% smell, 6% touch, 13% hearing, and 75% sight). Plus, children are visually wired – half of their brains are involved in visual processing. So, the visual aspect of baby sign language actually helps them learn better.

The second most-asked question is: “But won’t using sign language hinder their spoken language?” And the answer, as you’ve learned throughout this post, is a resounding “NO!” Babies under one year of age who are exposed to baby signs along with spoken words are shown to have higher language skills at two and three years of age compared to their peers who are not exposed to baby signs (see the research here). Similarly, children who have language delays show significant improvement in their language development when exposed to baby signs (see the research here).

Conclusion

As you can see, baby sign language is a great way to support your little one’s communication, understanding of language, spoken language, early literacy, memory, and problem-solving skills. It also supports your parent-child bond. It may take time and patience, but the result is worth the effort. My biggest advice is to stick with it. Baby sign language gives your little one a way to communicate with you before they can say words. It’s a fun and effective way to support your child’s language and communication development!

Additional Resources and References

• www.babysignlanguage.com/dictionary is one of my favorite websites for videos of the most common baby signs.

• Goodwyn, S. W., Acredolo, L. P., & Brown, C. A. (2000). Impact of symbolic gesturing on early language development. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 24, 81-103.

• O’Neill, H., Murphy, C., & Chiat, S. (2019). What our hands tell us: A two year follow up investigating outcomes in subgroups of children with language delay. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research.