Signing with Babies

Some may think signing with babies is quite a new trend, but in fact it is based upon more than 20 years of research by internationally respected academics. Signing with babies isn’t difficult. It is proven to encourage speech development and it can be fun, inspirational, and even amazing.

It is a fact that babies develop the fine muscles in their hands before they develop those required for speech, therefore enabling them to communicate with you before they can speak.

In 1982, Drs Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn, of California University, noticed that young babies often used simple gestures to communicate before they could talk. With this in mind, they began research which is still ongoing, mostly funded by the US National Institute of Health.

They found that as well as having a happier, less frustrated baby, as well as a closer bond between parent and baby, signing with babies can have long-term benefits.

Their research shows that babies who are taught to sign learn to talk earlier. They also found that when these babies did learn to talk, they had larger vocabularies and were more confident than children of the same age. Follow-up research, showed that aged 8, children who were taught to sign as babies, still had a higher IQ.

I signed with my daughter, who is now 2 years and 4 months old. She has a very wide vocabulary for her age, is able to speak clearly and fluently, and can cofindently negotiate converstions with others. She also knows all of her colours and shapes and has just begun writing her name. I would highly recommend signing to anyone who has a baby.

Sarah is a qualifed Nursery Nurse and has over a decade experience, working with children aged 3 months to 5 years. She also has two children of her own. Visit http://signing4babies.co.uk for more information on how to Sign with your baby.

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