I truly believe signing with young children increases vocabulary and parent/child bonding. It in no way slows down speech development (my college students comb through journal articles on this very topic every summer). If a baby is in a hearing and speaking world, they are going to want to communicate in the long run in the fastest and most effective way for them to communicate.
To simplify it, language happens in the brain, speech happens at the mouth, sign happens at the hands. The motor skills needed for signing develop earlier than the motor skills needed for speech. Sign allows children to learn, use and play with language. When speech skills catch up they already know the words (the language) because they've been hearing, seeing and signing them.
3 comments:
As a speech-language pathologist veteran (34 years in the field) I can attest through both professional and personal applications of children WITHOUT hearing loss that sign language CONTRIBUTES to language development. As Sara states babies want to communicate and this just gives them the "oomph" to do it. They will only BUILD vocabulary. For more recent testimony: My just-turned-two on 2/9 speaks in 6-12 WORD SENTENCES. He started signing at 5 months. His signing vocabulary has dwindled as his expressive language explodes, but he still understands all of the signs he learned if you sign them. Don't even think this can ever make a child not want to speak--it is just impossible! What IS sad is that people still believe this and it just is NOT true! SIGN AWAY!!!
Aloha! Genie
I think every child is going to develop at their own pace, and do things when they are ready. Simplifying communications with your child simply makes sense!
I have a friend who used sign language with her youngest daughter. She found the experience to be wonderful. Her daughter was not late in speaking words. She also didn't get as frustrated as her other 2 children do. She was able to communicate her needs without fussing or getting frustrated. People around her knew what she was asking for. I thought it was great.
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