Sign Language & Speech Delays…Re Visited…Again!

I have been getting this a lot more lately. See, my kids are shy. At least, when they are younger. They talk up a storm at home, having full on conversations well before the age of 2. But get them around other people, especially people they are not comfortable around, or who are new, and they clam right up! It took my oldest a year in the same day care around the same people, to finally open up. The teacher and director both asked me if I wanted speech for him! I had to bring in a recording of him to prove that he spoke…and at 18 months had well over 300 words!

But my older 2 were not really signed with, so the point with them (my daughter having 150 words at her 1 year checkup!) is moot.

So I keep hearing: “but I want my kid to talk” when I ask new parents or parents with young children, if they ever considered joining a class. Heck, even with preschoolers it is still fun! I then have to go into my usual spiel on how signing with your child not only does NOT delay speech, but opens up multiple learning centers in the brain for building communication. This is especially harder with older adults, who only know American Sign Language to be the language of the deaf.

Teaching your child to use American Sign Language is just like teaching them any other language they are not used to speaking in their households. It broadens their learning spectrum and teaches them that there is more out there then the language they hear daily. ASL helps them play with language a lot sooner, then children who do not use signs or another language.

There have been multiple research studies, including one by The National Institutes of Health, on the benefits of signing with young babies and children. This is especially true with children with special needs, such as Apraxia, Down Syndrome, and Autism. Children with these disabilities may not be able to communicate well, if at all. It is a wonderful thing to have a way to communicate with these children, and adults, as to lessen their frustration with the world around them, and help them communicate with their caregivers, where otherwise, they would not be able to.

But, back to signing…with typically developing children…

Signing will not delay speech! (Have I driven that point home yet?)    

Because gross motor skills develop before the fine motor skills involved in phonetic and articulatory actions (moving tongues and mouths in the proper way to create speech), babies can be taught to communicate with their hands before they are physically capable of articulating thoughts. What parent would not want an opportunity to have a front row seat in the mind of their baby, toddler, preschooler, and special needs child?

Hmm speaking of special needs…that might just be my next blog post! Stay tuned!

Becka Marsch, Happiest Baby Educator since 2006, WeeHands Instructor Since 2007. Mom of 4, business owner of Learn And Grow Together and Premier Magical Vacations with a Bachelors in Early Childhood Education And Development and 20 years experience in the field of her dreams :)

Meet our Charlie!

I have to introduce you to our family's dog, Charlie. She (yes, Charlie is a 'she') is a mix between a poodle and a golden retreiver. BTW, the retreiver part of her let's her gently carry baby birds that have just fallen out of their nest to back us...not that we know what to do with them when she brings them to us!

Charlie's been with us for the past 7 years and is just the best dog. Why am I gushing about our dog...besides just because she's great? Well, Charlie's owner before she came to us, was an ASL Interpreter! Charlie's name sign was the sign for BLACK but made with a C shape. She came to you when you made that sign and barked excitedly whenever we signed SIT or WALK.

Seven years later we've just found a wonderful dog groomer for Charlie...and guess what? Our dog groomer (and her husband) is Deaf!  There's something about the ASL world that just keeps attracting me to it...and I have met some fantastic folks!  Charlie, the sweetie that she is, was just meant to be with us!

Tell us about your family pets...we know you have them! The number one question often in our first or second class is "How do you sign DOG, CAT...PARROT?" or "How do you sign GENTLE?"  These are some of the first signs that families with curious, pet-loving babies ask!

Sara Bingham is the founder of WeeHands and the author of The Baby Signing Book. WeeHands is the world's leading children's sign language and language development program for babies, toddlers and preschool children.

Let's Eliminate This Question

"Does signing with your baby delay speech?"


I'm the founder of WeeHands and the author of The Baby Signing Book.  Can we please work to eliminate the question above!

I have a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and another Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics. I'm also trained as a Communicative Disorders Assistant (CDA) and have worked with children with special needs who had communicative disorders since 1994. I also teach within a CDA college program.

Each year I have my students research the question "Will signing delay speech?" using peer reviewed journal articles. We have never found any study that shows signing with young hearing children will delay speech. We have found a large number of studies that back that it enhances language, vocabulary and literacy development.

Signing with young children gives them information in an additional way so they can see, hear and even feel language.  Remember speech is different than language. To keep it simple, signing happens at your hands; speech at your mouth and language in your head.  The motor movement needed for signs develop before the motor movement needed for speech. A child uses his hands to learn language and when speech catches up, they already know the words!

Sara Bingham is the founder of WeeHands and the author of The Baby Signing Book. WeeHands is the world's leading children's sign language and language development program for babies, toddlers and preschool children.

What You Can Do This Thursday During Baby’s Naptime

Sara, here with a quick note.  Have you ever noticed that your kids seem to really know how to push your buttons?  Have you noticed that there are just some things that continually irk you? 

I know it’s not something that we always talk about as parents yet, I’m noticing that we all experience this underlying stress when our child or baby is crying, ‘acting out’ or doing something that we don’t want them to do.    

Well, today, we have something special that we’re so excited to share with all WeeHands fans and followers.

This is different from what you’re used to receiving from WeeHands.  This is not about baby sign language, it’s about de-stressing yourself as a parent, that we are noticing is so important for all of us as parents!  

Especially if you find yourself getting frustrated, overwhelmed, irritated or just plain angry with your child and you just don’t know what to do in those moments.  

I’ve asked my dear friend and Parenting Expert, Jolette Jai, to reveal her Quantum Mindshift Process to you.  Jolette's Quantum Mindshift Process is a deeply transformational process for parents that allows you to FULLY let go of any unwanted stress in your life, for you right now. And she said, ‘Yes!’

So, you can join Jolette and I in 2 days,  this Thursday, June 2^nd at 1pm EST on a FREE  ‘Naptime’ Telecall to relieve any feelings of frustration, overwhelm or stress that your experiencing now as a parent. 

Click here for all the details:  http://bit.ly/jE3RbE 

Jolette has medical doctors calling her Quantum Mindshift Process for parents ‘The New Medicine’ for emotional relief.  So, here’s where you can go during naptime this Thursday at 1pm EST:   http://bit.ly/jE3RbE

Let’s relieve all that emotional stress together.  Looking forward to ‘seeing’ you there!

WeeHands Needs You!

Interested in ASL? Interested in language development?  Interested in supporting new parents? So is WeeHands!

WeeHands is an International baby, toddler and preschool sign language program born in Brooklin, Ontario, Canada. Since 2001, WeeHands has taught thousands of families to sign with their babies and toddlers in Canada and the US. WeeHands teaches families ASL vocabulary as well as language development strategies that are important to early language learners.

We are currently getting more requests for classes than we have qualified Instructors!

WeeHands places a strong emphasis on both language development and the use of American Sign Language vocabulary. The benefits of signing with your baby include:

• Teaching baby sign language reduces frustration for you and your baby.
• Baby sign language strengthens the bond between you and your baby.
• Helps your child to communicate sooner, and with a larger vocabulary.

WeeHands' mission is to respectfully share our knowledge of American Sign Language as well as our strong understanding of early language development. We are strongly committed to reaching every family, educator and health professional in North America and helping them to connect and learn with the children they care for. Many of our Instructors are teachers, doulas, early childhood educators, ASL Interpreters and Speech-Language Pathologists.

The cost of certification in the WeeHands program is $350.00 which also includes 10-unit training course for new instructors.  WeeHands would like to offer of a discount of 50% to all Happiest Baby Educators for the WeeHands license and certification ($175.00) which would include:

• WeeHands teaching license fee for the year
• Signing Babies I 8-week curriculum
• 1-Star WeeHands Instructors course: self-paced 10-unit training course covering language development from 0-3 years, setting up and marketing your classes.
• EveryDay Signs course: self-pace 5 unit online sign language class.

For more information, if you are a Happiest Baby Educator, about this educational opportunity click here!

For more information about The Happiest Baby program visit this site: http://www.happiestbaby.com/

For information about becoming an Educator with the Happiest Baby program, click here: http://www.thehappiestbaby.org/locate-classes.html