Tips and resources for signing with babies
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Some tips for signing with babies:
• Start with one or two simple signs such as "milk," "eat," or "more."
• Don't ask your child to perform signs out of context. This can confuse the baby.
• Don't make signing a condition of care, such as forcing the baby to sign "bottle" before giving it to him.
• Use signs naturally by always pairing the gesture with the spoken word.
• Encourage all caregivers to learn basic signs.
• Be patient as it can take weeks or months before babies sign back.
• Smile when you sign so the baby knows it's fun.
• Watch for variations as many babies adapt signs or lack the small-motor skills to make signs exactly right.
• If an American Sign Language gesture is too difficult, make up your own family sign.
Online resources
HandSpeak (www.handspeak.com): Video demonstrations of ASL signs with a special section devoted to words babies might use.
Signing Baby (www.signingbaby.com):Links, tips and discussion board (clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/signwithyourbaby)
Sign with Me (www.signwithme.com): Features a video dictionary of words commonly used by children.
Sign with Your Baby (www.sign2me.com): This Web site for Garcia's book features a discussion group, video clips and FAQ.
American Sign Language Browser (commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm): Descriptions and video demonstrations of hundreds of ASL signs.
Books and videos
For parents: "Sign with Your Baby Complete Learning Kit," by Joseph Garcia (can also be purchased as book alone without training video); "Baby Signs: How to Talk with Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk," by Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn; "Signs for me: Basic Sign Vocabulary for Children, Parents and Teachers," by Ben Bahan; "Dancing with Words: Signing for Hearing Children's Literacy," by Marilyn Daniels.
For children: "Baby's First Words" Meredith Layton; "Baby's First Signs," Kim Votry; "My First Book of Sign Language," Joan Holub; "An Alphabet of Animal Signs," S. Harold Collins; "Opposites: A Beginner's Book of Signs, Angela Bednarczyk; "Signing for Kids," Mickey Flodin;
Videos: "Baby See 'n' Sign;" "Blue's Clues — All Kinds of Signs;" "Sign Songs;" "Sign-Me-A-Story;" "Sign with Me;" "Talking Hands: A Sign Language Video for Children"