There are many benefits to using sign language with your hearing children. Did you know that when children sign they can communicate almost a whole year before those that do not sign?
Here is a list of other benefits:
Helps to empower children to communicate very early in life. When you empower children to communicate early in life it gives them a head start in life. They learn to express themselves and make their wants and needs known, a much better way then crying and you left guessing.
Helps reduce frustration for caregivers and young children. Signing makes your life and their life much easier with less stress. They can sign “milk” when they are hungry instead of you guessing what it is they need.
Provides a window into a child’s mind and personality. Before my son turned one he was joking with us and he still has that sense of humor today. Without signs, we never would have known what was going on in that little head of his until much later.
Helps enhance language skills. They can sign a word they do not know how to pronounce or can not pronounce yet. Again this helps to lower the child’s frustration.
Need more benefits?
Using signs will NOT delay verbal language development – it may accelerate speech. There is always an exception to the rule, there may be children that prefer to sign over speaking but over 99% of the children that sign their speech develops earlier than those non-signing counterparts.
Signing builds on babies’ natural tendency to use gestures. Children already point and grab at a very early age and signs build on this ability to gester.
Signing can help parents and pediatricians identify injuries, pain, and other ailments. Young children are not always able to tell you where it hurts but when they learn to sign they are able to tell “sign” to tell you that they are hurt or scared.
Stimulates children’s interest in vocabulary: spoken and signed. Children want to communicate and sign language helps.
Proves adults with an alternative to constantly say “NO” How many times a day do you say “NO”, why not sign with them and tell them “finish?” Of course, you want to make sign language fun so you do not just want to use signs for telling them “NO”
Provide children an alternative to bad behavior – “Use your sign, to let John know that you don’t like that, instead of hitting him.”
Increases movement, visual-auditory, and cognitive learning thus providing more sensory stimulation and integration opportunities.
Signing provides a way for students to use their senses during learning. The more senses you have involved in learning the better.
Generates fine motor skills. Signs encourage fine motor skill development. You can even spot those fine motor skill delays by using sign language.
Try it with your child, start now!
Using Sign Language with Hearing Children Power Point Presentation
This video shows you 70 Very Helpful Signs
Let’s Make It a Sign Day Every Day Powerpoint Presentation
This video is signs you can you everyday
Sign Language questions can be directed to Janelle at wesign2@gmail.com
