Baby Signing & Literacy

September 8, 2011 by Laura Berg


Does baby sign language count as building literacy?

The use of American Sign Language (ASL) is a perfect way to supplement any preschool curriculum because it can be used with all of the multiple intelligences. In linguistic intelligence you always speak while making specific signs so students are being exposed to two different learning modes for one word.

With logic-mathematical, children can see a pattern of language and how it forms. Musical; you can add signs to common music or rhymes that the children already know. Bodily-kinesthetic; our hands are moving to make the signs so children can feel the words or letters.

In spatial learning, the child can see the sign being made. Interpersonal; the child can sign with a group, parent or teacher. And finally, with intrapersonal learning, the child can also sign when on his/her own when reading stories.

Well-known people are also beginning to realize that it is the early years of life that are crucial for future success. Laura Bush has stated that, “The years between diapers and the first backpacks will determine whether a child will succeed in school and make it to college.” First Lady Bush addressing the Senate Education Committee on January 25, 2002. Hillary Rodham Clinton asked physicians to suggest parents read to their young children, and she called for greater investment in children aged zero to three. (Lee Hochberg, 1997)

Children need a strong foundation to build on. We need to start educating and teaching our children at a very young age. Instill the love of reading and learning in them early so that it will stay with them throughout their lives. 

I taught my daughter the ASL alphabet and it helped her learn to read! See this video:

Children and Learning

Penelope Leach, when talking about children and learning said, “The more language they have, the faster thinking will progress. But the more thinking they are doing, the more language they will use. So language and thought even language and intelligence, are intimately entangled.” (Leach, 1990)

When children are taught English and ASL together they are processing language using both sides of their brains. They process verbal sounds on the left side of the brain and ASL as pictures and images on the right side of the brain, giving them two places to recall language from.

So, if language is an essential part of children’s development, and the use of multiple intelligences is important when teaching, it is the next logical step to include the use of ASL in the preschool curriculum. When ASL is used in combination with spoken language it reinforces the learning of educational concepts such as ABC’s, animals and other specific themes. Research shows that children find signing fun and it includes them in their learning process.

Dr. Marilyn Daniels, professor at Pennsylvania State University, designed a study with 16 hearing preschoolers who knew ASL. All but one of the children had deaf parents. She found they scored 17% higher on the tests she administered than hearing children who didn’t know ASL. Subsequent research studies with larger groups have found the same results. (Daniels, 2001)

I have a colleague who is Deaf and has a hearing son who is now in kindergarten. Her son began to read when he was 3 and a half. In kindergarten, his class reads a series of books measured by difficulty. Most children in his class are on levels A and B; while he is sailng through levels M and N. The school has since placed him in a gifted program with older children for reading so he doesn’t get bored. His mother attributes his reading success to signing while young, as well as learning the manual sign language alphabet at an early age.

ASL is such a beautiful language and can greatly benefit our preschool-aged children. I would like to encourage everyone to use ASL with young children to compliment their existing programs, be it in a library, daycare, preschool or at home.

References:

Daniels, M. (2001). Dancing With Words: Signing for Hearing Children’s Literacy. Bergin & Garvey, Publisher. Westport, CT.

Leach, P (1990). Your Baby & Child. Alfred A Knopf, Publisher. New York, NY.

Hochberg, L. PBS news hours, “Child’s Play” May 29, 1997

Originally posted here:

http://www.babies-and-sign-language.com/baby-sign-language-preschoolers.html

Article in Treasure Valley Baby Magazine 2010-2011

Signing with Your Baby

At the first moment of touch, a journey of communication begins between an infant and caregiver. Studies have shown that the initial and continuous visual contact, especially during feeding time, helps newborns develop a sense of security and safety. Being held, swaddled, and consoled are ways new parents cultivate reassurance for their babies.


This “conversational” process is crucial in helping infants grow into self-reliant toddlers and eventually confident school-age children.


Communication is a critical ability and though there are many ways we “talk” to our children—eye contact, body language, nonverbal and verbal cues—one method that is becoming a norm in many households is sign language. Children naturally sign. We say “so big” and a child’s arms are flung in the air with much enthusiasm at a very young age.


Or think of the first time your child shook his head “no” in response to a question. Bye-bye is done with a wave of the hand. I love you is spoken through blowing a kiss. A sense of pride is demonstrated with clapping hands.And approval is shown by nodding.

As humans, we naturally use body language as a way to get our point across. A few years ago I took an American Sign Language (ASL) course.


The teacher, who was hearing-impaired, explained to us that most of sign language is about expression—facial and body expression. The emotion behind the sign is far more important than the accuracy of the sign itself. This is why charades can be so much fun!


There is a myth that needs to be put to rest regarding teaching a baby sign language and that is the belief that encouraging our children to sign might delay speech development.  Signing is simply a second language.


Children are naturally multi-lingual—if they are in a home where grandma speaks Spanish, they learn to talk to grandma in her language and also learn the mainstream language spoken by their peers and other family members. When my oldest son was a three-year-old, he was using sign language as his primary method to communicate. Talking was simply more challenging for him than signing. But as he got older I had to gradually limit his signing to help encourage him to learn verbal skills.


He knew the sounds of language, but because of his developmental and speech delays, I had to creatively introduce language development targeted to his ability. This type of teaching, signing combined with verbal skills, is a special situation not normally indicative of language needs for typical babies and toddlers.


What sign language can offer a family is the ability to limit the frustrations that many babies and toddlers experience when they have trouble effectively vocalizing their needs because speech has not yet developed—but the desire for specific communication is certainly there!


All of my children have learned some form of sign, allowing me to tell them something during a family outing or dinner without interrupting the flow of events. My children frequently research the “signs” for songs and sayings and “act them out” like a game of charades.


The skill sets developed through signing have carried over into teaching them Spanish too. Through our family’s experiences, I’ve seen how signing can be an invaluable gift.


A friend of mine recently visited my home and was amazed that my one-year-old was “talking” so clearly. He simply signed when: He was ALL DONE – signed with hands open in front of chest, palms facing in, then quickly shook them outwards a few times.


He WANTED MORE – signed with hands in front of che st, touching fingertips together and repeating the motions once or twice.


He WANTED MILK – signed with one hand in front of chest, in a closed fist position, squeezing it closed then slightly opened, like milking a cow.


He WANTED TO EAT – signed with one hand in front of mouth, tapping fingertips on the lips a few times.


He WANTED TO BE PICKED UP – signed by holding arms up, hands open, and bouncing up and down.


He naturally grabs his blanket and crawls into a lap when he feels tired or needs hugs. Because his desires are “readable” to his caregivers, they are easier to meet in a timely manner, minimizing disgruntlement and almost eliminating crying as a way to get his needs met. These were signs that I taught him in natural everyday situations.


Rebecca Evans is an Empowerment Coach,
Transformational Speaker, mother of three, and
freelance writer from Eagle. She’s authored six books
and illustrated one children’s book. To reach her, go to
inner-element.com.

The Benefits of Using American Sign Language with Preschoolers

by Laura Berg

Every parent knows that young children love movement and actions. When you sing songs and put actions to them, children always want to perform those actions. For example, when you see a child singing ‘The Itsy Bitsy Spider’ he or she automatically starts making the motions of moving the spider “up the spout” and having “the rain fall and wash the spider out”. Actions help children remember the words to the song because there is muscle memory involved. The more senses involved in learning; the greater memory retention the child will have.

Research has demonstrated repeatedly that children retain what they learn through fun, engaging activities that encourage the use of Gardner’s seven multiple intelligences:

1. Linguistic intelligence (sensitivity to meaning and order of words)2. Logical-mathematical intelligence (mathematic and complex logic systems) 3. Music intelligence (music or rhymes).4. Spatial intelligence (the ability to think in pictures) 5. Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence (movement and doing).6. Interpersonal intelligence (with other people).7. Intrapersonal intelligence (individual learning).

The use of American Sign Language (ASL) is a perfect way to supplement any preschool curriculum because it can be used with all of the multiple intelligences. In linguistic intelligence you always speak while making specific signs so students are being exposed to two different learning modes for one word.

With logic-mathematical, children can see a pattern of language and how it forms. Musical; you can add signs to common music or rhymes that the children already know. Bodily-kinesthetic; our hands are moving to make the signs so children can feel the words or letters.

In spatial learning, the child can see the sign being made. Interpersonal; the child can sign with a group, parent or teacher. And finally, with intrapersonal learning, the child can also sign when on his/her own when reading stories.

Well-known people are also beginning to realize that it is the early years of life that are crucial for future success. Laura Bush has stated that, “The years between diapers and the first backpacks will determine whether a child will succeed in school and make it to college.” First Lady Bush addressing the Senate Education Committee on January 25, 2002. Hillary Rodham Clinton asked physicians to suggest parents read to their young children, and she called for greater investment in children aged zero to three. (Lee Hochberg, 1997)

Children need a strong foundation to build on. We need to start educating and teaching our children at a very young age. Instill the love of reading and learning in them early so that it will stay with them throughout their lives.

Children and Learning

Penelope Leach, when talking about children and learning said, “The more language they have, the faster thinking will progress. But the more thinking they are doing, the more language they will use. So language and thought even language and intelligence, are intimately entangled.” (Leach, 1990)

When children are taught English and ASL together they are processing language using both sides of their brains. They process verbal sounds on the left side of the brain and ASL as pictures and images on the right side of the brain, giving them two places to recall language from.

So, if language is an essential part of children’s development, and the use of multiple intelligences is important when teaching, it is the next logical step to include the use of ASL in the preschool curriculum. When ASL is used in combination with spoken language it reinforces the learning of educational concepts such as ABC’s, animals and other specific themes. Research shows that children find signing fun and it includes them in their learning process.

Dr. Marilyn Daniels, professor at Pennsylvania State University, designed a study with 16 hearing preschoolers who knew ASL. All but one of the children had deaf parents. She found they scored 17% higher on the tests she administered than hearing children who didn’t know ASL. Subsequent research studies with larger groups have found the same results. (Daniels, 2001)

I have a colleague who is Deaf and has a hearing son who is now in kindergarten. Her son began to read when he was 3 and a half. In kindergarten, his class reads a series of books measured by difficulty. Most children in his class are on levels A and B; while he is sailng through levels M and N. The school has since placed him in a gifted program with older children for reading so he doesn’t get bored. His mother attributes his reading success to signing while young, as well as learning the manual sign language alphabet at an early age.

ASL is such a beautiful language and can greatly benefit our preschool-aged children. I would like to encourage everyone to use ASL with young children to compliment their existing programs, be it in a library, daycare, preschool or at home.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Laura Berg is the founder of Smart Hands Baby Sign Language in Toronto, Canada and a certified teacher with degrees in Sociology, Child Studies, and a Master's degree in Education. Upon welcoming a newborn of her own, came the realization for the possibilities of sign language boosting her daughter's cognitive development.

One of Laura's passions now - sharing this wonderful and eye-opening realization of benefits with other parents. Her baby sign language classes are engaging and a delight for both parents and baby, while offering parents the tools they need to facilitate early communication with their little darlings.
http://www.mysmarthands.com/

5 Everyday signs to get you started...

Sign language:

REDUCES FRUSTRATION & TANTRUMS
Your child can tell you what they need

ACCELERATES VERBAL DEVELOPMENT
Through constant reinforcement

STRENGTHENS COGNITIVE SKILLS
Children learn that their actions mean something
By using both sides of the brain

INCREASES SELF-ESTEEM
Your child is secure in knowing that you understand their needs

ENHANCES CHILD-PARENT BONDING
Through the time spent teaching signs to your baby.



Research shows that preverbal infants can communicate
through the use of sign language long before they can verbalize their needs.

At My Smart Hands of Boise, we will give you the tools you need to start communicating with your baby.