Source
r/BabySignLanguage•
AmyAndy

HIGHLY recommend taking classes for baby sign language!!

A lot of parents use "more" as the first sign they teach their children, but that sign can be so ambiguous! I know not everyone is interested in taking mommy & me classes, but for me I found it so helpful to learn what to do and what NOT to do when teaching my baby sign language. I'm not saying it's impossible to teach your baby sign language on your own, but it's really important to do your research and have some kind of instruction. There are tons of baby signing books out there that teach your baby the WRONG signs or "baby versions" of ASL that doesn't really translate to ASL at all... It's important to be consistent because it will help later with language!!!

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Another thing I mentioned is the sign "more". I know it works in some contexts but when your baby wants something OUTSIDE of wanting more, "more" is no help. These are things I learned from taking mommy & me classes and buying instructional videos from SignShine. It's more of a commitment than learning online and being self-taught, but teaching your child accurate signs and things that will really help them be ready for school and learn how to read and speak faster should be worth the investment!

Posted Apr 26, 2019, 12:18 AM UTC

64
NebuloniMom•

Meh. I have a dime coat thrift store book and some flashcards a friend gave me that she had used on her kid. My baby is 6 months old and signing mom, more qnd milk consistently. You can see videos of the progress in my history. You get out what you put in, not always about buying the fanciest new app, subscription to videos or classes.

2
AmyAndyOP•

I agree, you don't NEED classes or subscription videos, I just highly recommend them. I've seen too many baby signing books that teach parents and their children the wrong sign for animals (and the sign they teach comes off perverse as they try to change it to actions a "baby might pick up quicker"). While I agree that it's what you put in, you can't trust just anything out there. It's important to be mindful and consistent with ASL

0
cheekymrs•

There aren't any classes in my area unfortunately. I bought the Baby Sign Language book by Monta Bryant long before I was pregnant but otherwise, I've been simply googling signs (search eg. "ASL Banana") and adding them to my regular signing. My son is a year old and he signs about ten signs well with a handful of others he's done only a couple times. Funny thing: I am also teaching my husband to sign lol and it is frustrating since he does the signs wrong more often than my child does. He's constantly doing "water" with his thumb on his mouth instead of index finger.

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AmyAndyOP•

It's so good to hear that you are looking up correct ASL signs because sometimes "baby signing" books teach parents and children signs that are faaaaaar off from ASL. That is such an IMPRESSIVE number of signs to know for his age!!! Keep it up :)

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