Question:

One parents asked in what specific ways have my children benefited from sign language?

Answer:

Just to name a few ways that signing has helped my children:  Clarifying what they are trying to verbally say.  I remember when Annie was little for instance, she was listening to the adults talk and we were saying something about how to catch something.  She kept looking at me funny and then she signed “Cat”.  The whole time she thought we were saying Cat.  If she hadn’t have signed it we both would have gone on confused and frustrated that the other person wasn’t making any sense. 

 

Signing has helped my kids with leaning their colors and animals.  When I’ve taught my kids colors and animals I teach them the sign for them as well.  When they get stuck on what the color is for instance, I simply sign it and it’s a quick reminder of what the color is.  Even though they may just be repeating the “name of the sign” I showed them, I feel that I’m giving them another symbol for what they are looking at.  In the same way we have verbal symbols that represent the color or object.  The verbal symbols are so abstract that it can be hard for a child to connect the meanings.  Sign language for a lot of people is easier to connect with its meaning.  Incorporating many ways of learning something only adds to the number of resources they have to pull from.  Kids all learn in different ways, so the more options you give them in learning the more likely they are to learn the concepts more thoroughly and quickly.

 

Another way signing has helped my children is adding to their self confidence.  I mentioned in an earlier blog that sign language makes my daughter feel “cool”.  Annie loves showing other kids and family signs.  It has connected her with us and others that sign.  It’s made her unique and smart in the eyes of others.  It’s allowed her to communicate with my deaf cousin.  It’s opened up a whole new way of exploring and learning things.  All of this has helped to boost her self confidence.  And now I see it happening with my son as well.  Not to mention, the bond that my kids have with each other because of sign language.  Annie helps to teach her younger brothers sign language and they all benefit because of the positive interaction.

 

Signing has also helped my children verbally.  Both my daughter and son have been well ahead of the average as far as speaking and verbally communicating.  My daughter was saying full sentences at 15 months old.  And my son was speaking months ahead of the other boys his age.  Every child is different, but I feel that my children benefited tremendously from using sign language. 

 

The list goes on, and I’ll comment more on it later when I have more time… but those are just a few of the benefits I’ve seen personally in my own children.

 

Andrea Ploehn, co-founder www.signing4baby.com

 

Question:

Hi,

I’ve been reading your blog and visiting your website. I also sign with my daughter. The early benefits have been amazing! Besides all the typically mentioned early communication skills, sign language is helping her to start early reading and spelling skills (she’s 27 months old). But I’ve been wondering, when do the benefits of learning sign language “wear off”? Is there an age where it all seems to even out between signing babies and non-signers? I’ve read Acredolo’s study about the increased IQ points, but I’ve also read that early advances seem to even out by 3 years old and another that says they even out by 3rd grade.Hmmm…What’s with the fascination with 3?

Answer:

Hi Holly,

Thanks for emailing me, I love talking about sign language.  As far as any research that I’ve read about child development advances in connection with using sign language, I have only seen studies that are documented up to the age of 8, like you said.  I’m not aware of any other studies that have tracked a group of children past that point.

If you want my personal opinion though, I think that there are so many other benefits connected with using sign language as a child that last a life time.  Besides the academic benefits of early reading skills, spelling advancements, language development, and enhanced verbal abilities, etc… I feel that signing with children allows for them to develop abilities that aren’t typically documented by research.  For instance, the ability for the child to connect in unique ways with others and build greater self esteem,  increasing memory storage and problem solving abilities, learning to communicate and problem solve in multiple ways (visual, audio, and sensory), and learning a second recognized language, etc… 

 So to answer the question, when does it “wear off”, I honestly don’t think it does.  No matter what, children that use sign language are being exposed to a unique and special way of communicating that I feel gives them the “upper hand” in child development.

Andrea Burton Ploehn, www.signing4baby.com

Question: 

Why Did you stop signing with your son?

This is Holly from Holly Tried It. I just started a new blog to put my posts on baby sign language in. I’m curious why you decided to stop signing with your son when you are obviously dedicated to baby signing. I’m not being critical…I’m just curious. I know that as my two-year-old grows and becomes incredibly verbal the use of sign language has changed and has taken some adjustment on my part.

Since you have started signing with your son again, do you plan to continue signing with the baby even he passes the toddler years?

Just curious!

 

Answer:

Hey Holly,

Great question.  The truth is, with both of my older children I had always planned on continuing to sign with them even after they began to verbalize.  In both cases I brought back sign language when another “non speaking” baby came into the house.  I especially want my children to be fluent in sign language as a second language.  I’ve been trying to pin point what the reason was for me not continuing, but maybe part of the reason is they start to venture into other new things like reading and writing.  I don’t find myself using sign language when I’m teaching them this I think mostly because I’m focusing on sounds and phonics. 

 I definitely want to keep up the signing during the every day stuff though, the kids and I absolutely love it.  You’ll have to stay on me and make sure I’m not slacking off.  I’m proud of you for staying so dedicated with your little girl.  Thanks for the question.

Andrea Ploehn