These days children are bombarded with information, games, lessons, and more. ASL signing is a great way to help them get ahead or just keep up.  Mothers need to remember that even those sometimes when their young toddlers don’t produce signs right away, they are still using those cognitive tools to process the information and developing those skills for higher level language.  Don’t get frustrated if your baby takes a while. The most important thing is to be consisitent when you have chosen a sign for them to learn. For example when teaching them the sign for “more”, sign it with your baby manipulating hands each time he is eating, be consistent and patient.  When you are playing a simple game and your baby wants to do it over and over again, use the sign more.  Those intellectual processes will be enhanced through both the interaction and the language use.

Debbie Parrish