MYTH: Signing means learning a whole new language.

Excerpt from SuperBaby: 12 Ways to Give Your Child a Head Start in the First 3 Years

You don’t have to learn a complete language in order to begin signing with your child. You only have to know the signs that are valuable to you and your baby. Ideally you should be at least one step ahead of your child, although many adults learn the signs along with their children. You will be amazed how quickly you increase your own signing vocabulary just by looking up each of the signs as you become curious or your child asks for them. My husband, parents, and close friends thought learning ASL was a lot of fun. – Dr. Jenn

TRUTH: Just learn the signs you and your baby want to use! 

Get SuperBaby now in the Baby Sign Language Starter Kit

• Read Myth#1 : Signing delays speech (BUSTED!)
• Read Myth #2: Signing takes a lot of time and money (BUSTED!)
• Read Myth #3: Signing is only for parents who want to raise a genius (BUSTED!)
• Read Myth #4: ASL signs are too hard for babies (BUSTED!)
• Get a summary of the research on signing with babies and children
• Learn more about Dr. Jenn

1.  Potty Time You Can Do It Pack

This award-winning set makes potty training fun and easy. For children of any age.

2.  Baby Signing Time Full Collection 

Includes 4 Books, 4 DVDs, 4 CDs, 4 Flash Card Sets, Baby Hopkins – plus bonus lullaby CD.

3.  Baby Signing Time Board Book Set NEW!

Sign and read together with board books starring Baby Alex, Baby Leah and Baby Hopkins!

4.  Baby Hopkins Plush Doll NEW!

This cuddly Baby Hopkins comes with removable undies. He’s the perfect potty training pal.

5.  Signing Time Early Literacy Bundle

Help your child learn letters, sounds, words, and stories with DVDs, posters and parent guide.

Making a Difference: Stories from Signing Time Families

We’d like to share this testimonial that Susan L. posted at www.signingtime.com recently.
Warning: Get your tissue out. This is one seriously inspiring story.

When we adopted Ryan from Russia he was almost 2 years old and was unable to speak. Right away we got him involved in all kinds of program for developmentally delayed children. After a year of receiving speech, occupational therapy, and being in a developmental preschool, he had made some progress, but still wasn’t able to form any words. I made the decision to quit my job to stay home and work with him full time, but even still with all the therapies he was receiving he was about to turn 4 without even 1 word.

Then one day while surfing the internet for some speech related help, I saw Signing Time videos and decided to give them a try as nothing else had worked. I popped them in the DVD and just played them all day long though he showed no interest in watching any of them. I remember tearing up while listening to the song* about “Sammie will do what Sammie will do when Sammie is ready to do it,” but I just kept the videos going day after day.

Then came the moment I will never forget, as I was folding laundry in the other room. I hear this small voice say the word “uncle.” I could hardly believe my ears. I turned the corner and this dear little boy stood in front of the TV not only saying “uncle” but signing it as well. I dropped the laundry basket to the floor and scooped him up in my arms crying, You said uncle! You said uncle!” he started laughing, which was another thing he never did.

From that day forward Ryan continued to add more words and within the year has gone from no words to speaking in 5 to 6 word sentences! he still has a ways to go to catch up to his peers, but continues to surprise us with all the cute things he says. He has really opened up to having new experiences and temper tantrums are a thing of the past.

I cannot thank Signing Time enough for helping to give our little boy his voice. This has been a true blessing for all of us and your selfless inspirations have changed many lives and given hope where there was so little. Now when I hear that song* about Sammie will do what Sammie will do, I still get tears in my eyes, but now they are tears of joy.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————

*The song Susan refers to in this story is called “Shine,” an original song by Rachel Coleman.

Listen to “Shine” here.

“Shine” is featured in these Signing Time products:

• Shine: Selected Songs for Grown Ups
• Signing Time Vol. 4-6 – Music CD
• Signing Time Vol. 4 DVD

In a recent article on Parents.com, Richard Rende, Ph.D. shared a list of 25 words that a typical 2-year-old should be saying. Baby Signing Time DVDs and Baby Signing Time Board Books can give your child exposure to many of these important early words.

How does signing support spoken language?

In the white paper “Signing with Babies and Children,” Dr. Claire Vallotton of Michigan State University summarizes what research can tell us about the link between signing and talking:

• “In one case study, each time the child learned the sign for a certain concept, the word followed shortly after it, from the time the child was 8 months until 18 months.
• Meredith Rowe and Susan Goldin-Meadow studied 52 typically developing children from toddlerhood to preschool age; they found that the number of different concepts children represented through gestures at 18 months predicted their vocabulary at 42 months.
• Finally, there are several studies that have shown that the same areas of the brain –the areas for understanding meaning in symbols – are activated by symbolic gestures and signs as well as by words. And a study by Spencer Kelly and colleagues has shown that these meaningful hand movements which activate this area of the brain make learning a new word easier.”