Tips for Signing with Your Child
1) Always speak the English word (or the language that is the "first" spoken language of the home) while you make the sign. This will pair the spoken meaning with the visual sign.
2) Encourage your child to look at you while you sign clearly. Even wait a second or two while the child focuses on you before signing. Once signing starts to interest your child - he will become attentive to when you sign.
3) Initially, aim for 50% or more of the time, signing the “word” while speaking it. You likely won’t reach 50% - but just signing on a regular basis on-and-off throughout the day will help your child understand the sign. Once the child is signing that new “word” back, you may find you don’t have to be as persistent in signing to the child, (yet it does become rewarding to continue to sign and add more signs to your child's budding vocabulary!).
4) Choose signs that are used frequently. Repetition helps your child learn the sign quickly. Frequently used signs will be meaningful for both parent and child. eg: more, milk, eat, cookie, dog, cat etc.
5) Use of appropriate facial expressions and body language that concur with the meaning of the sign will facilitate learning eg: happy, sad, angry/grumpy (especially important for signs for emotions).
6) The best teacher is you, the parent. While videos are useful resources and entertaining, they should be used in moderation. Your child will “speak” to you - in sign - because he sees you signing to him!
Suggested first signs to use:
eat
more
milk
If you don't have any resources to teach yourself these "first signs", use this online video sign language dictionary to look up how to form the sign.
http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm
Sign language books can be found in the non-fiction area of your public library. Go to the section numbered 419 in either the adult and/or children's sections. Look for books that indicate the signs represented in the book ARE American Sign Language (ASL). Browse through a number of books to find which ones are the easiest for you to use.
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