In this article you will learn about the benefits of teaching your child to sign, but are the benefits worth the time and energy needed for such a task? There is a program called Sign Language for Babies and Beyond that claims to teach a child to communicate their needs to avoid frustration for both mother and/or father and child. In the early years of a child's development we as parents pretty much rely on our instincts and familiarity with our child to make decisions when it comes to why a child cries, is in pain, etc.
As a father of four children I can attest to the fact that frustration does set in when my child can not communicate with me what it needs. Many times I will play the "guessing game" and try to find out what it is my child actually wants and by trial and error I will usually find out what it is. After reading information on Sign Language for Babies and Beyond, I came to the conclusion that there are huge benefits to teaching a child to sign. The biggest disagreement about signing for children is that babies learning to sign will delay speech or it discourage a baby from using words to communicate. Children are hearing the word as they are given a particular sign from the parent so they actually get both their visual and auditory senses stimulated. According to a long-term study conducted at the University of California and funded by the National Institute of Health, babies who use signing have an easier time learning to talk.
We all know that babies are resilient and can learn many different ideas or concepts, this is why beginning to teach a child a second language very early on is suggested. Babies who sign can tell mom their needs sooner because they can communicate before they are capable of talking. This is helpful for children who have speech and language delays. Some children do not begin speaking until they are two years old or more; baby signing gives them a way to communicate their needs so they do not become frustrated. Some children learn to sign as early as seven or eight months!
Some researchers believe that babies cry, have tantrums or bite because they are frustrated and cannot communicate their needs. Teaching your baby to communicate with signs or gestures will help your baby express his/her needs. Although the process might take a small amount of time, it will pay off in dividends in the long run!
Teaching your family to use baby signs will also help siblings to bond and get along better because they too will understand what it is baby wants. Big brothers or sisters usually like being involved with teaching their younger sibling to sign. It helps them feel connected and to communicate with each other on a level they naiver could communicate at before.
In this article you learned that there are many benefits to teaching your child to sign, benefits that may reduce the frustration in your life and your child's. The question is: will you put the time into teaching your child how to sign? The program I researched that seemed to benefit children most and was easy to follow was Sign Language for Babies and Beyond. See if you find the same results I did.
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