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~ Signing Time Frequently Asked Questions ~
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How early can I start to sign with my child?
Start signing now! You can sign "milk" to your newborn when it's time to nurse or time for a bottle. Sign "sleep" at nap and bedtimes. Take your baby's hands and help them sign "more" in-between each spoonful. This will help integrate signs into your daily routine. Soon the repetition and reinforcement will occur naturally as your infant grows. It will also help your infant realize that crying is not the only way of communicating.
My child is already talking. Why should they learn ASL?
Learning a second language is fun and has many developmental benefits. ASL stimulates learning through different senses. Sign language is a blessing for children that are "visual", "spatial" or "tactile learners." Learning a second language raises your child's IQ. One in ten Americans have some degree of hearing loss. Knowing a few signs can give your child the confidence to engage and interact with a deaf child rather than both children feeling awkward and helpless.
Will learning signs delay my child's speech?
Many parents fear that signing will delay or further delay speech. Our experience has been the opposite. If your goal is communication, then signing will meet that communication need much earlier than speech.
I don't have time to learn and teach my child sign.
Parenting can be very overwhelming because there never seems to be enough time. That is one of the great advantages of Signing TimeŅit does the work for you!
Do I have to become fluent in ASL?
No, you don't. We are providing parenting tools for communication through the use of ASL. I think you will be surprised how useful it is to learn even a few signs. The Signing Time series teaches more than 75 signs and exposes you to over a hundred. If you are interested in learning more, check out your Community Education Programs and Community Center for the Deaf. Many Jr. High Schools, High Schools, Community Colleges and Universities now include ASL in their curriculum. There are sign language interpreting programs all across the country.
Why do you use ASL and not made up signs?
Since you are going to take the time to teach and reinforce signs, it makes sense to use signs that are part of a living language. Hearing children that start out as "baby signers" can comfortably transition into communication with deaf children.
My child does not do the signs correctly. Is that okay?
Most children adapt signs to whatever they are physically able to do. As their fine motor skills develop further, their signs will also develop. This is very similar to the pattern in speech development; "Da-da" suddenly becomes "Daddy" or "Dad," for instance.
How soon will my child start to sign?
It really depends on when you start. If you start signing with your newborn, they may not reciprocate until 8-14 months old. If you start with your 2 year old, they may respond immediately or it may take a couple of months. If your child has physical, mental or developmental delays, take that into consideration. Children will sign and speak when they are ready, and every child is different.
My child can hear. Why should they learn American Sign Language (ASL)?
Most children are not developmentally ready to speak until approximately 2 years of age. Babies are developmentally able to communicate with signs as early as 8-10 months of age. The inability to communicate causes frustration and tantrums. Sign language is a wonderful tool that allows even very small children to express themselves. Most parents that sign with their babies talk about an unexplainable bond that is felt when their child communicates so early!
I have heard that signing helps with tantrums and "The Terrible Two's."
Many tantrums and the "Terrible Two's" are about frustration and communication. There is less frustration when your child can communicate. The typical child's motor skills develop far faster than their verbal skills.
My children are older than 5 years of age, is that too old for Signing Time?
Children of all ages love "Signing Time." Sign language is a valuable tool at any age! Your 5 year-old will quickly learn all of the signs AND they will pick up the additional signs that we show off in the songs too! Many older children love the idea of sign language as their "secret language." Not to mention it is a real language used by millions of Americans!
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