{Toddler Tuesdays} A Guest Post on Sign Language from Kathleen Thomas

Today I am so happy to welcome Kathleen Thomas who is the Communications Coordinator at Primrose Schools. She is sharing an article she wrote about acquiring sign language. I am excited to share this article with you because I encourage signing with children and have been signing to Bug since she was 6 months old. I have been learning ASL with the help of Rachael from her Signing Time DVDs and internet resources for words I need to look up quickly. I hope you enjoy reading this article and comment below to share how signing with your child has been a good experience.

Bug signing Eat at 10 months

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Early Childhood Education - Acquiring Sign Language
By: Kathleen Thomas of Primrose Schools

The ability to communicate will be a key component of successfully living in a global society. Different cultures have to come together to create bilingual societies that coexist because of the ability to articulate in more than one language for maximum understanding and acceptance of different cultures. That is what makes communities great, as the different cultural values and mores add richness to society.

Communicating effectively also is not just from culture to culture, but also communicating in non-verbal ways that will benefit those who are disabled, especially the deaf population. A shortage of qualified interpreters in American Sign Language (ASL) will mean limited opportunities for deaf populations to take part in life’s total communication experience. Deaf populations depend on interpreters so they can fully participate in community events, seminars and discussions, as they are also contributing members in our rich society.

Teaching Sign Language to Children

Luckily, there are those enlightened educators who understand that the ability to communicate to all members of society is critical to a successful living experience. Research has proven that a child’s early stages of development are the perfect time to teach alternative communication skills, from different languages to communicating through sign language. An article published in 2003 in the Boulder Daily Camera presented sound evidence that babies as young as six months old can communicate with their hands. This is sign language. By the time the baby is six of seven months they can remember a sign made with the hands, and by eight months they will imitate signs and gestures another person makes. By the time the baby is 24 months they can sign full sentences as well as compound words.

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development research demonstrates that when young children are taught sign language in infancy they will develop better verbal skills as they grow. Parents of autistic children that learn how to sign actually find that they can communicate very well with the autistic child. This can reduce the child’s frustration with their limited vocabulary skills, and parents report that the children not only excel in language, but also in math, spelling and music once the learn effective communication through sign language.

Many child care agencies are beginning to incorporate sign language as a part of the learning environment in their facilities. Recent research show that signing as a form of communication is innate, as that was the first way of communication between Neanderthals who lacked the ability to speak. Indigenous peoples throughout the world have used forms of sign language to communicate with other cultures or tribes when a common language is not shared.

Teaching sign language as a part of a child’s early education experience can create a stronger bond between parent and child, as well as providing the child with an alternate means of communication. Bilingual abilities in a global society should not mean just the spoken word, but should include American Sign Language as well. Children who can communicate with a deaf child will make that child feel fully included in the childhood experience. What a wonderful experience for everyone.

Kathleen Thomas
Communications Coordinator
kthomas@primroseschools.com
www.primroseschools.com

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For us, Bug started signing her first word "more" before she could speak. She signed it and lots, but after a month or two of repeating at the appropriate times {like during lunch time when I stopped after a couple scoops and asked if she wanted more...or when blowing bubbles stopped and asked if she wanted more} she learned what it meant and started using it to ask for more! I was so excited and started on more signs. Bug now knows and uses over 100 signs. Although she speaks now, there are times when I can't understand what she is telling me and ask if she can sign it. 90% of the time she knows the appropriate signs so I get what she is telling me and there is no tantrum because I can't understand her toddler talk! We just love learning new signs and I am wanting to take a class or two to learn more! Being that I am going for my Masters in Special Education I feel this would be a huge advantage for me to know sign language. 

I'd love to hear your stories about signing with your child{ren} and if you feel it has been a good experience. 

Thank you Kathleen for sharing this with us! :)