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| Josephine_Smile | Friday, June 04, 2004 |
| I just found this site and I think it's wonderful! My baby is 9 months old I want to start signing to her. I know I might have started a little late, but I think if I'm persistant she will catch on quick. I've added the site to my favorites, we'll see how it goes... Do you think that I should take it slow at first? Like just one sign a week or soemthing? Or should I go ahead and use three or four? ~ josephine ~ | |
| deanna | Thursday, June 03, 2004 |
| Hi there! I am going to post to this site some. I jsut love it. My son is 4months and i have started learning about 2 words every other night to sign with him. He watches me so intently and i htink he'll catch on pretty fast but we'll see. I just love this sight. ~Deanna | |
| jzleatherman | Thursday, April 15, 2004 |
| Katie - I feel your pain. My 14 month old dd started signing back around 12 mos. We had been modeling 'milk' for about 5-6 mos at that point. As soon as she made the connection in her brain that sign=object, she started picking them up very quickly. Last night she learned and used the sign for 'book' after I modeled it about 3-4 times over a 5 minute period. In my experience, starting with NOUN signs makes that connection easier in their brains. Labeling THINGS rather than abstract ideas like "more" or "all done" helped my dd understand that sign=something. Keep it up, they'll pick it up and then the floodgates will be open. | |
| Lisa Hopen | Monday, April 12, 2004 |
| Katie, As a mother of twins, I can truly empathize with your dilemma. I signed with my daughter (now 5) and am now signing with my 20 month old twins, and boy, is it different! My biggest problem is having two hands free to sign since I am usually holding one while the other clings to my legs! That being said, it is not impossible. I have found that, while my daughter started signing at 6 months, my twins began signing at almost one year. There are many differences between signing with one baby and signing with multiples, however there are also many benefits. Especially with twins because they tend to develop their own form of speech called "twin talk" which delays intelligible speech. Signing will decrease their level of frustration as well as your own until their speech has developed fully. The best advice I can give is to sign one sign ("more", "milk", "eat", or "help me") for a while until they catch on. Praise ALL of their attempts at signing, ex. clapping hands may be their first attempt at signing "more". One of them may catch on before the other. Be sure that you don't make the other child feel your frustration at her inability to sign. Just make it a lot of fun! Pretty soon they will both want to get in on the fun! One sure-fire sign?? AIRPLANE! Point to the sky the next time you hear an airplane flying overhead. Make the sound of an airplane while signing. I haven't met a baby who can resist that sign! A back-up?? BALL! Babies love balls and it is an easy sign to make. Keep me posted on your progress... if you can succeed in freeing two hands and escaping to the computer! Best of Luck! Lisa | |
| Katie | Saturday, April 10, 2004 |
| My husband and I have been trying to teach my 10-month-old twin girls a few signs since they were about 6 months old, and they don't seem to be catching on yet! We have concentrated mostly on the signs for "more", "eat", "drink" and "all done", but we seem to be getting nowhere. It seems to be frustrating all of us. For instance, when we ask them if they want more food and do the sign, it seems like they want to tell us, "Yes, I want more", but can't do the sign back, so they end up having a little frustrated fit instead. Does anyone have any tips or encouraging words for us to help us to stick with it? Thank you! | |
| Lisa | Friday, April 09, 2004 |
| Does anyone know signs for mad / angry and sad? Our 20 months old has been signing since she was about 8 months and has a big vocabulary. Now she is starting to have developmentally-typical tantrums. I am thinking if she can sign what she is feeling she won't need to demonstrate quite so dramatically, so to speak! ;-) | |
| Julie | Sunday, April 04, 2004 |
| Thanks Tricia, That site is pretty cool too. My daughter is just turning 11 months tomorrow and she knows "milk" and "airplane." (My husband is an airborne ranger *ha* so there are plenty of airplanes flying overhead.) We're just working on "more" now. | |
| Tricia | Sunday, April 04, 2004 |
| Julie, Go to this site. It is a fairly extensive ASL dictionary site with video clips. http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm You will find "welcome" there. True ASL grammar allows you to sign "welcome" only, and it will mean "You are welcome". Or if you wish, you may add the sign "you" to "welcome" and it would be a two-sign sentence. Both are correct. Signed in context after someone has said and/or signed "Thank-you" the "welcome" sign is appropriate and correct. | |
| julie | Sunday, April 04, 2004 |
| Can anyone help me with the sign for "you're welcome?" I haven't looked too hard, so maybe it's been covered already. | |
| Tricia | Sunday, April 04, 2004 |
| I want to congratulate all parents who sign to their infants and toddlers. For me it is a personal triumph that signing with babies is finally accepted by families, doctors, daycares etc. I am a mother of a 12 and 9 year old. Exactly twelve years ago I started signing to my 8 month old girl. I was enrolled in my third ASL course. I needed to know ASL to function in my job as an audiologist, working with the deaf children. Being on maternity leave at the time I needed an "audience" to sign to. After signing 4 days with my daughter she signed her first sign "more", followed quickly by "milk" etc. Twelve years ago, I was criticized by my babysitter, husband, & neighbours for using sign (with speech) with my hearing baby. However, I knew it was a very good thing to be able to communicate with her at an early age. I also knew that it would not delay her speech. At that time it was very difficult to convince others any differently. That changed once my 18 month could share her thoughts, ideas, needs and wants with the ones around her. (We have a home video that proves it!) My second born signed "more", his first sign, at 5 months of age when he was lying on a bed after being delightfully tickled. Now there is scientific research to support what a few of us were doing years ago! It is wonderful to have such wonderful resources as signing videos for children and their families. This is long overdue ... in my opinion! | |
| staci kotsch | Thursday, March 04, 2004 |
| I'v read comments written by various individuals asking for information on how to sign words. I received my education from an Interpreter training course at St. Petersburg College.I am very interested in teaching parents signs in order to teach their children and loved ones. Is there anyone in the DFW area who would like a workshop or personal consultation? | |
| Nicole | Tuesday, March 02, 2004 |
| Marisa & Heather & anyone else who needs info. on using sign language, You can find many other signs that might be useful @ the ASL (American Sign Language) Browser. This is where I find a lot of useful signs: http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm Caitlyn - I've been using Sign Language w/ my children since my oldest (now 6) was six months old. I also have a 3 yr. old & now a 10 month old. My 6 yr. old & 3 yr. old used signs a lot...which was really helpful since my 3 yr. old didn't really start talking until he was ab. 2 yrs. old. It keeps everyone from being frustrated & having to guess at what is needed. My 10 month old is different, however. We were working w/ her to sign "More". She decided to say it instead of sign. Babies can typically sign before they can speak. For example, they wave "bye, bye" before they say it. | |
| tina | Monday, March 01, 2004 |
| I have been trying to teach my 15mo old a few signs for months now. she has "more" and "all done" Out of nowhere she will start signing "more" I think she is getting it confused with "eat" I am also wondering if I should just start bombarding her with signs for everything now that she has a few or take it slow. | |
| Shay | Saturday, February 21, 2004 |
| I've been signing with my son since he was about 5-6 months old, he started signing around 9 months. He's now 14 months and I can't believe how many signs he can do and how it helps us to communicate. The biggest one for me has been "change" for a diaper he has been telling us when he needs one for about 3 months. We taught him potty just this week and he has actually started to tell us when he wants to go and he's used the potty now at least 4x a day. I am a HUGE supporter of sign language with babies now that I've seen it first hand. | |
| Lisa Hopen | Friday, February 20, 2004 |
| Hi Caitlin, Thank you for your post! As creator of "Sign With Me" and mother of three, I can certainly attest to the personal advantages of signing with my children. My five year old began signing at six months and by 18 months I was astounded by how it affected our lives! We were able to communicate about everything! She would sign "hear" whenever we were playing in the backyard and then identify what she heard by signing "airplane" or "dog". We had so much fun signing together that I was a little sad to see to signing end when her speech developed. Don't get me wrong... there is nothing that compares to your little one's first words and their cute attempts at difficult words, but signing was a truly enjoyeable part of our lives. Luckily we get to do it all over again with her 18 month old brother and sister! Now we are signing with twins! Good luck and have fun! Lisa | |
| Caitlin | Tuesday, February 10, 2004 |
| I am interested on learning more about how well infant signing works. I have read about all the studies that have been done, but I would like to hear from someone else who actually works with the children and would know first hand how it effects their lives, not just how it effects their brain. | |
| Angela | Friday, January 23, 2004 |
| Does anyone know of a web-site or place where I may find the signs for various Country names? Like Argentina, New Zealand, Sri Lanka , etc. Can't find the signs for these and others in any dictionary. | |
| marisa | Monday, January 19, 2004 |
| how do you sign sleepy? i didn´t know what my son wanted until i showed him his pillow | |
| Heather | Sunday, January 18, 2004 |
| Does anyone know how to sign "sorry" and "pie"? We have been signing to our daughter since she was 8 months old, she is now 21 months and knows how to sign approx 15 words. My husband and I really enjoy this website but think you should have a section where you can type in new words. Each month you could add new words from people like us. | |
| Cheryl | Thursday, January 15, 2004 |
| Anyone know the sign for blueberries? Thanks, Cheryl, mom of Levi, 21 months and 10ish signs. | |
| Claudia | Wednesday, January 14, 2004 |
| Does anyone know the sign for share? I really need it thanks. Mother of Luke 16 months and 10 signs. | |
| Jamie | Tuesday, January 13, 2004 |
| We have been signing with my son since he is six month old. He is now 13 1/2 months old and is still not signing back to us. Any suggestions?? | |
| Theresa Merriam | Monday, January 12, 2004 |
| I have been signing with my son since he was 7 1/2 months. His first sign came when he was about 9 months but he didn't start to sign consistently till he was 12 months. He is now 16 months and does about 15+ signs. I often look to signwithme.com as a quick reference guide to learn new signs. My husband and I love signing with our son and being able to share our success and excitement for this program with others. I am currently trying to get into the local hospitals and daycare centers to educate them on this great concept and possibly teach some classes. Thank you so much Signwithme.com | |
| Nadine Smith | Tuesday, January 06, 2004 |
| My son will be 2 yrs old this month. He has Autism and sign with me has been a big help to all of us. | |
| Tish | Tuesday, December 30, 2003 |
| Hello everyone, Happy Holidays! My husband & I have been signing to our baby since she was 6 weeks old. On Friday, the day after xmas she started signing milk and has been doing so since. The only thing though is she is signing milk whenever she wants more of something or wants to get up. We still sign to her for more, and up and other signs she knows. Does anyone have any advice on how to show our daughter that "more" is not milk..its the more, with the 2 hands that come together? Now I am not always sure when she wants milk or something else. We sometimes show her the sign and put her hands together to reinforce it. Thanks! Tish | |
| Kelli | Saturday, December 27, 2003 |
| I have been teaching my daughter sign language since she was born, she will be 3yrs next month. She knows a lot of signs but doesn't use them very much. She can understand me when I sign to her and will respond verbally. I have been looking around my are for a place that either teaches young kids sign or where she can meet other kids that sign. I live in the Fontana, Ca area. If you know of a place please let me know. PS, she loves the video. Kelli | |
| lori | Tuesday, December 23, 2003 |
| hi, i am looking for the sign for Merry Christmas. can anyone help? | |
| michiru | Sunday, January 05, 2003 |
| Hello, everyone. I am a mother of 2 1/2-year-old boy. He enjoyed your video and signing and now he is a very talkative boy. Friend of mine have just started to teach her son a sign language and have a question to ask. Her boy ralized that there should be the names and signs to everything around him and pointing to tell her a new sign. But what should we do when he gets into the names of fruits and vegetables. Should her check each words and teach him ? I think it's too much going into detail. but then what should I tell her ? Any advese ? | |
| Sherri | Friday, December 13, 2002 |
| I thought others might find this website of interest: http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm If you have the proper software installed, it shows video clips of ASL words. | |
| Lauri | Monday, December 09, 2002 |
| Does anyone know how to sign "ready" (as in "Are you ready to go?") or something similar? Is there a place to see it online? TY so much! | |
| Rhonda H | Tuesday, October 01, 2002 |
| Harry, The best way that I can describe it is thus: the hand moves several inches from the face in an outward arc. Think of it as "one generation removed". | |
| Harry Blazer | Monday, September 30, 2002 |
| I find it difficult to distinguish between father and grandfather, and mother and grandmother. The descriptions seem the same, and the gestures aren't clearly different. Any help? | |
| Brandy | Sunday, September 29, 2002 |
| I have a 11 month old that I have been trying to teach to sign. The first word I taught her was milk. She signs milk when she wants it. The only problem is when I try to teach her any other signs she signs milk and looks at my hands in confusion. Am I being impatient or am I confusing her? | |
| Rhonda H | Saturday, September 21, 2002 |
| Hi! We are planning on potty training our 21 month old son soon, so the entire family is learning how to say "potty" (we are planning on having everyone use the sign religiously until we begin in a few weeks to a month). Here's my question: would you actually say "mommy go potty" or "mommy potty"? Sorry if it sounds like a silly question. | |
| Aylisa | Tuesday, September 10, 2002 |
| I was recently led to this web site by a friend of mine who used it to teach her daughter some basic signs before she began to talk. My problem is when I use the dictionary the lady in the corner doesn't move to show me the sign. I am assuming this is why she is there. What is wrong? | |
| Haily | Wednesday, September 04, 2002 |
| My son, Gage, is a former preemie that was born at 28 weeks. He has a tracheostomy. I was told that the tracheostomy wouldn't be long term, but it has gotten longer and longer. He cannot make noises because of the tracheostomy and he is 19 months now and cannot speak. We have our own language going to some extent, but we would like to teach him sign language so he can communicate with us and everyone else. Does anyone know of any good computer programs that teaches sign language for infants? Thank you... Haily | |
| Angie | Sunday, August 25, 2002 |
| I have a late talker and someone suggested these video. He already signs some and i am looking for additional videos (we used "talking hands"). I understood that there were three videos in this collection, does anyone know if there is. Also anyone else with a late talker who has found good sign language videos to help them. thanks | |
| Monica | Friday, August 09, 2002 |
| I have been using sign language with my 1 year old daughter for about 3 months now. She has begun to sign "eat" and "more" We are using other signs with her as well and I believe she is recognizing them. My question is this: she often signs "more" when I don't believe that is what she wants, whether it be "more" to eat, or play or read. For example - during dinner she would sign "more" but would push away any food or drink given to her, and was not content until I picked her up out of her high chair. Am I doing something wrong? Also I don't want to confuse or frustrate her. "More" was her first sign and appears to be the one she uses when looking for praise. Any suggestions? Thanks - Monica | |
| Nancy | Saturday, August 03, 2002 |
| Wendy I admire you wanting to get started even before your next doctors appointment. I'm not a professional so any suggestions I would offer would just be from a mothers point of view and maybe not the correct way to start, but here goes. I would learn some signs like bottle, milk, bed, bath, mommy, daddy. Really anything else that is easy for you to learn. Then when you would say it sign it as well. Just keep doing this each and every time you say the word. This site is a wonderful resource to begin with then once you get to the doctors appointment I'm sure he/she will have a weath of informantion and resources to direct you too. Take Care. | |
| Wendy | Friday, August 02, 2002 |
| I just found out that my son, age 4 months, is deaf. I need some pointers on how to teach him sign, because me saying things to him or associating the sign with sounds does nothing for him. Can someone give any suggestions? We don't go back to the doctors for another month or so, and my husband and I would like to get started. Thanks | |
| Lisa Hopen | Sunday, July 28, 2002 |
| Elizabeth, I would suggest starting with the sign "milk" and presenting the sign before each feeding. It is a relatively easy sign for a child to master. Start with just one sign at first. Remember to be patient... it usually takes several weeks for a child to make a recognizable attempt to sign. The earlier you begin, the more patient you will have to be. First signs usually emerge around six months of age because that is the developmental time when the child is able to sit unsupported and her hands are free to sign. Some children sign earlier but you should keep this timeline in mind so as not to get frustrated. At six months you may want to introduce the "more" and "finished" signs during mealtime when introducing her to her first foods. This is a great time to begin signing "more" in between bites of food. I taught my daughter the sign for "more" by giving her a handful of cheerios and when she was finished, asking her "Do you want more? More cheerios?" while signing. It worked wonderfully! Remember to reward all of your daughter attempts to sign. When she begins signing, she may raise her arms into the air or clap her hands together in an attempt to sign "more." Once her dexterity improves so will her signing. Signing develops in much the same way speech develops. It takes several months for that first word or sign, but others quickly follow. Have fun and enjoy! | |
| Elizabeth | Thursday, July 25, 2002 |
| My daughter is 4 months and I haven't started signing yet. What signs should I start with and should I use them all right now or start with a new one each day? Any suggestions are appreciated. | |
| Amanda | Friday, July 19, 2002 |
| Thank you so much! Today we stared with "NO" and "more" I totally forgot milk this morning, and didn't want tho start it in the middle of the day. So I'm going to start that one tomorrow along with "change". I really hope I can keep this up and get it to work. DH is even interested! Thanks again! Amanda | |
| Nancy | Friday, July 19, 2002 |
| OOps, my prev post is a bit jumbled. I was talking about my daugher when I typed: I really believed teaching her helped develop her fine motor skills and gets her thinking. | |
| Nancy | Friday, July 19, 2002 |
| Amanda I think it's great you want to begin to teach your son to sign. I don't believe it is too late at all and would encourage you to start with a few basic signs and keep going from there. I believe teaching sign to preverble kids gives them a voice. So teach a way and have fun with it. As he gets older you can even sign short sentences. I really believed teaching her helped develop her fine motor skills and gets her thinking. Oh, the benifits are endless. My daugher is almost 3 and can sign away. It really comes in handy if I'm on the phone and need to tell her something. I can sign it and she understands. Not that she will always listen, but she understands. Sorry to ramble, but I just love sign language. | |
| Amanda | Thursday, July 18, 2002 |
| Hi! My son is almost 10 months old. I would like to start some signing with him, like, milk, more, eat, and sleepy. There are a few others I'd like to learn as well. Has anyone started this late, and was it still benefitial? Or did they learn the sign after they learned the word? My son says baba when he wants a bottle now, but I would still like to learn milk for when I might be feeding him solids and he wants milk instead, and the other way around. Any input will be appreciated!! Amanda | |
| Nancy | Wednesday, July 17, 2002 |
| Karen she signs milk and you nurse her so maybe she is practicing what she has learned. Mastering so to speak. Is there something else she likes to do often. Maybe you can teach her that sign too. Like book. Then read to her when she signs it. | |
| Karen | Tuesday, July 16, 2002 |
| Hoping to get some advice--my 13 month old FINALLY began to sign about two months ago. Her first sign was "milk" and she now also signs more, eat, and cat. However, lately, she has been signing "milk" almost constantly. I can't believe she wants to nurse so often, since prior to her signing "milk", she nursed maybe five or six times a day. When I do let her nurse after she signs, she only wants to nurse for a minute or so, but very often she will sign "milk" again almost immediately (and again nurse for only a moment). Should I just ignore these "milk" signs? | |
| Susan | Tuesday, July 16, 2002 |
| I am looking for advice on next steps for signing with my 17 month old (hearing) son. He knows about 30 signs, and we keep adding them. Am working now on linking them in sentences and telling stories, but am a novice in ASL. He will be going to preschool 2 day/week in the Fall and am worries he will lose some of his capability, or become frusterated b/c other hearing children do not understand him (if he only signs w/o words). Thanks! | |
| Karen | Saturday, July 13, 2002 |
| I began learning ASL ten years ago and have friends who are Deaf. When my son was born six years ago, I wanted him to be able to communicate with them. I always signed with him from infancy. He learned very quickly and by 17-months was able to link signs together ("more" "train" "please" as he watched the train around the Christmas tree). He continues to use ASL with our friends and has always been proud of his ability to sign. I am also a child care teacher with young toddlers (all hearing). I find the use of ASL signs very helpful in communicating with the children and have one student who's parents sign with him at home. I can definitely see the benefits of signing with infants and toddlers. I just found this website and have yet to view any of the materials, but I look forward to learning more about this program and sharing it with my center's staff and parents. | |
| Marta | Wednesday, July 10, 2002 |
| Ok first off twins... wow... what a double scoop of happiness that should be.... What a blessed event! I wrote before.. I am the grandma that cares for her grandson.... well he will be 7 months old Thurs and I have been signing since he was about 4-5 months... he has been soo interested in his hands since this time... I can't decide if he is just a hands kind of guy or if the signing has created this awarebess,... but anyways.. he has picked it up so quickly.....and it has been such a joy for me. At this point he is signing and has been since right prior to his 6 months hi and goodbye and fish. My son has a fish tank and if you ask him what Uncle Tom has upstairs, he can show you fish with such excitement... his feet and hands going crazy after he does it with such joy... He has been understanding bottle, eat and more since before that time. We have been working on yes and several others.. he is so interested in each one. I can't thank you enough for the encouragement. Happy Delivery. Grandma Marta | |
| Nic | Thursday, July 04, 2002 |
| My child is 11.2 months old. Is it too late to start sign with him? | |
| rachel | Thursday, June 27, 2002 |
| Sorry I meant "gentle." | |
| rachel | Thursday, June 27, 2002 |
| What's the sign for gentile? | |
| Angie | Wednesday, June 19, 2002 |
| Could someone please tell me the sign for "aunt." We know grandma, pa, etc. and my sister is anxious for my 9 mo. old son to learn "aunt." Thank you. | |
| Irene Anderson | Saturday, June 15, 2002 |
| I just wanted to share that my son began demonstrating the sign for Milk at 5 months. He didn't have the small motor skills to fully open and close his fist, but he moved his hand when he was hungry and stopped when we gave him a bottle. My husband thought I was nuts but then saw the repeated requests for milk and was amazed. With consistency, these "first" signs are so easy to teach. We really love this video! | |
| Grace Roark | Wednesday, June 05, 2002 |
| I forgot to mention that she is profoundly deaf and we have already got her hearing aids and they did'nt halp her. So she is going to use sign language for her language. | |
| Grace Roark | Wednesday, June 05, 2002 |
| I forgot to mention that she is profoundly deaf and we have already got her hearing aids and they did'nt halp her. So she is going to use sign language for her language. | |
| Grace Roark | Wednesday, June 05, 2002 |
| We found out my daughter was deaf in December. The Friday before christmas at that. I was devistated. I kept asking myself what did I do. I relized it was nothing I did I got on the ball and contacted a organization in my town called ECI, they really helped us alot. Now my daughter is two years old and she knows about 40 signs.this is since December. She use to throw fits and hit her self in the haed because she would be so frustrated because she could not express what she wanted to say. Now she is just in her terrible two's. | |
| Lisa Hopen | Thursday, May 30, 2002 |
| Hi Everyone! I wanted to thank all of you for your continued support! I have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful parents and children through the release of "Sign With Me". It has been an incredible experience for our entire family and I thank you for that! Our daughter is 3 1/2 years old now and is talking up a storm! She is excited about becoming a big sister soon.... We are expecting TWINS in July! Our family can't wait to begin signing again with our little ones and Big Sister Anna can't wait to teach them all the signs she knows! I just wanted to take the time to share with you since you have all been so kind to share your experiences with me! Thanks again and I'll keep you posted!!! Lisa | |
| Lisa Hopen | Thursday, May 30, 2002 |
| Teresa, It is wonderful that you discovered Logan's hearing loss at 3 months of age. I have heard many stories from parents who did not get an official diagnosis of a hearing loss until 3 years of age. Logan will definitely benefit from your awareness and desire to provide him with communication through sign! Here at "Sign With Me" we believe in teaching ASL to infants. We have found that it has benefits on many levels! I would suggest you start with the signs for the people in his environment, MOMMY, DADDY, GRANDMOTHER as well as the signs for basic needs that are fullfilled throughout his day such as MILK, CHANGE (while changing Logan's diaper), BED, BATH. At 3 months old he is probably just beginning to attend to objects in his environment so pay close attention to the things that he expresses interest in and be sure to label those things with signs... DOG, BEAR, AIRPLANE, etc. Be expressive while signing. Research has shown that parents use varying tones while speaking to their infants, known as motherese, which aids in language acquisition. The same expressiveness can be shown while signing through varying facial expressions. Good Luck and please keep us posted on Logan's progress! Lisa | |
| Teresa | Wednesday, May 29, 2002 |
| My 3 month old son Logan has congenital hearing loss in both ears and hearing aids are still several months away. Where should I begin? He's very alert and has good eye contact. Also, are your signs ASL? | |
| Claire Davies | Wednesday, May 29, 2002 |
| Hi I am keen to start signing with my daughter who is almost , however she is soon to start full time day care & I am not sure that it will be possible for the caregivers to follow the prgramme. As here in UK signing is not widely recognised. Do you think it will cause too much frustration to do the signing at home if at Nursery she can't make herself understood ? I would be interested to know how others have approached this. Thanks | |
| Lisa Hopen | Wednesday, May 15, 2002 |
| Natascha, Congratulations! That's amazing that your little boy has picked up the sign for "milk" so quickly! You and your husband must be excited! Make sure your son sees your excitement... it will encourage him to continue communicating with you through sign. Nothing motivates a child more than smiles and praise from Mommy and Daddy! Have fun and keep us posted on his progress! Thanks for sharing! | |
| Natascha | Thursday, May 09, 2002 |
| My son is 7 months and I've just started signing with him the past few days for milk. While he nurses and just before I continue to say milk and show him the sign. My question is...today he has been opening and closing his fists while crying...and is content once I nurse him...then he continues to open and close his fist while nursing....he stops after! Could he have picked up this sign SO quickly??? I just don't believe it....only 3 days?? I wasn't expecting it for months, but my husband kept saying "He hasn't been doing that before!!" Thanks! | |
| Clare F. | Wednesday, May 08, 2002 |
| Emily, I taught my daughter (now 18 mos.) the milk sign (opening and closing hand) for breastfeeding. This was a very easy sign for her to imitate and was actually her very first sign. When she wants milk from a cup she uses the drink sign. | |
| Emily | Wednesday, May 08, 2002 |
| I am excited about teaching my 8 month old daughter to sign. What is the sign for breastfeed? I didn't see it on the dictionary. Did you use different signs for breastfeed & drink? One more question - Are these the ASL signs or just made up baby signs? I was planning on doing a little of both. | |
| Karyn Warburton | Wednesday, April 10, 2002 |
| Hi everybody, I am just starting a business in New Zealand introducing parents to the joys of baby sign language. I am in the throws of setting up a website and was wondering if anyone would like to share their signing stories with us Kiwi's for inspiration. I will be including as many as possible on the site. I am the first person in the country to be offering courses so I have a limited supply of stories (aside from my own, my daughter 14 months is a prolific signer, but I'm sure people will be sick of just hearing how wonderful she is!) Photographs of your little ones signing would also be greatly appreciated and encouraging. Please email any stories etc to me at Karyn@baby-talk.co.nz. Thank you so much for your help. | |
| Shani | Wednesday, March 27, 2002 |
| There are some good First signs for children on this web site. More, Milk, Eat, Change (diaper), Up and Finished are signs that are different from each other and something specific is going to happen when you speak and sign these. These signs will meet your child's needs, therefore he may sign them when he wants something. At 13 months, your child already understands so much, he just can't speak. He WILL be able to do these gestures. If he has a specific toy or "favorite" thing to eat or play with, include that sign also. You will be amazed at how soon he will learn the signs. Good Luck ! | |
| Lexxi | Sunday, March 24, 2002 |
| Hello, It is my first time finding this site. My son is 13 months old and doesn't say a word. He babbles quite a bit but nothing resembles actual words. He is quite smart and has been walking since he was 8months old. I am curious how quickly children pick up on signs. I'm sure it varies from child to child but an estimate would be nice. Any advice on which signs are the best to start out with?? Thank you! | |
| Lisa Hopen | Tuesday, March 19, 2002 |
| Tracy, The sign for "diaper change" is a compound sign consisting of the sign for "diaper" and "change." Many parents prefer to simply sign "change" rather than combining the two signs in order for faster acquisition on the part of the child. Depending upon your needs and the age of your child, you may chose between the easier form or the compound sign. The sign for "diaper" is to use both hands making the ASL sign for the number "3" (thumb, index and middle finger extended) with your fingers facing down, open and close them several times near your waist. This represents a diaper pin or fastener. The sign for "change" is to bring both closed fists together in front of you, right fist over left, and to twist your wrists changing your hand position to left fist over right. Sometimes it is difficult to visualize these signs and describe them verbally...we will be adding to our online dictionary shortly and this sign will be included! :-) Lisa | |
| Lisa O | Monday, March 18, 2002 |
| Hi. I have a four month old infant and am very interested in learning sign language. When is a good age to begin? And does signing delay any type of verbal skills? | |
| Tracy | Thursday, March 14, 2002 |
| What is the sign for diaper change? | |
| Lisa Hopen | Friday, March 01, 2002 |
| Lenny, This is an intriging question! While I have heard about the concept of raising a deaf animal and am familiar with training hearing dogs to "hear" for their Deaf owners, I am no expect in this area. Here are somes links that may be of help to you and your friends: An article entitled "Why The Dealf Dog Barks" can be found at http://www.clickandtreat.com/dfogb5.htm. The Deaf Dog Education Action Fund website has a lot of helpful information regarding training tips and hand signals at http://www.deafdogs.org. The Deaf Dog Atlas shows the locations of other families across the world who own deaf dogs at http://www.deafdogsatlas.com. There is also an organization that trains dogs for the Deaf at http://www.dogsforthedeaf.org. Hope that helps you in beginning your search for information. Thanks for visiting and best of luck! | |
| Lenny | Friday, March 01, 2002 |
| I just today met a couple who own a puppy that is deaf. The thought occured too me, why couldn't a loved pet be taught sign language. They can be trained to work for the blind as well as the deaf. I have deaf friends who own a dog that has been trained to be the ears for this couple. So I ask myself, why not teach a pet basic sign; toilet, play, hungry, cold, go for walk, ect. If anyone out there has any information on this subject please post. I plan on working with this couple and their dog and it would help too go about it corretly. Lenny Weidig 03/01/02 | |
| Lisa Hopen | Wednesday, February 20, 2002 |
| Julie, Juice was a very common request in our home! To sign "juice" form a "j" with your right hand (fingers down, pinky finger up) twice in front of the right side of your chest. Depending on the age of your child, this sign may be difficult to master. When my daughter was an infant we used the "milk" sign for all beverages. Once she began to show a preference in having choices, around 18 months, we provided her with additional signs. An alternative to teaching "juice" is also to teach the sign for "drink." To sign "drink" form a "c" with your right hand and tip your hand toward your mouth as if taking a drink from a glass. This is a great sign to introduce once your child has reached the sippy cup level! Hope that helps! | |
| Julie | Wednesday, February 20, 2002 |
| I can't seem to find the word "juice" in any online dictionary- can someone help me out? | |
| Lisa Hopen | Monday, February 11, 2002 |
| Grandma Marta, Good questions! When I began signing with my 6 month old, I searched for something that would interest my child. She loved the Baby Einstein video series but I couldn't find anything in the marketplace that addresses signing for infants and toddlers, so I created "Sign With Me." It was the first video tailored to entertain a child between 6 and 36 months learning to sign. The child learns 10 signs on the video, "ball," "bath," "cookie" etc. A three-year old little girl demonstrates the signs while children under the age of three play with the objects being signed. There are comical puppet scenes to capture the child's interest and hold their attention throughout the video. A short parental guide follows that demonstrates 4 additional signs and gives caregivers pointers on how to get started. | |
| Lisa Hopen | Monday, February 11, 2002 |
| Christy, Congratualtions! Isn't it incredible to be able to "talk" to your child at 8 months old!!! I don't know about you, but I thought my child was an absolute genius! The great news is that once he starts signing, he will pick up more signs even faster. The next few months are going to be wonderful! Please keep us posted on his progress! We can't wait to hear what his next sign is! | |
| Lisa Hopen | Monday, February 11, 2002 |
| Nicki, Congratulations! There is nothing more satisfying than when your child begins to sign! It is just as rewarding as hearing their first words! Diaper change is a wonderful sign for Chloe to have picked up! In my experience, it was quite helpful in potty training. Please keep us posted on any new signs! | |
| Christy | Saturday, February 09, 2002 |
| I'm so excited. My just turned 8 month old just did his first sign! I thought it may have been chance at lunch but he just did it again at dinner! He showed me that he was all done. My husband and I did not know what to do because he still wanted something. Come to find out it was his bottle so I had to rush online to see how to show him milk. (Do not want to teach bottle as he will not be getting it for too much longer.) I have been showing him some signs for about 2 months - just starting with often needed signs like breastfeed, all done, drink and eat. Now I'm going to work on 'more' and milk. How incredibly wonderful this is!!!! | |
| Marta | Saturday, February 09, 2002 |
| Hi... I am a new Grandma that will be doing the caring daily of my new grandson. I am extremely interested in teaching my grandson to sign. He is only 2 months old, but very interested in people. His Mom goes back to work in a few weeks and my care will start after that. My question is.. how is the video put together.. such as are their children doing the signs or adults, are their examples of the words showing objects such as bear... do you see a bear or is the word just spoken.... I am a kindergarten teacher and know that this will be beneficial to him. Thanks for any info on the layout, color choices and music involved in the video.. I am sure it is visuallyl stimulating. What are the recommended ages for the video? Please e-mail me at M71955@aol.com.. Thank you Grandma Marta | |
| Nicki | Friday, February 08, 2002 |
| I'm so proud! My 9 month old daughter, Chloë, has just started signing! We've been signing to her for about 2.5 months now, and she'll now use the signs for milk and diaper change! I think diaper change is very cool -- she could ask for milk at any ol' time, but needing a diaper change is a specific event. | |
| Kathy S. | Monday, February 04, 2002 |
| Well, Lori, the best I can do for that one would be the sign for SUCKER. Put your hand into the shape of an A and pull an invisible sucker in & out of the mouth while opening and closing mouth. Would that work? | |
| Lori H. | Sunday, January 27, 2002 |
| Thanks for the idea for juice. I am also looking for a sign for NUK/PACIFIER. Any suggestions. Thanks | |
| Kathy S. | Tuesday, January 15, 2002 |
| Lori, the only thing I can think of, if you're doing JUICE to mean like a drink is to do the sign for DRINK. My 10-month-old just picked that one up after showing it to her for about a week! Put your hand in the shape of a C with the thumb resting against your chin and tip your hand up to your mouth like you are drinking from a cup. Hope that helps you! | |
| Lori H. | Sunday, January 13, 2002 |
| I am an infant teacher and we are teaching sign in my classroom. Does anyone know a sign we can use for juice, the ones I have found seem to hard for infants to do. thanks. | |
| Steve Schilhabel | Sunday, January 13, 2002 |
| I am teaching my 14 month old sign language. It has been going well, but I would very much like to find a guide that tells which signs would be best to learn and in what order. A lesson plan of sorts, so I know what the best approach to teaching her will be... rather than just teaching her random signs. If anybody has a resource they can recommend for a lesson plan... please email me at steven_schilhabel@aal.org. Thanks! | |
| Kathy S. | Friday, December 28, 2001 |
| I'm wondering if it's okay to be signing a few different signs each day or if that will be confusing to my little one. What I'm talking about is the basic things we deal with every single day such as cat, more, eat, sleep, bath, thank you, up, down, etc. Is there such a thing as overload or is it just like with language, the more she sees them and hears them, eventually she will learn them too. Last week, she started doing the sign we made for kitty. I don't know where I got it from, but really it's like petting the back of the hand, and everytime we saw one of our cats, we would do it and say "kitty." Now she is signing "kitty" for everything! When we see her make the sign, we look around for a cat and point it out to her and do the sign back saying "kitty." She gets VERY excited at that! Guess this is our first conversation! He he! I'm loving it! | |
| Kathy S. | Friday, December 28, 2001 |
| For "trunk," put both hands in a "T" sign, plams facing, then draw down on chest towards belly. =O) | |
| Lisa Hopen | Thursday, December 13, 2001 |
| Kathy, Unfortunately I am unable to find the sign for "trunk." My recommendation would be to sign the word "tree" and point to the lower part of your arm. The sign for "tree" represents the tree trunk from your elbow to your wrist and your fingers represent the branches. Hope that helps! Lisa | |
| Kathy | Monday, December 10, 2001 |
| how do you sign tree trunk and stump? | |
| Lisa Hopen | Friday, December 07, 2001 |
| Ken, Thank you so much for sharing your story about Jack. I can't imagine the heartache that you went through having to see him in the NICU for three months! I am so glad that he is doing well now and that you and your wife started signing with him. It is such a gift to give him a way to communicate until he can master speaking. Just wait until his little hands sign to you! You will finally get a glimpse inside his little head. You will get to see the world through HIS eyes! It is the most rewarding experience to be able to communicate with your child about their world! They will bring everything to your attention...things that you normally miss. Butterflies, airplanes, water fountains! It is truly amazing!! It gives me so much satisfaction to hear stories from families who are using sign in their homes. We are working to get several more volumes of Sign With Me out within the next six months as well as additional resources for parents. If there is a special request that you would like to see in the next video, please let us know. Also if you or Cathy have any questions for me about my experience of signing with my daughter, please don't hesitate to ask. We hope that sign language will become recognized as EVERY child's first language. It will change the way that we interact with infants for many years to come! Thank you again! Lisa Hopen | |
| Jennifer Haynes | Thursday, December 06, 2001 |
| I am considering doing a research project on the behavioral effects of teaching sign language to children with developmental delays. I was wondering if anyone had suggestions or success in this area. | |
| Ken Braxton | Tuesday, November 13, 2001 |
| My son, Jack, was a very sick little boy when he was born. He had to spend three months in the NICU before my wife, Cathy, and I could bring him home. Because of his medical condition, Jack required a trach. This was the only way to get Jack off the vent and to bring him home. He had the trach until last month but my wife has been teaching sing language and it's really cool to be able to communicate with Jack. I am very interested in learning more about your products because I really believe in the value of being able to communicate with my kids. Thank you for helping people with your products. Ken | |
| Lisa Hopen | Friday, October 19, 2001 |
| Hi Shari, To sign TREE, place your right elbow in your left palm. Pivot the right wrist and wiggle your fingers. Your forearm symbolizes the tree trunk while your fingers represent the branches and leaves. To sign DOOR, hold both hands in front of you with four fingers together and thumb tucked in (the ASL letter "B") with palms facing out and index fingers touching. Twist the right hand back and forth symbolizing a door opening and closing. Thanks for your requests! We will be sure to add these signs to our online dictionary shortly. Thanks again! Lisa | |
| Shari Watford | Friday, October 19, 2001 |
| Can anyone tell or show me the sign for tree and door? Thanks. | |
| Lisa Hopen | Wednesday, October 17, 2001 |
| Eva, Thank you for your interest in Volume 2! We are currently in the production phase and will be releasing our next video in early 2002. Can't wait to hear what your little one thinks! Thanks again! Lisa | |
| Eva | Sunday, October 14, 2001 |
| How soon will Volume 2 be out? My 16 month old son can't wait! | |
| Dawn | Wednesday, September 26, 2001 |
| Anyone have a sign for cheerios? Answer: yes. Put thumb and forefinger together and make a pinching motion | |
| Jennifer | Monday, September 03, 2001 |
| Any one have a sign for Cheerios? | |
| Jennifer | Monday, September 03, 2001 |
| I am in the process of writing a set of board books. I am looking for pictures of infants using signs to include as part of the illustrations. If you are interested in having the chance for your child's picture to appear in one of the books, send an email to all_a_board@hotmail.com attn:board book picture submissions. Be sure pictures are in .jpg format. I am looking for these signs: eat mommy car drink daddy airplanemore baby ball bubbles finished bath book milk computer stroller cracker bed teddy bear cookie home swing banana brother TV juice sister telephone apple dog toothbrush help me cat hairbrush please fish diaper thank you duck/bird socks good elephant shoes hurt cow shirt sick rabbit pants sleepy butterfly potty happy turtle change Where? horse hair bow I love you Thank you for your cooperation! Happy signing! | |
| Kendra Keeling | Saturday, July 28, 2001 |
| Thank you for making your wonderful Sign With Me video, my two year old son loves it. We have been using signs since he was about six months old. He has picked up quite a few, but he loves to see the little children doing it along with mommy. He has even been teaching his five year old cousin. Now his vocabulary is huge and he speaks in full sentences, which just blows me away most of the time. He is always willing to join in still when I use our signs. I am so proud of him! | |
| Becky | Wednesday, June 06, 2001 |
| I began signing with my daughter before she was a year old. "Again, more, and sit down" were her first signs. People have been amazed at the level of understanding that she has and I think it helped that we used signs at an early age. I recently purchased the "Sign with Me" tape for my daughter (now almost 3) and son (9 months). After watching it numerous times in the past 3 days, Ana has learned all the new signs, and Erik understands "milk and more". Thank you for a wonderful resource. | |
| Lisa Hopen | Wednesday, April 04, 2001 |
| We are currently working on our next addition to the "Sign With Me" family. Volume 2 was developed for children between the ages of 18-36 months. It will feature many common signs for this age group including animal signs. It will also have a more extensive Parental Guide which will illustrate several additional signs and provide tips on usage. We are in the early stages of production so if there is anything that you would like to see covered, please let us know. Thanks for your support and keep signing! | |
| Lisa Hopen | Wednesday, April 04, 2001 |
| Thank you to all of you who have recommended signs to us over the last few months! We are currently compiling all of the requests and will be adding more signs to our video dictionary shortly. If you have any additional requests please let us know, it is not too late! | |
| Lisa Hopen | Sunday, March 11, 2001 |
| Dear Nat, We have a customer who adopted a child from China and is using sign language to introduce her to English. It has been wonderful for her because she was immediately able to make requests using sign language and overcome the communication barrier. Just remember to always say the word that you are signing to facilitate the acquisition of English and increase your child's vocabulary. Signing sparks an interest in a child! Use signing while reading your child's favorite book. It invites the child to be an active participant in learning because eventually the child begins to point things out to you by signing. Enjoy and have fun! Please let us know how it goes! Lisa | |
| Nat | Friday, March 09, 2001 |
| I am trying to teach my child English by signing? Would it be possible that my child can learn vocabuary from signing? | |
| Lisa Hopen | Saturday, March 03, 2001 |
| Hi Parisa, You are right on track! Those are the perfect signs to start with because they are simple signs and there are many opportunities throughout the day for your child to use them. Good luck and let us know how it goes! | |
| Parisa | Wednesday, February 14, 2001 |
| What are the best signs to start with? We were thinking about more, milk, please and thank you. | |
| Lisa Hopen | Monday, February 12, 2001 |
| Hi Robert, It is usually recommended that you begin teaching your child to sign when they are old enough to sit up unsupported, usually around six months old. You are welcome to sign earlier if you are able to obtain eye contact from your child. I started teaching my daughter at four months, but didn't receive much eye contact in return and she didn't show any interest. I followed her lead and would try again every few weeks until she began to show interest. Once you start signing, it is amazing what an impact it has on a child's eye contact. They watch your facial expressions and hand movements with such interest! Once they learn that your hands carry meaning, they watch everything you do to see what is next. Just remember to always say the word verbally while you are signing to encourage language development. Good luck! | |
| Robert Fisher | Sunday, February 11, 2001 |
| At what age should I start teaching my son how to sign? He is only 2 months old next Tuesday. Thanks in advance. -Rob- | |
| Sara | Sunday, February 11, 2001 |
| My daughter is 18 months old and I have been signing with her since she was eight months. She signs about 30 signs now! We have the "Sign With Me" video and I was wondering if you are planning to add more volumes in the future. She loves Sunny Bunny and I love having a video that she can watch other children signing. | |
| Anton Hopen | Sunday, February 11, 2001 |
| This is a discussion board for general communication regarding signing with hearing infants. | |