“They know what they want and they have no way of telling you except crying. It's like you’re giving them this gift, showing them how to express it.” This quote was said by Jennifer Pankowski, a mother who has personally seen the good that comes from using Amercian Sign Language with her hearing baby boy. Many resources are available to gather information about baby sign language, which is a simplified or broken down version of American Sign Language (ASL). A journalist from the UK Anjana Ahuja, starts her article on the subject by saying, “To most parents, the world inside their baby’s head is a mystery. Early communication is confined to a cacophony of babbling, giggles, gurgles, crying, and screaming.” This is the typical experience of most parents, however, with the use of baby sign language that is not the case because parents can communicate with their child. There may be some that argue ASL is not needed for children to excel in early years or that hearing children should not be taught a language that is unnecessary for them, but there are also zero negative outcomes from learning the language. Although hearing children are typically not taught American Sign Language, the benefits of baby sign are well supported by evidence that it not only helps the child's mental development and behavior habits but also the relationship within families.
When sign language is used with very young children, they are able to communicate with their parent(s). One of the reasons this is so important is the simple theory Ann Dos Helms describes in her article, “Children know what people are saying long before they can talk, and want to join in. Hand gestures--easier to form than spoken words-- give them an alternative to crying, grunting or making sounds the grown-ups can’t comprehend.” If something is bothering the child or they need something, they can tell the parent(s) without bursting into tears or any other type of counterproductive way to get attention. In the same realm of behavior “signing often calms a fussy baby, who may be demanding only because she doesn’t understand what is going on” (“Infants”). There is an abundance of information accessible to anyone interested in the topic of baby sign. Most of this is personal accounts of the use of baby sign language in families. Gina Ferragame is a mother of two hearing boys and has used sign language with both of them. She says, “Using signs both before and after the boys started to talk resulted in fewer tears and tantrums in their Mount Airy home”(qtd. in Goldstein). Since her sons can get across any information they need to using sign language, they do not fall into a crying or screaming fit. Toddlers and babies can start crying for any reason. Most often their outburst is fueled by the frustration of their limited communication. Dr. Sydney Spiesel is an on call pediatrician and professor at Yale medical school who was interviewed on Alex Chadwick’s radio show says, “Parents who are worried about kids being frustrated that have all this stuff in them coming out, this is a chance for them to express themselves.” Not only does this give children the chance to voice their inner thoughts but it can enforce the behavior parents have laid down for their child. Cindy Santa Ana has her own baby sign business; based on her experience she shares, “When children become upset and start acting out, signing ‘stop’ or ‘no’ can have more of an impact than just saying it. You can also sign to them and ask them what they want when they get mad, and it helps them to calm down. They use signs to get the point across” (qtd. in Porpora). The use of sign language is growing more popular and effective outside of homes as well. Day care centers and preschools are also using sign to lower the number of tantrums which in turn has also lowered the number of unpleasant interactions between kids.
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The impact that ASL can have on an individual child is profound, but the language also offers betterment to the surrounding family as well. When using sign language with children parents are focusing more of their time and attention on their children. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a professor of psychology at Temple University who specializes in language development says, “The more you interact with your children, the better their language skills are going to be” (qtd. In Goldstien). Adopting sign language into a home guarantees more interactions with children, which will put them in an environment that is excellent for language development. The time and deep connections that are invested into teaching a baby or toddler sign language are truly the most rewarding aspect of the experience to some parents. Parents are currently attracted to the movement , ”not because it speeds up language, not because it makes kids smarter. It is because of the positive emotional bonds that it creates, the lower frustration levels, the ability to engage older siblings… It is all these rich cultural and emotional things that are the core benefit.” explains Linda P. Acredolo, a professor of psychology at the University of California at Davis. There is so much that can be seen in a child as they grow up, but in very early years, it is hard to know the personality and thoughts of a person that is too small to speak. Dawn Babb runs several signing workshops and says, “Through sign language children can communicate their preferences. My favorite part about signing with babies is that it empowers them to initiate conversations with you about things that are important to them, which you may otherwise never become aware of. These early conversations provide the foundation for a deep and lasting… relationship with your child” (qtd. in Porpora). The relationship between parent(s) and child should always be as positive and loving as possible. “Teaching your baby sign language allows you to provide him with the ability to do something that will make him proud. When he can sign ‘all done’ after her has eaten dinner and sees the smile grow on your face because of this successful communication that has taken place, he gets a confidence boost. This is an integral part of growth and a good start on fostering a healthy childhood” (Porpora pg. 92). With confidence to interact effectively, babies will communicate with their parent(s) more frequently and at a younger age than children that do not know sign language.
Possibly the most rewarding aspect of teaching and communicating through ASL is the child's jump start in language that intellectually prepares them for years to come. Susan Goodwyn, a partner of Linda Acredolo says, “Babies learn to wave goodbye when someone is leaving, and to shake their head for no, before they can say the relevant words. So, why not add other gestures? (qtd. in Ahuja). Introducing sign language is such a practical way to help a child process language earlier. This method of bringing an earlier understanding of language applies to all children. “Children who are speech delayed may not speak one word until they are age 2 or older… However, sign language can ignite verbal communication for a speech- delayed child because once the frustration of not being able to communicate is gone, the verbal ability comes more easily” (Porpora pg. 40). When a baby or toddler learns ASL he/she will not only begin to master the language of the deaf world, but also set themselves in a place to master any language including English. Teaching children baby sign gives them a learned second language. Gary Emmett, director of hospital pediatrics at Thomas Jefferson University during a lecture said, “We know that if you grow up in a truly bilingual home...children will start to speak about one month later, but they speak both languages fine. It is a language rich environment that really helps children develop” (qtd. in Goldstien). Having a young toddler speak two languages is not only impressive but is also an indicator how how mentally mature and intellectually gifted that child is. Adding more to the mix may seem too ambitious but, “if you desire to teach your child the Spanish word for house, say ‘casa’ and make the ASL sign for ‘house’. Because your child recognizes the visual sign, he now relates the Spanish word with the sign as well as the English word. In this instance, sign language is a visual aid to learning a third language” (Porpora 38). American Sign Language expands the scope a baby or toddler can understand at their young age in life. As older children and adults know there are many elements of language that make up the entirety of the dialect. It is important to know vocabulary; however, “signing also helps children learn that there is more to communication than just speech. It teaches that hand gestures, body movements, and facial expressions can also serve as communication tools, even when not accomplished by spoken words. Knowing this, children and adults may have more success understanding those who don’t speak the same language” (Beyer 12). The hardest part of learning a language is understanding how words relate to real life, with the use of sign language that struggle becomes easier to overcome.
Although not much research has been conducted to study the effects of baby sign language a lot of evidence is available to support the positive and impactful claims made by so many. Sign language is the only way a baby can communicate at such a young age Goldstien says, “speech requires development of three muscle groups. Toddlers typically have motor control of their hands and fingers much sooner.” This means that toddlers are physically incapable of communicating using their voice in the early stages of their life. To allow children with the opportunity to communicate, baby sign should be used. Sign language is said to help babies and toddlers learn to speak faster.Although research is limited, it indicates that these claims are well supported. Joseph Garcia is the author of Sign With Your Baby. He worked as an interpreter in the late 1970s and noticed that the hearing children of deaf parents were able to express their needs much earlier than children of hearing parents. In 1987 his research showed that “hearing babies who are exposed to signs regularly and consistently at six to seven months of age can begin expressive communication by their eight or ninth month” (qtd. in ”Infants”). More resources are available to reinforce the statement that ASL contributes to an accelerated pace of speech. Holmes and Holmes conducted a study in 1980 with two parents that were deaf educators and their hearing son. The baby was exposed to sign and English spoken at the same time through his parents and other deaf adults. Before this case study Nelson did a separate study with infants that were exposed to only auditory language. Holmes and Holmes’ study yielded profound results. Holmes and Holmes discovered their “subject acquired his first ten words (signed and spoken) 3.1 months earlier than the mean of Nelson’s group” (qtd. in Paling). The subject of Holmes and Holmes’ study also showed agility in learning spoken words he, “acquired his first ten spoken words 2.1 months eariler than the mean of Nelson’s group. He also acquired his first fifty words (signed and spoken) 8.1 months earlier than the mean of males in Nelson’s group” (qtd. in Paling). The early gain of vocabulary is evident in this research, but in later research it is also seen that there is an advance in language comprehension and development. Holmes and Holmes found their “subject started using two-word combinations between 14.2 and 16.1 moths of age whereas none of Nelson’s subjects had begun combining words by 19.6 months of age” (qtd. in Paling). Part of learning to communicate earlier is moderately a result of brain activity a child is experiencing. “Everything your child experiences affects her brain development. When you add sign language into her world, you are helping the millions of brain cells that she is born with multiply. These cells, called synapses, transmit knowledge to the brain. By using sign language, your child is forcing more connections in her brain that set the stage for enhanced learning” (Porpora 104). Children can learn quicker which in turn gives them a higher IQ and scores on verbal and or cognitive tests. Marilyn Daniels of Penn State University had pre- kindergarten and kindergarten teachers use verbal and sign language in class. Children that learned “sign scored about 20 percent higher on year end vocabulary tests…” (qtd. in Helms). More studies have also proven that that sign language boosts IQ. During a study conducted by Lina Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn, 103 infants were divided into three groups. One group of parents taught their baby sign language, another group worked on only verbal development and the last group could use any method they wanted. Infants that used sign outperformed those that did not and later scored higher IQs at the age of eight (Goldstien). Steven Long assistant professor in Marquette University's department of speech pathology and audiology says, “There is absolutely no evidence of harm coming from introducing children to sign language at an early age” (qtd. in Jansen). ADD YOUR OWN ANALYSIS
People may deny the effects of baby sign language or claim that it creates a barrier for hearing children starting to learn their own language. As explained in Sign Language for Babies and Toddlers, “some argue that a functional communication skills through sign language might seriously dely the child using his or her verbal skills. This has not been proven to be the case.Early development communication in this way has actually been shown to expedite vocal skills once speech has begun” (Brown and Clements 9). Having a way to positively impact a child's life so early on is incredible and something parents have always been drawn to. Steven Long places the method of sign language “in the same league as introducing mathematical concepts or music to children at an early age” (qtd. in Jansen). People do not doubt other early education methods so why should baby sign language be different? Almost every parent can agree that he or she wants what is best for his or her child. Baby sign language not only helps advance the mental age of the children exposed to sign, but also provides families with the experience of truly connecting. These little things when combined make the future bright for any child hearing, or deaf.
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