Sign Language for Babies and Kids – Good for Both Hearing and Deaf Children

Sign Language for Hearing Babies

One of the most respected researchers in the area of the benefits of sign language as an important component of how small children learn to communicate is Dr. Marilyn Daniels, author of Dancing with Words, Signing for Hearing Children’s Literacy. She has found that when young children are taught sign language, they score better on the Peabody Vocabulary Test than the children who have not learned sign language for babies and kids. Dr. Daniel’s research shows that if children can learn words not only verbally but kinesthetically and visually, that their vocabulary is significantly better, leading to an advantage in reading and comprehension levels as they move from preschool into elementary school. There are many good aids on the market for teaching sign language for babies to your infant and toddler.

Sign Language for Deaf Babies

All babies, both hearing and deaf, need language to communicate with their parents and establish the necessary personal and social ties. Hearing babies gain information about their world by listening to the sounds of life like people talking, the TV or stereo playing and other noises in their environment. Deaf children don’t have this advantage and can often fall behind on their cognitive, linguistic and social development if they don’t have access to language. Even though there are new technological developments to help deaf babies to hear to some degree with cochlear implants or hearing aids, they don’t go far enough. Deaf babies and kids really need to see a visual and natural sign language like American Sign Language (ASL) to be able to completely comprehend.

In order to make language more accessible to deaf children, their parents, siblings and friends should also learn American Sign Language, which is easily available with sign language DVD and online courses.