Sign language is one of the languages taught in our language immersion school here in Houston. With nearly a half of a million people in the United States using the language for communication, it can be an important language to learn. It can benefit children in other ways, as well. It has the same benefits that other bilingualism does; it increases abstract thinking skills, makes children more creative, and gives them better problem-solving skills. Younger children who haven’t developed their verbal skills can use the language to communicate with those around them, eliminating the frustration of not being able to express themselves.
Are you interested in teaching your child sign language? You don’t have to wait until you enroll them in our language immersion preschool to get started! Here are some really useful signs that you can teach your child at home. Each of these signs is useful for giving children the ability to communicate their needs to you even before they can talk.
Starter Signs For Kids
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Pinch all of your fingertips together in a bunch, then tap them against the fingertips on your other hand. Do the sign and repeat the word to baby each time you give them another bite or more of something to help them learn the sign. It’s a great way to help them ask for more of something without screaming or getting upset.
All Done
Hold your hands in front of you, palm up and out, then twist your hands at the wrists back and forth. Use this sign with your baby to indicate that something is all gone, all done, or all over. They’ll be able to use it to tell you when they are finished with something, too.
Eat
Pinch your fingertips together like you did for the “more” sign and then tap them against your lips. This is a great way for your child to let you know that they are hungry!
Change
If your child is still in diapers, this is a great way to have them give you a head’s up that it’s time for a change. If they start to do this, it can be an indicator that they are ready for potty training as well. To make the sign, make two fists and hold them together, then rotate them back and forth.
Help
This is a very useful sign to teach children! They can ask for help with a toy or let you know that something isn’t right. To make the sign, make the “thumbs up” sign with one hand and place it in the palm of your other hand, then lift the thumb up into the air.
Water
Find out when your little one needs a drink with this sign. Hold up three fingers into the air (like a “w”) and then tap it against your chin. You might find your child uses this sign for drinks of all sorts, as well.
Want To Learn More Sign Language?
A child who learns sign language will have an opportunity to communicate with hearing-challenged people across the United States. It could even open up job opportunities for them in the future. If you’d like to learn more signs to teach your baby or want to get them started in a sign language immersive program, get in touch with us. We’d love to teach you some more sign language that you can use at home to reinforce the lessons your child learns in our classroom! Give us a call or contact us through our website to learn more about our language immersive preschool and how your child can start learning sign language and other languages!
