By Linda Acredolo, Ph.D. and Susan Goodwyn, Ph.D.
We all know that signing with babies reduces frustration, makes daily life more fun, and fosters language and intellectual development, but did you know that signing also provides a way to potty train children starting as early as 12 months? Before we show you how we’ve brought the power of our Baby Signs® Program to potty training, let’s take a closer look at potty training in America today.
By Becka Marsch, Parent Educator, Licensed Baby, Toddler, and Preschool Sign Language Instructor
I had signed with my day care children for many years and my older two children at a young age, but not as much as I should have, apparently. When my son was born in February 2007, the research was very prevailing, and I wanted to give him the advantage from birth. At 16 months, he now has 70 words, 34 are signs and 36 are spoken. Ten 2 word signed sentences, and 13 spoken 2 word sentences. He produced his first sign younger than 6 months of age.
by Emilie de Azevedo Brown
“Rachel Coleman is my best friend, and just happens to be my little sister as well,” jokes Emilie de Azevedo Brown about her 27-year-old sister. Referring to Rachel, Emilie says that “as a child, she was shy and reserved. As a teenager, she was angry and reserved. Then she learned to express herself through her music.” Rachel taught herself to play guitar, began writing music, and started a band called We the Living. She sang some of her original songs with her band in the 1995 NBC Movie of the Week, Spring Fling. Rachel fell in love with music, and later with a tall skier named Aaron.
by Linda Acredolo, Ph.D. and Susan Goodwyn, Ph.D.
Author, Baby Signs: How to Talk With Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk
By far the most frequently voiced concern about encouraging babies to use Baby Signs is that doing so will discourage them from learning to talk.
By Karleen Harp
Here in San Diego, where we have many bilingual families, many parents ask me how signing fits into the picture when the baby is already confused by hearing English and Spanish in the same household. The short answer is “perfectly!” The reason is this: the signs reduce the baby’s confusion by providing a consistent symbol for objects.
by Enkeli
I have read and purchased both books and have found them both very useful in teaching Toivo signs. I actually started with just the Baby Signs book and only used that until Toivo knew over 20 signs. I checked this book out of the library and kept it over due so many times that my husband made me just buy my own copy!
by Nancy Cadjan, President Sign Babies (www.signbabies.com)
If your child is ready to learn to read, using American Sign Language to help teach your child may be one of the best things you can do.
by Nancy Cadjan, President Sign Babies (www.signbabies.com)
The trend to sign with your baby has hit Hollywood. The new movie Meet the Fockers features a signing infant—two to be exact since babies have to have doubles in movies. This exposure has increased awareness about the amazing opportunities available when parents sign with their babies.
by Louise Goodridge
Hi, my name is Louise and I am a grandmother of 2 children aged 4 months and 3 years. How old am I? I am the grand old age of 39! I live in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England.
Sign Language is something I have always had an interest in. I learned my letters at school, around 25 years ago. I had always wanted to learn more, but never got around to doing anything about it.
by Steve Kokette
Research shows the benefits of learning Sign for hearing kids are many. In fact, the benefits are so numerous that one has to wonder if perhaps a Sign language should be the second language that hearing kids learn.
