teaching signs - how early does it work?

So I'm been teaching my 10m old signs since he was about 6m.

I think ... he gets all done, more, up, drink, and change (diaper), but his hands aren't coordinated enough to do them so we cant always tell the difference... he also has this generic wave when he's trying to say something

His "more" looks like "diaper(change)" or that he's trying to clap ...
His "all done", looks a lot like "drink" because he does it with only one hand
But usually in context I can figure it out... DH thinks I'm crazy and making it all up

Honestly, can a 10m old sign, if only his mommy understands him?

Re: teaching signs - how early does it work?

I also began teaching signs at 6 months. We began with "More", "All Done", "Nurse/Milk", "Water", "Potty", "Diaper", "Food", "Help". At 11 months DS was definitely doing the signs for All Done at the appropriate times. I'm sure he was doing it earlier and I just didn't notice the approximations. Now, at close to 13 months he's reliably signing for several of them. Once he masters them all, we're going to try to teach "Pain"....which I consider one of the most valuable. Anyway....Congrats on your little guy communicating expressively with you. It's such an amazing experience to have a reciprocal and intelligible back and forth with an infant. Nice work Mama!!!

Re: teaching signs - how early does it work?

DD1 started signing by the time she was 6 months old....also not with proper hand form but we knew what she was doing (would pat her hip when she had a dirty diaper, grab her collar when she was hot, put her hand to her mouth to do eat and hungry, and the only definite coherent sign was for milk). She started to speak at 9 months but knew more signs than she did words so she would use both to communicate with us.
By the time she was a year old she had a pretty large verbal vocabulary as well as signing ability.
At 5 we still sign....comes in handy (no pun intended) when across the room or the playground and I need to communicate with her. Also comes in REALLY handy when I need to discipline from far away....I can 'yell' at her in public without ever saying a word LOL

DD1 started teaching DD2 signs the minute she met her in the hospital and now at 5 months she started doing the sign for milk. The only other sign we think she does is 'dirty diaper'....when my DH asks her if she has a dirty diaper she will flap her arms at her sides (but she doesnt do it when I say it so I dont consider it a sign yet).

Keep it up!!! I still teach DD1 new signs and hope that one day she will use it as a second language.....

Re: teaching signs - how early does it work?

I just taught Tyler "More" -- Jack needed more signs because he was speech delayed but Ty seems to be on track.

At 14 months he is now signing "More" spontaneously now. I started teaching him this at 6 mnths.

Re: teaching signs - how early does it work?

Starting teaching at six months but DS didn't actually start signing til about 15 months. Now he signs probably 100 words. Its just like speach. One month nothing and the next month a ton of new words.

Also I found out that DS understoon everything I signed he was just unable to sign as well, but your DC probaly understands you when you sign.

Re: teaching signs - how early does it work?

Re: teaching signs - how early does it work?

Re: teaching signs - how early does it work?

Sorry to hijack your post but I have a question- Did you all know sign language before you had your DC's or did you teach yourself and then teach them? I would love to teach DS signs but I only know "more", "milk", "eat", "all done."

Re: teaching signs - how early does it work?

I taught both around 6 months and understood it by 9-10 months and were able to do it around 11-12 months


This is the website I used...it is great:
Baby Sign language

bec it shows you instead of just a description!

Re: teaching signs - how early does it work?

Re: teaching signs - how early does it work?

Re: teaching signs - how early does it work?

interesting post! shana, where did you get your DVD?

clascy, we're going to have to meet up so you can teach me some tricks!

Re: teaching signs - how early does it work?

I taught myself while pregnant and then DH and I really started getting into it once DD1 was born so that we'd have all the signs come naturally when we needed to use them. Even taught my parents and DH's mom since they would be spending alot of time with DD.
We used the Signing Time DVD's....

Danica--I'll teach you anything I know!! And we'll have McKayla teach Mia....