How we are different

Currently, there are two schools of thought about what type of signs to use with babies. First, there are people who advocate for the use of signs from an established, standardized sign language such as American Sign Language (ASL). The SIGN with your BABY® program is firmly based on ASL. There are others who feel that signing is only useful for a short period of time in a child's life; therefore, they feel that it is best for parents to make up their own signs. These "home signs" are made up of simple gestures or movements and are not standardized, meaning that one person's sign for "eat" may be completely different from another person's sign for "eat".

Currently, there are two schools of thought about what type of signs to use with babies. First, there are people who advocate for the use of signs from an established, standardized sign language such as American Sign Language (ASL). The SIGN with your BABY® program is firmly based on ASL. There are others who feel that signing is only useful for a short period of time in a child's life; therefore, they feel that it is best for parents to make up their own signs. These "home signs" are made up of simple gestures or movements and are not standardized, meaning that one person's sign for "eat" may be completely different from another person's sign for "eat".

If you are investigating both of these approaches, we encourage you to read this document. It is a collaborative statement prepared by Joseph Garcia and Northlight Communications, publishers of SIGN with your BABY®, with contributions from educators, parents, caregivers, and researchers. Together, we've thoroughly investigated both methods and we have come to this unified conclusion:

ASL Signs:

• offer consistency through the use of an established, standardized language. Using standardized signs allow children, family members, caregivers, and other professionals to communicate using the same set of signs. This consistency helps facilitate transition from one setting to another.
• are easy to learn for both children and adults. Most typically-developing children will learn and use somewhere between 20 and 50 signs before speech becomes their predominant form of communication. The good news for busy parents is that it is quite easy to learn these 20 to 50 essential signs, even without prior experience using ASL.
• are easy for babies to understand, as many ASL signs are iconic; they are manual imitations of the actions or objects they represent. For example, the ASL sign for "bird" is demonstrated by placing the finger and thumb next to the mouth in the shape of a bird's beak.
• are widely known and easily accessible. American Sign Language is the third most commonly-used language throughout the United States and Canada, and the strong guiding presence of the Deaf community in North America provides excellent opportunities to learn and utilize ASL.
• allow for creativity by encouraging parents and babies to create their own sign when a standardized ASL sign does not exist. Be sure to document these special signs such that other caregivers may use them appropriately.

Using ASL Signs with Babies:

• facilitates social opportunities as their circle of friends and acquaintances grow through participation in playgroups or other childcare settings. The use of ASL in these settings allows children who sign to easily communicate with one another. However, the use of non-standard signs in these settings can be problematic. Imagine the confusion in a classroom full of toddlers who each use a totally different set of signs and gestures!
• offers educational advantages in both the establishment of early literacy and the foundation for the learning of a second language. Research shows that adding a kinesthetic (movement) element to verbal and written language learning will positively impact early literacy skills. It is comforting for us to know that, if our babies learn to use ASL signs, their usefulness will not end when our children learn to speak. They have been learning signs from a rich and beautiful language that they can continue to use and explore as they grow. Considering the growth of ASL programs from preschool through college, it is nice to know our children will already be comfortable with signing and can build on the foundation established during infancy.
• reinforces motor development milestones. There is well-documented research indicating that the gross motor skill of bringing the arms and hands together at the midline of the body is one of the most significant developmental milestones in infancy. This motor skill, paired with the visual skill of gazing toward the midline, is reinforced by the use of sign language. The ASL signs for "more", "book", and "shoes" encourage the development of this important skill.

If you would like more information on why we advocate the use of standardized American Sign Language signs, visit our Documents page and download our complete position statement, "Established Signs or Non-Standard Signs?" in Adobe PDF format.