 "Better than anything else I found" | 2009-04-25 |
| - Reviewed By laughlin_p |
It's hard to pick a reference book even using the Quick look function on Amazon. I have no access to bookstores except via online so hit a few duds before I ran across this one. I like it because it gives you lots of pix of BABIES using signs (unlike the baby einstein signing video I have in which TODDLERS are the predominate signers). Also, it introduces the basic idea behind sign lang. for babies, namely, that it is for communication with Babies! That means, according to the book, that babies can change signs, make up their own, they don't have to mimic the sign perfectly, you can change or make up a new sign for something if you don't like the one the book gives or if the book doesn't have one for what you're trying to communicate, etc. It's all about interaction. And if you do it consistently, You WILL See Results.
I started with my daughter when she was about 8 mos. She's 16 months now. Her signs include: brush teeth, take a bath, eat food, drink, nap, shoes, socks, bear, dog, cat, rabbit, duck, elephant, alligator, moon, butterfly, read a book, hot, gentle (we call it soft), baby, and more I'm sure I'm forgetting. Some signs have gone by the wayside in favor of verbalizing or just outgrowing them, such as nurse. We started with that one and eat food and we just kept going. This WORKS. (Just stay with it and make it fun. Don't expect instant results. Expect the baby to adapt the sign a little to make it easier for them to do. Over time, they usually make the sign the way you taught them, it just takes them a while to figure out how to make their hands move that way)
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I did not care about using sign lang. when I had my baby; my MIL pushed it on me. Now I'm glad she did b/c I could comm. with my baby waaay before she could talk to me with her mouth. Very fulfilling.
Baby Signs are NOT American Sign Language so don't expect them to be. Baby signs have to be simpler so babies can do them.
I'm sure baby signs have helped my baby to develop lang. skills more quickly. Do not be scared that your baby will slow down learning how to talk in favor of the signs. In my daughter's case, the opposite has been true.
This book was written with the speech pathologist who invented the concept in the 1990's. That means you're "getting straight from the horse's mouth," so to speak.
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 "Baby Signs" | 2008-11-01 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1X8VEJVQY3T8 |
To any who read the review RE:Holly Cox, Nov.10,2003.
I am the mother of a 1 1/2yr. daughter. I also know signing and as the result of reading an article in Parents Magasine reguarding "signing with babies", I began an experiment to see wether signing would be an assett to a toddler. This article highlighted the lowering of frustration levels with increased communication, AS WELL as, an increased oral vocabulary due to the repetition of verbal reenforcement associated with the use of the sign. The experiment was more successful than I had expected and my daughter could soon communicate her needs in situations that were a previously source of frustration to her:" down, finished, drink, eat, up, more". It wasn't long before her interests expanded and with them her oral AND signing vocabulary. Although she does not have the fine motor coordination to manipulate many of the intricicies of advanced signing, she is eager to keep her active mind occupied with visually learning signs dear to her little heart. Signing has not stinted her oral vocabulary, ON THE CONTRARY, she is an extremely verbal child for her age (she is my 4th, I know the difference) and, although credit immersion in early reading/and natural linguistic aptitude to a portion of her development, If I had to rate "SIGNING" as a stepping stone in her growth I would hold it in the same place of influence as these other factors. If you wonder what I mean by early talker here is a sample list of words that she knows in both sign AND oraly: eat, drink, bottle, shower, toothbrush, wash, CD, jacket, shoes, rain, snow, twinkle, star, cold, up, down, finished, come, dog, cat, bird, chicken, upstairs, sleep, sit, moon, stop, patience, not yours, mine, help, water, wave, flower, funny, car, music,....there are more oral words in her vocabulary. OH YEAH, Holly (and any new moms out there worried about slow talkers)....if indeed a 2 1/2 year old is not speaking and clings to signs, it may be that that child is just not yet ready to jump into talking, yet...it's no biggie, that child WILL talk in good time unless there is some delay at the root. ...Who are we to judge another persons security zone. If you suspect a delay SEE A DR. IMMEDIATELY. |
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| "Truly Amazing!" | 2008-10-07 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3IJKTOWPOMG9I |
| Heard from a friend about baby signing, didn't think that it worked until I tried it. This book gives you the basic idea of what, when and how. Good book easy to understand. |
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| "Easy as waving "bye bye"" | 2008-07-21 |
| - Reviewed By User: A14KVRVN3XRAVO |
| I have learned sign language and I don't understand the reviews that say this isn't pure enough sign language. The signs that they give in the guide are almost entirely pure sign language signs and they point out the instances where the signs they are giving aren't true ASL. I think a lot of the beauty of this program is that you DON'T have to be fluent in ASL to be able to use it. The program they are suggesting is very simple and very effective. Who wouldn't want to be able to communicate better with their baby? |
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| "Baby Signs makes sense" | 2008-06-30 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3SC561EZFI3PX |
| We are going to try using baby sign language with our daughter when she's old enough. The deciding factor was my one-year-old niece that can wave bye-bye and blow kisses but gets frustrated when she can't express something that she wants or when we don't understand her. She's obviously ready to learn to use signs since she knows 2 already and her parents weren't even trying. The Baby Sign book is an easy read with good suggestions and a glossary in the back- we can't wait to start teaching our little girl! |
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| "Great insights" | 2008-06-21 |
| - Reviewed By ackellum2 |
| My daughter is still young but I plan to use baby signs with her thanks to this book. The writers have given excellent stories, research findings, and examples of how baby signs work to establish communication. There are chapters on getting started and more advanced signs and pictures of the most common signs to use as examples. However, what I appreciate the most is that your child will establish their own signs ... it doesn't have to be perfect sign language as long as you both understand each other. I've also bought Baby Hearts and Baby Minds and love those 2 books as well. |
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