BaaBaa Babies
Activities That Stimulate Little Minds, Exercise Little Bodies And Are Fun For All
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Will baby signing delay my baby learning to speak?
A: NO, in fact research suggests the opposite. A baby's natural desire is to communicate with you. Signing does NOT replace speech; each time you sign with your baby you reinforce the sign by using the word. Your baby copies you and in so doing develops speech. One study concluded that using baby signs improves language and cognitive ability which did not end when babies started to talk. In fact using baby signs has far reaching positive implications long after the child has stopped using the signs. It has been shown that children who signed as babies have 50 more spoken words in their vocabularies by the age of 2 than children who didn’t sign.
Q: When should I start to sign with my baby?
A: We welcome babies from newborn because the sooner you start the better! We have several babies in our classes who are just a few weeks old. This will make signing a natural part of your everyday communication and get you comfortable and competent in using the everyday signs. We notice that babies are usually around the 6+ months age when they make their first attempts although of course it does vary from child to child. Babies will show an understanding of a sign before they can produce the sign themselves. When they first start signing you will quickly be able to introduce more signs and as they get older the rate at which they learn accelerates. Even toddlers who have started to talk can still benefit from signing as it will help to build their vocabulary further.
Q: Is baby signing hard to do?
A: No, anyone can do it. Baby signing is easy and here at BaaBaa Babies we focus on helping you to learn useful everyday signs. There will be other parents/carers there too, all with this shared interest and practising together. Babies love it! If you still have any doubts think about how a child waves hello and goodbye - they didnt instinctively know how to do this, they LEARNED how to do it from others who waved every time they said hello or goodbye to them. Babies automatically use gestures and this is the basis on which we learn a range of signs.
See a real live video of a baby signing.... you'll be amazed!
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