Early educators and families can teach hearing, pre-verbal children to use in order to facilitate their ability to communicate, but is it a good idea? It may be easier for babies to use a manual mode of than an oral one, but does it really make a difference in the long run? Sign Language With Babies: What Difference Does It Make?

Susan Kubic Barnes

Teachers and families of babies and know how is available on Kindle, Amazon’s wireless reading device. frustrating it can be to be unable to understand what their Some of these programs claim that using baby sign youngest children are thinking. Often and language will speed verbal development (Baby Signs, whining can be clearly interpreted, as when toddlers reach 2008) and some claim to enhance early brain development up both of their arms. Adults and even older children (Baby BumbleBee, 2008). However, a search for scholarly assume that a with arms in the air wants to be research and empirical studies to support these claims finds picked up. But what if the baby is actually reaching toward that there is conflicting evidence. a toy on a shelf or is calling attention to something is so important to success in interesting outside the window? school and in life that accurate information for families, Teaching sign language—to deaf or other children with caregivers, and other educators is crucial. This article special needs or to hearing children with hard-of-hearing begins with a brief history of sign language and a review of family members—is not new. Researchers found one study normal language development. It then reviews the research done by Gallaudet in 1910 (Johnstone, Durieux-Smith, on the effects of sign language on hearing children’s & Bloom, 2005). Teaching sign language to typically language development and the overall benefits of signing developing children has become increasingly popular since with babies. the publication of Baby Signs® (Goodwyn & Acredolo, 1996), now in its third edition. Attention to signing with Sign Language: How It Started babies has received much publicity. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, who co-founded the • Numerous programs have been introduced to help American School for the Deaf (ASD) in 1817, promoted families and teachers learn to better communicate the policy of teaching sign language to the hearing brothers with children as young as 6 months old. and sisters of his deaf students for two reasons. First, the • In the popular 2005 film “Meet the Fockers,” Jack deaf child would have a way to communicate, and talks to his grandson using sign language. secondly, the hearing children would increase their own • Hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles, and language proficiency (ASD, 2008). numerous television shows, have featured stories on programs that teach and toddler sign Susan Kubic Barnes, M. Ed., is an Instructor in the Depart- language. ment of Early, Elementary and Reading Education, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia. She previously There is no reliable estimate of the number of families taught preschool at the University of Michigan and kinder- who sign with their children, but Amazon.com reported garten in the public schools. Her JMU faculty responsibilities sales of Baby Signs to be in the top 300 of all books sold include supervision in public and private preschool and in 2004 and 2005. Even in 2006, when many other baby- kindergarten classrooms with children of diverse backgrounds signing books became available, the book remained in the and varied abilities. Her research interests include using media top 600 (Pizer, Walter, & Meier, 2007). The third edition and technology to support children’s learning and assessing the effectiveness of adult-child interactions.

Winter 2010 DIMENSIONS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD Volume 38, Number 1 21 The 1853 issue of American Annals of the Deaf and Dumb contained an article that explained the benefit of teaching hearing children language through verbal and non-verbal tech- niques. Gallaudet said that “the more varied the form under which language is presented to the mind through the various senses, the more perfect will be the knowledge of it acquired, and the more permanently will it be retained” (Daniels, 2004, p. 87). More than a century after that article was published, the book Sign Language Structure described Amer- ican Sign Language (ASL) as a true language with sound phonological, morphological, and syntactical struc- tures (Stokoe, 1960). After Spanish and Italian, signing is the third most commonly used language in the United States (Yule, 1996). Dozens of studies with school- age children show that sign language enhanced students’ reading ability. In the 1990s, the International Reading Association began to feature lectures at their conferences addressing the benefits of including sign language in typical classroom instructional set- Subjects & Predicates tings (Daniels, 2004). The proponents of infant sign language believe that because sign language and gestures, To better understand how sign like spoken language, represent thoughts in a symbolic way, it may be easier for very young children to first learn language using signs. Perhaps the essentials of language ac- language may affect language dev- quired through the manual modality transfer to the verbal modality when children de- elopment in young children, it velop the ability to create the . is important to know about the typical development of language in coordination required to actually say • At about 6 months of age, hearing children. the words required to make their babies are able to reciprocate in needs known—is frustratingly slow. “conversations” by making Typical Language Receptive language develops before sounds when others talk to expressive language. For example, them and to make noises to Development will turn toward sounds and gain attention. Caregivers For the families and caregivers of be calmed by gentle voices, but they often say that the cries babies typically developing children, the rate can only make cooing and gurgling make when they are hungry of verbal language development sounds. The graph in Figure 1 are different than other sounds between birth and 2 years of age— (Machado, 2007) shows how children they make. when most children have acquired communicate verbally at different • Typical 1-year-old children vocabulary and the fine motor stages of development. will recognize some

22 Volume 38, Number 1 DIMENSIONS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD Winter 2010 meaningful words, including Figure 1. Approximate frequency of child utterances from their own names, and will try 6 to 12 months. to make sounds that sound like words. Note: From Early Childhood Experiences in Language Arts: Early (8th ed.), p. 29, by J.M. Machado, 2007, Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learn- • Normally developing toddlers ing. Copyright 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. Reprinted with permission. are usually able to comprehend simple questions and follow simple directions by the time they are about 15 months old. They may be able to say a few words, but articulation skills are just emerging, so these words are usually not very clear. • Most children begin to speak when they are between 1 and 2 years of age. It was once believed that talking marked the beginning of the ability for children to think symbolically and use symbols for communication. However, research has shown that children gradually come to use sym- bols to represent concepts. Adults and other children support children’s signals are used over and over, a type young children were based on studies from the mo- of sign language emerges. Halliday done with hearing children of deaf ment they are born, some believe even (1979) explained that with this goal- parents using ASL and spoken English before birth. When people speak and oriented signal and sound system, the concurrently (see Table 1). Some of read to children, they model many “child tongue” form of communication the problems with these studies are different aspects of communication progresses naturally into word use. identified here. including how to make sounds and to • Many samples were small take turns in conversation. They (some with just one infant). provide labels for interesting objects Infant Sign Language The proponents of infant sign • The subjects were not matched and events. language believe that because sign to randomly assigned control Long before children are able to language and gestures, like spoken groups, so there may have been develop control of the articulatory language, represent thoughts in a selection bias. actions required for meaningful oral symbolic way, it may be easier for very • It is possible that these children communication beyond babbling, young children to first learn language were precocious. they master many gross motor skills using signs. Perhaps the essentials of • Some are original studies and used in manual modes of commun- language acquired through the others are secondary analyses ication, such as sign language. Very manual modality transfer to the verbal of data collected from original young children can, for example, modality when children develop the research (Johnson, et al., 2005). grasp objects and point to things. ability to create the phonemes. Findings reported from these These intentional communication studies are interesting. Daniels (2004) signals, called “performatives” or Research Overview describes a study (Holmes & Holmes, “deictic” gestures, begin around 10 1980) that reports the experiences Many reports supporting the view months (Goodwyn, Acredolo, & of hearing parents who used both Brown, 2000). As these infant body that teaching sign language benefits

Winter 2010 DIMENSIONS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD Volume 38, Number 1 23 Table 1. Selected studies of infant sign language in chronological order of publication. (N = sample size) Authors & Dates N Description Results Holmes & Holmes, 1980* 1 deaf parents signed at home with hearing oral language acquired earlier than norm infant Bonvillian et al., 1983* 11 deaf parents signed at home with 10 sign language development exceeded oral hearing infants and 1 deaf child norms Folven et al., 1984* 13 deaf parents signed at home with early use correlated with sign and hearing infants oral language development Orlansky & Bonvillian, 1984* 13 deaf parents or ASL interpreter signed increased language development with hearing infants compared to norms

Folven, 1988* 9 deaf parents signed with hearing infants accelerated language development Orlansky & Bovillian, 1988* 13 deaf parents or ASL interpreter signed accelearted language development with hearing infants Daniels, 1994 14 deaf parents signed with hearing infants standard scores higher on Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test Goodwyn & Acredolo, 1993 22 hearing parents taught to use signs and acquired signs earlier than words toys to encourage signing Gregory, 1994* 1 deaf and hearing parent signed with rapid learning of word/sign hearing infant Caprici et al., 1998* 1 deaf parent signed with hearing infant no difference compared with norms Goodwyn & Acredolo, 1993 103 3 groups: one group of hearing parents infants who used symbolic gesturing in- taught to use signs and toys to creased the joint attention time with par- encourage signing; one control group got ents and expressed more advanced no instruction; the other control group expressvie language got verbal training

Acredolo & Goodwyn, 2000 43 hearing parents taught to use sign sign group had higher IQ than norm language with hearing infants Goodwyn et al., 2000 103 3 groups: one group of heairng parents some improvements on language for ex- taught to use signs and toys to perimental groups encourage signing; one control group got no instruction; the other control group got verbal training

Moore et al., 2001* 103 3 groups: one group of hearing parents joint attention and signing predicted taught to use signs and toys to more advanced expressive language encourage signing; one control group got no instruction; the other control group got verbal training

Pettito et al., 2001* 3 deaf parents signed with hearing infants vocabulary similar to norms

Holowaka et al., 2002* 3 deaf parents signed with hearing infants no difference between bilingual and monolingual children

Pizer et al., 2007* 3 Texas families, all hearing with no prior baby-signing may have encouraged ASL knowledge, chose to sign common misconceptions about ASL

*Cited in Johnstone, Duriex-Smith, & Bloom (2005).

24 Volume 38, Number 1 DIMENSIONS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD Winter 2010 sign and spoken words with their Table 2. Results for children who were in Baby Signs® treatment own child. The child was found to group (BabySigns.com, 2009). develop language earlier than might be expected. 24 Months 36 Months 96 Months Other studies suggest that children exposed to sign language achieve Signers were, on On average, signers Signers scored an higher than average scores on stan- average, talking more were talking like 47- average of 12 points dardized tests. It is possible that using like 27- or 28-month- month-olds, putting higher in IQ than their ASL has a positive impact on the olds and putting to- them almost a full year non-signing peers. hearing child’s attainment of language gether significantly ahead of their average because concepts were presented with longer sentences. age-mates. words not only orally, but also visually and kinesthetically (Daniels, 1994). How reliably can these findings be meaningful signs (B. Broughton, More empirically sound studies generalized to other groups of personal communication, March include those by Acredolo and children? As noted in Table 1, the 24, 2006). Goodwyn (1990, 2000). These stud- parents in at least one study were all Some families choose to make up ies looked at the effect of signing by experienced signers. It is possible that their own signs for individual items hearing parents and included two children of hearing parents without they routinely use around the house. control groups, one receiving training expertise in sign language would have These signs often are iconic, which to merely encourage verbal language less success in implementing a signing means that they are gestures that with their infants and a second program with their infants. mimic the actions related to the words control group receiving no training The National Institutes of Health they represent. For example, to make or intervention. funded Acredolo and Goodwyn to do the sign for drink, signers might shape a long-term study. The children were their hand as if holding a cup and Language development is assessed using standardized language bring that hand up to their lips. An important to success in measures at 11, 15, 19, 24, 30, and 36 experienced ASL instructor, Sebrey school and in life. months. In addition, as many (2008), explains how these signs easily children as could be relocated at age 8 become a natural means to com- In the experimental group, parents were assessed using the WISC-III test, municate with babies and with other received training in how to use the most commonly used measure of members of the family. symbolic gesturing for commun- children’s intelligence. A summary of ication with their children. These the results of their study is found on Reported Benefits of children were exposed to an adapted BabySigns.com (2009) and is shown Signing With Babies “baby sign language” and not a in Table 2. The results of the Acredolo and complete sign language system. The During this study, the signs used Goodwyn study (2000) may lead researchers postulated that the by families and trainers were based on observers to believe that use of sign language development of typically naturally occurring gestures, known language causes accelerated language developing children could be ad- by the experimenters as baby signs. development and improves scores on vanced if parents used and taught Since that initial study, most of the intelligence tests. Acredolo and their children sign language. The words taught in baby sign language Goodwyn believe that baby signs findings also suggest that acquisition programs have been adapted from the stimulate brain development by of this skill does not hinder the system. strengthening connections that make development of vocal language According to the District Manger for it easier for a baby’s subsequent efforts (Goodwyn, Acredolo, & Brown, Baby Signs, Inc., serving Central to communicate to succeed. They 2000). Most of the programs adver- Virginia, complicated or difficult explain that without the use of sign, tised today are based on the work signs are sometimes modified to make this neurological growth would be done by Acredolo and Goodwyn. it easier for young children to produce

Winter 2010 DIMENSIONS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD Volume 38, Number 1 25 It is important for reviewers of these results to bear in mind that these or other factors may have had an effect on the reported outcome. More research is needed before claims of a direct cause and effect relationship can be fully supported. There is no ev- idence, however, to indicate that teaching sign language to babies and toddlers does any harm, such as slow- ing the emergence of verbal language. More research is needed before claims of a direct cause and effect relationship can be fully supported.

On the other hand, some evidence indicates that the use of sign language as a temporary transitional tool to communicate with preverbal children may encourage some misconceptions Subjects & Predicates about the deaf community and ASL. Most of the words taught in baby sign language programs are adapted from the These assumptions include the mis- American Sign Language system. Complicated or difficult signs are taken beliefs that communication using sometimes modified to make it easier for young children to produce sign language is easier than speaking, meaningful signs. Some families make up their own signs for individual that sign language is based on spoken items they routinely use around the house. language, and that sign language is delayed several months until the baby • It is quite possible that the universal (Pizer et al., 2007). could articulate words. They also parents in the treatment group Despite the weak direct evidence believe that baby signs can help were more motivated than that infant sign language leads to an infants understand the idea that they other parents to continue to increase in intelligence, there are other can connect with people. support their children’s positive indications, including There are correlations between the language development after countless anecdotal and testimonial use of sign language and the rate of the initial involvement in the records such as these. vocabulary development and perhaps sign language program. • A special education teacher intelligence, but is it evidence to say • Perhaps other caregivers and said, “If you want to know that there is a direct causal therapists involved in the what it feels like to be a relationship? While the Acredolo and program were more engaging toddler, go to a country where Goodwyn study design did randomly with signing babies than you don’t know the language assign families to the treatment group non-signers. and just try to get along. Just and control for some important • Perhaps it was not just the getting something to eat or variables, such as child’s initial ability, effect of using sign language, finding a restroom when you parent income, and birth order, the but the impact of larger don’t know the language is so design could not control for all amounts of time that adults frustrating!” (P. Kennedy, possible factors that could impact the and children spent together as personal communication, outcomes of the study. they engaged in communication. March 2006).

26 Volume 38, Number 1 DIMENSIONS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD Winter 2010 • Young children may throw Sharing Information We had a blast signing with our temper tantrums as a result of daughter. I was a little skeptical at a feeling of frustration because With Families and first. I did not see the point in they are not able to verbally teaching sign language to a baby Colleagues in the months just before she express themselves. The Parents and early childhood would begin speaking. But it was practice of signing is thought educators are always looking for ways so much fun when Isabelle started to reduce this frustration to help children succeed in school and to learn the signs. For a while, we because it gives babies the in life. Publication of Acredolo and could hardly keep up! And now I opportunity to identify Goodwyn’s work has spawned a am convinced that signing with our daughter gave her an invalu- important objects, express plethora of companies eager to sell their personal needs, and able head start on learning. products to help caregivers to use sign Thank you for a great product! describe how they feel. language with very young children. (yourtalkingbaby.com, 2009) • Toddlers also get the chance to While searching the Internet, adults are I have been attending classes for participate in choosing what likely to find claims similar to these. they want to do and what they 6 weeks now ... my eldest can al- Evidence is also mounting that ready sign about 20 words and want to talk about. This ability children with special needs, such can string 4 signs together, and to communicate strengthens as apraxia of speech, autism, or my baby has already signed to ask the bond between caregivers Down Syndrome who have diffi- for milk which is absolutely fan- and children by extending the culty with speech can make great tastic! Little Bear Baby Signing time that adult and child strides in their communication de- classes are thoroughly enjoyable spend together attending the velopment when Signing Time is as it (sic) combines communicat- part of their regimen. The multi- same interests. ing, singing, experiencing differ- sensory approach of Signing Time ent sensory mediums, reading, • One professor in early engages visual learners, kinesthetic playing and all in a friendly envi- childhood education and an learners, and auditory learners of ronment. Everything you need to expert in all ages and abilities, while making help build essential learning skills. claims that early childhood sign language easy and fun. (Sign- (littlebearbabysigning.com, centers that adopt school-wide ingtime.com, 2009) 2009) signing programs for their This is the best baby sign language Many families and early childhood nurseries and preschool DVD that I have ever come across. programs looking to support child- programs report that parents The "Talk to Me" DVD had more ren’s development are purchasing co- signs than I could have ever imag- and teachers say that the mmercial programs and products. environment is more quiet and ined. I have used other videos and none of them even come close to Most of these products include videos peaceful than non-signing this one. There are tons of differ- that are described as an excellent way centers (A. Papero, personal ent signs and I love how they were to learn sign language. Other popular communication, March broken up into different cate- products are flash cards that illustrate 2006). These caregivers claim gories. It is so easy to use. You can signs, puppets to make signs, books that this more relaxed definitely tell that this was done by with pictures that help support the environment is in part the a real "mom" who had used these signs demonstrated on the video or result of the pre-verbal techniques herself. It is very user friendly, and very inexpensive for flashcards, CDs with songs to practice children having the ability to the amount of information you are signs in a fun way, and classes. communicate with adults getting. I have used this with my The courses are usually taught to a and other children using baby and it is working great! group by a trainer who also serves as sign language. Thank you!! I could not praise it the local distributor of the company’s enough. I would recommend this products. The Baby Signs® cert- to anyone who has a baby! (tiny- ification program is $199 (babysigns babysigns.com, 2009) products, 2009). With training,

Winter 2010 DIMENSIONS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD Volume 38, Number 1 27 centers often get a discount on the The interaction between adult and them. Smiling and acknowledging classroom kit. A standard classroom child is the most important factor in children’s sounds and gestures en- kit includes a set of three CDs, a the development of language. By courages them to continue their couple of cloth books, a signing carefully observing infant eye and communication efforts. puppet, some flash cards, and two body movements such as head turns, DVDs for $250. Many companies sell adults can get clues as to what is of Signing and its eye contact individual instructional DVD videos interest to children. Attentive care- convey that communication and music CDs for about $20 givers notice hand and body move- is a rewarding, reciprocal (babysigns, 2009). ments that indicate that children are process. While thousands of parents and trying to communicate their ideas. teachers—determined to give their For example, children who smack The difference in speaking ability children every possible opportunity to their lips may be hungry, while those between early talkers and late talkers excel—are enrolling in classes and who turn their heads away from a usually disappears by the time the buying these products, others may bottle or push it away are probably children are 3 years old. The goal choose not to use sign language or not hungry. When adults respond to of adults should not be to get signals, believing that these practices the natural signals that children make, children to talk as soon as possible, will delay the development of verbal communication is reinforced and but to foster a warm and nurturing language. Actually there is evidence children learn more about the way relationship that allows each child that the opposite is true. Lapinski language works. to feel confident and secure. (1996) explains that signing and the As infants and toddlers progress The most important benefit of eye contact it requires helps children from being passive receptors of using sign language may be that it is learn that communication is a language to participants in two-way another tool families and teachers can rewarding, reciprocal process. communication, signs, gestures and use to achieve this goal. The wealth of other non-verbal com- everyday opportunities for mean- munication play important ingful interaction provides richness in roles. Children each de- the lives of children’s early language velop in their own unique acquisition. Sebrey (2008) reminds way, with many en- her readers that the benefits of signing vironmental factors, in- are not just for babies. By signing, cluding the attitudes and people can communicate across crowded beliefs of significant adults, rooms and from airport windows. Good playing a role in early communication is an essential build- language development. ing block in the foundation of all Families and teachers loving relationships. Maintaining who believe that their those relationships is the best thing children have the potential adults can do for children. to be communicative part- ners talk to them that way References and help to make it come Acredolo, L.P., & Goodwyn, S.W. (1990). true (Snow, De Blauw, & Sign language in babies: The significance Subjects & Predicates Van Roosmalen, 1979). By of symbolic gesturing for understanding By talking during daily routines such as feeding and talking during daily rou- language development. Annals of Child bathing, adults help children make connections between Development, 7, 1–42. the activities and words associated with them. Smiling tines such as feeding and Acredolo, L.P., & Goodwyn, S.W. (2000). and acknowledging children’s sounds and gestures en- bathing, adults help child- The long-term impact of symbolic ges- courages them to continue their communication efforts. ren make connections be- turing during infancy on IQ at age 8. The difference in speaking ability between early talkers tween the activities and Paper presented at International Confer- ence on Infant Studies, Brighton, UK. and late talkers usually disappears by the time children words associated with are 3 years old. 28 Volume 38, Number 1 DIMENSIONS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD Winter 2010 Acredolo, L.P., & Goodwyn, S.W. (2003). Halliday, M.A.K. (1979). One child’s pro- Signingtimes.com. (2009). Our Story page The Baby Signs Research. Retrieved 8 tolanguage. In M. Bellowa (Ed.), Before retrieved May 20, 2009, from March 8, 2008, from speech (pp. 171-190). London: Cam- http://www.signingtime.com/ http://www.babysigns.com/index.cfm/ bridge University Press. aboutus/our-story/ fuseaction/institute.research_extensive/ Holmes, K.M., & Holmes, D.W. (1980). Snow C., De Blauw, A., & Van Roosmalen, extensive_research.cfm Signed and spoken language develop- G. (1979). Talking and playing with ba- American School for the Deaf (ASD). ment in a hearing child of hearing par- bies. In M. Bellowa (Ed.), Before speech (2008). History. Retrieved March, 2008, ents. Sign Language Studies, 28, (pp. 269-288). London: Cambridge from http://www.asd-1817.org/ 239–254. University Press. history/history-asd.html Holowka, S., Brosseau-Lapre, F., & Petitto, Stokoe, W.C. (1960). Sign language struc- Baby BumbleBee. (2008). Products page. L.A. (2002). Semantic and conceptual ture: An outline of the visual communi- Retrieved March, 2008, from knowledge underlying bilingual babies’ cation systems of the American deaf. http://www.babybumblebee.com first signs and words. Language Buffalo, NY: University of Buffalo De- Baby Signs. (2009). Research and products Learning, 52, 205–262. partment of Anthropology and Linguists. pages. Retrieved March, 2009, from Johnstone, J.C., Durieux-Smith, A., & Tinybabysigns.com. (2009). Testimonials http://www.babysigns.com Bloom, K. (2005). Teaching gestural page retrieved May 26, 2009, from Bonvillian, J.D., Orlansky, M.D., Novack, signs to infants to advance child develop- http://www.tinybabysigns.com/ L.L., & Folven, R.J. (1983). Early sign ment: A review of the evidence [Elec- id78.html language acquisition and cognitive devel- tronic version]. First Language, 25(2), Yourtalkingbaby.com. (2009). Testimonials opment. In D. Rogers & J.A. Sloboda 235-251. page. Retrieved May 27, 2009, from (Eds.), The acquisition of symbolic symbols Lapinski, S. (1996). Signs of intelligence. http://www.yourtalkingbaby.com/ (pp. 207–214). Chicago: Plenum. Child, 11(4), 46-51. index.php?main_page=page&id=2 Capirci, O., Montanari, S., & Volterra, V. Littlebearsigning.com. (2009). Testimonials Yule, G. (1996). The study of language. (1998). Gestures, signs, and words in page retrieved May 20, 2009, from Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University early language development. In J.M.E. http://www.littlebearbabysigning.com/ Press. Iverson & S.E. Goldin-Meadow (Eds.), id3.html The nature and functions of gesture in Machado, J.M. (2007). Early childhood expe- Dimensions of Early Childhood children’s communication (pp. 45–59). riences in language arts: Early literacy (8th Theme Issue: Rome: Italian National Council of ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Research, Institute of Psychology. Delmar Learning. Daniels, M. (1994). The effect of sign Moore, B., Acredolo, L.P., & Goodwyn, language on hearing children’s language S.W. (2001, April). Symbolic gesturing development. Communication Education, and joint attention: Partners in facilitating 43, 291-298. verbal development. Paper presented at Daniels, M. (2004). Happy hands: The ef- annual meeting of the Society for fect of ASL on hearing children's liter- Research in Child Development. acy. Reading Research and Instruction, Orlansky, M.D., & Bonvillian, J.D. (1988). 44(1), 86-100. Early sign language acquisition. In M.D. Folven, R.J., Bonvillian, J.D., & Orlansky, Smith & J.L. Locke (Eds.), The emergent M.D. (1984). Communicative gestures lexicon: The child’s development of a and early sign language acquisition. First linguistic vocabulary (pp. 263–292). Gateway to Lifelong Learning Language, 5, 129–143. San Diego: Academic Press. •The Brazelton TouchpointsTM Approach Goodwyn, S.W., & Acredolo, L.P. (1993). Petitto, L.A., Katerelos, M., Levy, B.G., to Infants and Toddlers in Care: Symbolic gesture versus word: Is there a Gauna, K., Tetreault, K., & Ferraro, V. Foundation for a Lifetime of Learning modality advantage for onset of symbol (2001). Bilingual signed and spoken lan- and Loving use? Child Development, 64, 688-701. guage acquisition from birth: Implica- •Professional Development Programs for Goodwyn, S.W., & Acredolo, L.P. (1996). Baby tions for the mechanisms underlying Infant/Toddler Caregivers: Setting the signs: How to talk to your baby before your early bilingual language acquisition. Stage for Lifelong Learning baby can talk. New York: McGraw-Hill. Journal of Child Language, 28, 453–496 •On the Move: Environments That Goodwyn, S.W., Acredolo, L.P., & Brown Pizer, G., Walter, K., & Meier, R.P. (2007). Stimulate Motor and Cognitive Development in Infants C.A. (2000). Impact of symbolic gestur- Bringing up baby with Baby Signs: •The 3 R’s: Gateway to Infant and Toddler ing on early language development. Jour- Language ideologies and socialization in Learning nal of Nonverbal Behavior, 24, 81-103. hearing families. Sign Language Studies, Gregory, S. (1994). The first signs and 7(4), 387-429. Limited number of printed copies available. words: Language development in a Sebrey, L. (2008). The parents’ guide to baby Also available in PDF format. Contact the bilingual environment. In J. Kyle (Ed.), signs. Washington DC: Gallaudet SECA Office at 1-800-305-SECA Growing up in sign and word. Bristol, University Press. for pricing and availability information. UK: Centre for Deaf Studies.

Winter 2010 DIMENSIONS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD Volume 38, Number 1 29 Put These Ideas Into Practice! Sign Language With Babies: What Difference Does It Make? Susan Kubic Barnes

If colleagues or hearing parents of a hearing child ask whether they should use a baby sign language program, find out what their expectations are. If they want to...

learn more about give children a head understand and meet the deaf start in their language the needs of children community development more effectively

Explain that baby Share that while there Encourage adults to signing is not the same are many studies that continue to attend to as ASL, which is a show a relationship children’s natural cues. very complex language between increased Many families and system. Most families early vocabulary teachers effectively use do not continue to use development and baby their own gestures for a baby sign language sign language, signing things at home and in after children begin may not be the only early childhood talking. Baby signs are cause. Other factors, programs. based on ASL but they such as time spent If a center or family are not universal, and engaged in meaningful adopts a packaged will vary from place interactions with a system, with some to place. child in daily activities training, they can and the motivation of effectively support adults are also very each other. There is no important. evidence of harm caused by signing.

Note: Dimensions of Early Childhood readers are encouraged to copy this material for early childhood students as well as teachers of young children as a professional development tool.

30 Volume 38, Number 1 DIMENSIONS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD Winter 2010