Literacy news
Sign language - the basics
6 Aug 2004
What is it? American child development researcher Joseph Garcia suggests that babies can begin learning baby sign language as early as six months when they are introduced to basic symbols such as 'eat', 'drink', 'milk', 'more', and 'no'. Proponents of baby signing say that it can also help to reduce bad behaviour because children are less frustrated.
Does it work? Gail Flaum from Bushey, Herts, has signed with daughters, Millie, two and Jessie, one. She thinks it was invaluable. "Critics say parents should be able to tell what their children want and by a process of elimination they may get there in the end, " she says. "But by then your child is crying, you're both stressed. It's so much better if she can just sign the word 'drink' and you immediately know what she wants It hasn't been detrimental to Millie's speech. If anything, I'd say she spoke earlier than many non-signing friend's children."
Expert view Kamini Gadhok, chief executive of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, supports the use of natural gestures but not the use of formal signing if there is no identified problem. "We're concerned that the use of formal signing does not take priority over the need for parents to talk to children. Language should be encouraged through a range of everyday activities."
(Sure Start, Issue 3, Summer 2004)
Most read
Related content
- Talk To Your Baby and National Childbirth Trust Research Review in Research reports
- New political group to focus on literacy in Blogs by Jonathan Douglas
- Removing Barriers to Literacy in Blogs by George Dugdale
- The Foundation Years: preventing poor children becoming poor adults in NLT policy
- Early Years and the Spending Review: “the when, what and how?” in NLT policy
