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| Click the logo above to read what the New Scientist
magazine has to say about baby signing. |
The Chief Inspector of Schools, David Bell, has warned that communication
and behavioural skills among 5 year olds are lower than they have
ever been (2003).
This is due to parents and carers spending less quality time with
their children. The average time that British fathers manage to spend
with
their children is 10 minutes per day. Television is also being watched
by infants for far longer than ever before. One in four British children
between the ages of 6 months and 2 years has a television in their
bedroom or playroom. One in three children under the age of three play
regularly with a computer (The Times, April 2004).
Some language researchers
also believe that “language development is over by the end of
pre-school years” (Chomsky, cited by David Wood (1986)). Another
research study concludes that “the critical period for acquiring
a first language is from 21 to 36 months” (Lenneberg, 1967).
Loncke et al. (1990) felt that if a first language is not acquired
by 5 years of age then learners cannot subsequently ‘catch up’.
Others argue that development continues until children are 12 years
old (Wood, 1986). The fact remains: pre-schoolers’ low levels
of communication and behaviour need addressing.
 Baby
signing classes from TinyTalk help children communicate: here's how
Communication and behaviour are very closely linked. TinyTalk UK
Baby Sign Language Classes and Nursery Training Programme can help
in both these areas: significantly increasing communication levels
and subsequently helping to reduce behavioural problem levels.
Baby signing (or ‘symbolic gesturing’ as it is known
academically) is pre-verbal communication (language before speech).
Babies understand so much before they can talk! Any good parent or
carer can see that their young child is like a sponge, learning all
the time. The cogs are whirring, the eyes are sparkling and showing
recognition but the muscles required to speak intelligibly (mouth,
tongue and vocal chords) do not develop until 12 to 18 months. However
fine motor skills (using the hands in intricate ways) develop from
7 to 9 months. Vocabulary is beginning to be understood (that objects
have names and that their names can represent the objects). Baby sign
language can then begin. “Motor development
occurs earlier than that of controlling the vocal system which is an
advantage for signers” (Sperling et al., 1978). “Babies
understand much more than they are able to say. Speaking is difficult.
It requires the development of dozens of muscles in the face, mouth,
and tongue, and coordination of these muscles with the flow of the
breath over the vocal folds in the larynx. From a purely developmental
point of view, babies achieve the ability to construct language with
their hands at least six to twelve months earlier than they do with
their vocal apparatus” (Daniels, 2001).
Signing provides a way of introducing language to children, enabling
them to begin to express their feelings, wishes & needs and to
make sense of their world. “Language is a
means of understanding ourselves and our society” (Crystal,
1987). To understand and to be understood is fundamental to our well-being
and our sense of self. Through language we have some control of our
lives with confidence and self-esteem. This early and explicit start
in language development also helps early speech. Because the words
are always spoken at the same time that the signs are made, when the
children begin to make signs they also begin to make attempts at saying
the words.
 Signs are visual clues to accompany the words and sounds. Many of
the core signs from the TinyTalk UK Signing Pack, that are taught
throughout the classes, are ‘iconic’ (easy to see how they
represent the object), such as the sign for ‘car’ holding
the steering wheel and turning it from side to side. Others are less
obvious but are hundreds of years old and have hidden meanings (such
as the sign for ‘toilet’ or ‘potty’ which is
the middle finger moving up and down the top corner of the chest (nearest
to the arm signing) in short movements. Signs are easy to learn though.
Often children come up with their own signs (such as touching the
tip of their nose for ‘biscuit’!) Signs are about a lot
more than just moving your hands. Sign language requires facial expression
and body language. This all helps to get the message across. At the
end of the day- as long as you understand what each other means, that’s
all that matters!
Through communication, behaviour can be significantly affected. If
you can understand what people are saying to you and can also tell
other people what you want or what you are thinking about you will
feel happy! Feelings of frustration will be reduced and you are less
likely to display ‘anti-social behaviour’ (such as shouting,
screaming tantrums and bullying). Instead you are more likely to feel
very happy and have a closer bond with the people around you! You are
more likely to display ‘social’ behaviour such as showing
care and respect for others and their property. (This doesn’t
necessarily apply to the toddler rule of thumb that everything they
see is theirs!) Feelings of adult frustration and stress levels are
also reduced. Instead of thinking ‘Is he tired, hot, cold, hungry,
damp, ill or wanting something else?’ and going through the mental
check list, you can begin to find out just what your child really wants!
By using signs, “your baby can reach out
to others, have his horizons expanded and, best of all, forge bonds
of affection and satisfaction with you that can last a lifetime” (Acredolo
and Goodwyn, 2000).
“ Sign language can be used to improve hearing
children’s English vocabulary, reading ability, spelling proficiency,
self-esteem, and comfort with expressing emotions. Sign also facilitates
communication, is an effective tool for establishing interaction
between home and school, aids teachers with classroom management,
has been shown to promote a more comfortable learning environment
and initiates an interest in and enthusiasm for learning on the part
of the students. Sign can empower a young child as it eliminates
the necessity to scream, cry, and generally carry on, because its
communicative ability allows the child to express needs. This aspect
cultivates a strong sense of self-worth in youngsters and permits
them to enjoy greater confidence” (Daniels, 2001).
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