Sign Language in Daycare

The psychological and emotional benefits of signing with babies includes giving your infant a means of expressing emotions in a way that gets an immediate and correct acknowledgment. This is quite satisfying to a baby and toddler. When a baby wants something and you hand it to them, the pleasure they express is one of pure satisfaction and joy. Once they realize that this form of communication is working to their advantage they crave more. It really is an amazing process to watch.

Baby Sign Language lets an infant and toddler communicate effectively. This means the child can express feelings in a beneficial manner and this is emotionally satisfying. This is not to say that baby sign benefits make a child a perfect angel, it just means that feelings of anger resulting from the inability to communicate do not occur as often. Research has indicated that infants and toddlers who can use sign language have fewer incidents of unwanted habits such as biting.

Infants that learn signing acquire other psychological benefits. For one thing, confidence and self-esteem are improved. Babies have confidence issues just like adults do. For an infant, confidence is developed through successful interaction through their environment. A child learns through experimentation. So when a child can sign their feelings, emotions, wants, or needs and get satisfying response, their confidence soars like a rocket ship. This confidence building is important for a child's psychological, educational and emotional development.

I've seen the difference first hand and that's why we promote it at my home daycare. I have an older child that I didn't teach sign language to simply because I was unaware and I noticed the differences in their educational development. This is not to say my oldest isn't smart because she's very smart. It's just I noticed how much quicker the younger picked up on everything around him and still does. He reads three letters words and is surprising picking up on larger words. He's only two. He's not even potty trained yet and he's starting to read simple words. I know it's because of the sign language. My oldest is very intelligent but she didn't start reading until she was four and that was impressive so to see a two year old developing so rapidly is just beyond belief.

A baby learns how communicating works through sign language. Sign language encourages a babies to express themselves without whining, whimpering or tantrums. Parent and child positively communicate without frustration. The positive attention they receive and the constant praise for a job well done is addictive to a baby and toddler. They feed off of it and crave it like milk. Their confidence levels soar!

The psychological and emotional benefits of Baby Sign Language are numerous. Baby sign benefits strengthen the bond between parents and infant, and do it in a fun way!

Signing helps keep noise levels down in daycare's by reducing frustrated screaming and crying.

Signing minimizes stress and frustration for caregivers who are responsible for meeting the needs of many children at once.

Signing reduces the 'guesswork' in meeting each child's needs resulting in more available time for positive, developmental interactions.

A recent study shows that signing significantly reduces problems with biting that most daycare's have. Biting happens when a child becomes frustrated in their environment causing them to lash out in nonconstructive ways.

During meal time confusion can be greatly reduced just by knowing what it is your child is asking for. Whether it be "cracker, milk, apple, etc." this sort of acknowledgment to their wants is very exciting for a baby or toddler and boosts their self esteem and confidence levels. It's not just about getting the snack or meal they desire, it's about them being able to communicate it and receive it. That's a very exciting concept to young children and it keeps them wanting to absorb more and more knowledge of their surroundings.

The use of sign language gives children with special needs the opportunity to meaningfully interact with typically developing children. General acceptance of children with special needs is greatly boosted.

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Research shows that learning sign language builds confidence and enthusiasm for learning. Reading the 3-D language of sign also develops visual skills for reading printed language.

This is my son, he's only two and a half and he knows all his colors, numbers 1-10, the entire alphabet and he has just begun reading three-letter words. I'm not bragging (ok, maybe a little) but he's proof that sign language enriches literacy and other developmental skills rapidly.