How to Teach Baby Sign Language

As a teacher working with parents and young children, you also need to have the right amount of patience to deal with the frustration that's sure to occur on both sides. Parents may become frustrated with themselves that they're not picking up the symbols as quickly as they feel they should. And young children might become frustrated at their parents, wondering why they're suddenly wildly gesturing when they've never done that before.

Figuring out how to teach baby sign language effectively involves an intimate knowledge of the language itself. There are plenty of online sources that will give you a general guideline. Two of these include SigningTime.com and Signing4Babies.com. They're great for parents who want to learn a few basic signs for themselves and their families, however they're not the best resources for anyone interested in teaching it to others.

You can also purchase books and study baby signing more in depth on your own. Books are available in any bookstore or library. This will give you an even better understanding of this unique language.

If, however, you're seriously interested in teaching baby sign language, you should take the time to officially learn the language. Some colleges offer courses in baby signing for those interested in becoming certified independent instructors. Who'd have thought you could start teaching other parents how to sign with their babies? Even better, as an instructor, you'll also receive ongoing support so you're never left out of the loop of any new developments in the language.

Part of your training will be teaching parents how to reward their babies for signing correctly. The reward doesn't have to be anything fancy. Young babies don't need toys or candy every time they do something right. But they instinctively look for approval from those they love. Simply by showing you're delighted with their progress by cheering, smiling, clapping or even hugging is enough of a reward for most children.

Taking the time to learn how to teach baby sign language can be a rewarding job that's not only fun but even allows you to work with other parents and their babies if you want to.