Baby Sign Language

One of the best shower presents we received when I was pregnant with our daughter was a book and flashcard set teaching a few basic words in sign language. From an early age, my daughter loved rifling through the cards (any cards, actually) but somewhere around eight or nine months old, she also started to name the things pictured on the cards. Even before that, I could use the signs to speak to her and teach them to her. I believe that her ability to communicate simple concepts to me using her hands--before she could express them in spoken language--not only enhanced her language development, but also deepened our bond. My daughter knew that she could tell me something and I--because I could understand what she actually wanted--could respond. She learned from an early age that: (1) articulating your wants and needs works better than crying and (2) she lives with a Mom and Dad who care about her wants and needs (and respond to those wants and needs with actions). What happens in the consciousness of an infant is just one of the mysteries of the world (and I kind of like it that way), so who knows what she really thought of our funny hand gestures. But I really believe it help build the foundation for a loving relationship! I couldn't find the set we were given as a shower gift online, but here is a link to a flashcard set, and a quick browse on Amazon yields many good books. Don't forget to check the library too!