Sign Language

[L'sMommy]

What key signs did you start with and when? DS is 4 mo. and I'm working on teaching him Milk, More, and Full. I don't have the signing times videos...I just go online to find the sign and use it as we're feeding.

[elliput]

More, milk, and all done were the first signs we started with. We probably added dog and cat before DD signed back to us as I believe her first sign was dog.

GL with signing! It is a lot of fun. :D

[L'sMommy]

I like All Done better than Full. I'll have to look that one up!

[kayte]

I kept a note pad and as I found myself using a word over and over again throughout the day I would write it down. Then look it up.

Also I photocopied some pages from a sign language book and put them around the house-- like door, window, bathe, diaper, etc... to help Dh and I remember.

We didn't do any tv with DD until after 2 but in the beginning I checked out a few Signing Times DVDs from the library and got some CDs. I watched them. I learned a few of the songs (like the Colors of the Rainbow) and would sign and sign to DD (without the DVD). In addition I did the real signs for rhymes like Itsy Bitsy Spider, etc..

There are some good threads in Around the House about beginning with sign languae.

Good luck and bravo for doing it. I think it made a huge difference for DD.

[maestramommy]

We started with more and all done. Later added yes and milk. Arwyn added no on her own:p

[AngelaS]

More and All Done were the first ones. From there we moved on to animals and food. :)

[newg]

We started with more and yes.....working on 'all done' and a few others right now....I just found a really cute board book at TJmaxx....I think it's called baby signs (I'll have to double check)......
Has milk, more, all done, cat, dog, diaper, hurt, mommy, daddy and a few others in it...shows baby doing sign and gives a small picture of how your hands should look when you make the sign.....very easy to understand and not overwhelming at all.

[kijip]

I think it is good to use the systems that use ASL and not made up baby signs (though I guess ASL has been incorporated into the Baby Signs method now?)

I know a very experienced instructor and book consultant who claims she sees younger babies sign back faster when the parents use more than just 2-4 signs initially because then it has context and makes more sense. We are deciding to go that route with F rather than starting with just a couple and see what happens. So we are starting with more, milk, sleep, up and down (we live in a house with 2 staircases so that is relevant to us), car (for getting in the carseat), bath, book and finished. He is so little, this is mainly to get us in the habit. We can add more signs once we are in the habit of using them.

[brittone2]

The speech therapists I've worked with often start with:

More
All Done
Eat
Drink (or sign for "milk" for nursing)

We never used the videos, but I was pretty familiar with the signs commonly used w/ kids from working in early intervention. There are some great websites that have signs on them (it sounds like you've already discovered that).

eta: we have a dog and a cat, and those were two signs and words my kids used early on. I'm sure you know this, but SLPs recommend you say the word along with the sign everytime you do the sign.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

we started teaching "milk" first because that is the first one she started doing while watching the Signing Times video. Then I think we did "eat" and "more". With the new baby, we are focusing on "milk" now but are also using any signs that we remember as we talk to her and each other. She's already making the "milk" sign while she is nursing or drinking a bottle, so she is beginning to get the concept.