Comments on: Using Sign Language with Hearing Babies and Children http://www.betterparenting.com/using-sign-language-with-hearing-babies-and-children/ Find A Plethora of Parenting Tips & Tricks To Help Your Children Succeed and Make Your Life Easier. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:29:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Elysa http://www.betterparenting.com/using-sign-language-with-hearing-babies-and-children/comment-page-1/#comment-1517 Elysa Wed, 28 Apr 2010 22:08:29 +0000 http://www.betterparenting.com/?p=582#comment-1517 Thanks, Mec. I'm glad to know you're having fun and success using signing in your family. Ben loved words (he still does). When he wss little and asked questions, I taught him Latin and Greek words, medical terminology, geographic location names, scientific words, etc. He went with me (age 2 and a half) to a pre-natal visit when I was pregnant with his brother. The nurse came in (ignoring him) and said to me, "I'm going to take your blood pressure." Ben said, "Are you going to use the sphygmomanometer?" The nurse didn't ignore him after that and spent the rest of the visit telling him the technical terms for all of the procedures and gizmos. It was funny. People are frequently surprised to find hat different languages use different signs....they often assume it's a universal language. It's all part of the minsunderstanding about deaf culture....but that's a whole other topic!!! Thanks again for your positive comments. Thanks, Mec. I’m glad to know you’re having fun and success using signing in your family.

Ben loved words (he still does). When he wss little and asked questions, I taught him Latin and Greek words, medical terminology, geographic location names, scientific words, etc. He went with me (age 2 and a half) to a pre-natal visit when I was pregnant with his brother. The nurse came in (ignoring him) and said to me, “I’m going to take your blood pressure.” Ben said, “Are you going to use the sphygmomanometer?” The nurse didn’t ignore him after that and spent the rest of the visit telling him the technical terms for all of the procedures and gizmos. It was funny.

People are frequently surprised to find hat different languages use different signs….they often assume it’s a universal language. It’s all part of the minsunderstanding about deaf culture….but that’s a whole other topic!!! Thanks again for your positive comments.

]]> By: Mec Arevalo http://www.betterparenting.com/using-sign-language-with-hearing-babies-and-children/comment-page-1/#comment-1516 Mec Arevalo Wed, 28 Apr 2010 21:32:15 +0000 http://www.betterparenting.com/?p=582#comment-1516 Oh Elysa... loved this article. I am a signing parent and also a Signingtime.com fan. I have taken up two levels of Filipino Sign Language (FSL) classes to further my signing skills. When I read to my son, I sign as I read/storytell. Before he turned two, he knew over 200 words in sign and can tell me (with me being able to understand) what he particularly wants (I mean, how many 2-year olds can say grapes or vegetables distinctly right?) He'd go berserk when I try telling him a story in just sign language but he still completely understands me. I credit sign language with his capacity to remember dinosaurs and pronounce their names in a way you'd understand (how many two year olds can pronounce struthiomimus?!). Plus, babies really start out as tactile, physical learners. So getting them to communicate as early as they can is empowering them really to learn and further bond with you. Oh Elysa… loved this article.

I am a signing parent and also a Signingtime.com fan. I have taken up two levels of Filipino Sign Language (FSL) classes to further my signing skills. When I read to my son, I sign as I read/storytell. Before he turned two, he knew over 200 words in sign and can tell me (with me being able to understand) what he particularly wants (I mean, how many 2-year olds can say grapes or vegetables distinctly right?)

He’d go berserk when I try telling him a story in just sign language but he still completely understands me. I credit sign language with his capacity to remember dinosaurs and pronounce their names in a way you’d understand (how many two year olds can pronounce struthiomimus?!).

Plus, babies really start out as tactile, physical learners. So getting them to communicate as early as they can is empowering them really to learn and further bond with you.

]]> By: Janine http://www.betterparenting.com/using-sign-language-with-hearing-babies-and-children/comment-page-1/#comment-1458 Janine Sun, 18 Apr 2010 00:56:08 +0000 http://www.betterparenting.com/?p=582#comment-1458 Eppie - it's not too late to start, I highly recommend Signing Time (www.signingtime.com), you and your daughter will love the DVDs, created by and starring Rachel Coleman. Rachel initially created Signing Time to help educate the hearing world to be able to communicate with her daughter Leah who is hearing impaired, Leah also stars in the DVDs with her hearing cousin, Alex. They are so fun!!! Elysa - you may be interested in the forums on the Signing Time website, it is a great way to connect with parents like us who believe in the benefits of teaching ASL to all children! You may even find some other advocates for teaching ASL in schools and have some success stories to share! Janine Eppie – it’s not too late to start, I highly recommend Signing Time (www.signingtime.com), you and your daughter will love the DVDs, created by and starring Rachel Coleman. Rachel initially created Signing Time to help educate the hearing world to be able to communicate with her daughter Leah who is hearing impaired, Leah also stars in the DVDs with her hearing cousin, Alex. They are so fun!!!

Elysa – you may be interested in the forums on the Signing Time website, it is a great way to connect with parents like us who believe in the benefits of teaching ASL to all children! You may even find some other advocates for teaching ASL in schools and have some success stories to share!

Janine

]]> By: Eppie Vojt http://www.betterparenting.com/using-sign-language-with-hearing-babies-and-children/comment-page-1/#comment-1454 Eppie Vojt Sat, 17 Apr 2010 19:40:26 +0000 http://www.betterparenting.com/?p=582#comment-1454 I would love it if my children had the opportunity to learn ASL as a second language in school. I think it's a valuable skill, and the hearing-impaired community would benefit substantially if more hearing people learned how to sign. It's a shame it's not offered. My 3 year old daughter has learned a few simple signs in preschool and she loves being able to make them. I think it would be fun to try to learn ASL as a family -- we may have to make this a family project. I would love it if my children had the opportunity to learn ASL as a second language in school. I think it’s a valuable skill, and the hearing-impaired community would benefit substantially if more hearing people learned how to sign. It’s a shame it’s not offered.

My 3 year old daughter has learned a few simple signs in preschool and she loves being able to make them. I think it would be fun to try to learn ASL as a family — we may have to make this a family project.

]]> By: Elysa Boffo http://www.betterparenting.com/using-sign-language-with-hearing-babies-and-children/comment-page-1/#comment-1453 Elysa Boffo Sat, 17 Apr 2010 18:47:50 +0000 http://www.betterparenting.com/?p=582#comment-1453 Thanks, Janine. So nice for your girls to be able to use their signing in so many situations! I tried several times to get my kid's school district to offer signing K-12 as a second language....no luck. Not only would the students have the added language and literacy advantage, but would also have a valued skill. I've never understood why high schools don't consider ASL as an offering in their language programs............Anyway, what fun is in store for you as your girls grow. ENJOY! Thanks, Janine. So nice for your girls to be able to use their signing in so many situations! I tried several times to get my kid’s school district to offer signing K-12 as a second language….no luck. Not only would the students have the added language and literacy advantage, but would also have a valued skill. I’ve never understood why high schools don’t consider ASL as an offering in their language programs…………Anyway, what fun is in store for you as your girls grow. ENJOY!

]]> By: Janine http://www.betterparenting.com/using-sign-language-with-hearing-babies-and-children/comment-page-1/#comment-1448 Janine Sat, 17 Apr 2010 02:27:06 +0000 http://www.betterparenting.com/?p=582#comment-1448 Great article and I am in total agreement! We signed with our girls (both hearing) and found that it enhanced their verbal communication skills. We found Signing Time DVDs, flashcards, books, and CDs (www.signingtime.com) to be great learning tools! Our girls are now 7 and 4 and still sign, sometimes for fun, sometimes when we are trying to be quiet, and sometimes when their mouth is full (thank you, please, more, may I be excused?) It's so fun and really does have so many benefits! mom from Blacksburg, VA Great article and I am in total agreement! We signed with our girls (both hearing) and found that it enhanced their verbal communication skills. We found Signing Time DVDs, flashcards, books, and CDs
(www.signingtime.com) to be great learning tools!

Our girls are now 7 and 4 and still sign, sometimes for fun, sometimes when we are trying to be quiet, and sometimes when their mouth is full (thank you, please, more, may I be excused?) It’s so fun and really does have so many benefits!

mom from Blacksburg, VA

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