The use of Baby Sign Language (BSL) has become popular among hearing families seeking to communicate with pre-verbal infants. BSL involves teaching simple hand gestures, often adapted from American Sign Language (ASL), before children develop the fine motor control needed for spoken words. A common parental concern is that providing a visual means of communication might reduce the motivation to speak, thereby delaying vocal language development. This dilemma centers on whether signing acts as a temporary bridge to speech or a potential substitute that impedes verbal progress.
The Direct Answer: Signing Does Not Delay Speech
Research consistently shows that teaching sign language to hearing infants does not delay or hinder spoken language acquisition. The majority of studies, including research funded by the National Institute of Health, find that sign use is either neutral or mildly beneficial to verbal skills. Children naturally transition from signing to speaking as their oral motor skills mature.
Some research suggests that children who learned signs may even exhibit verbal skills several months ahead of their non-signing peers. One study found that signing babies were more advanced talkers than a control group given verbal training alone. By age two, the signing group demonstrated larger vocabularies and stronger overall language skills. Signs are symbolic representations of language, and the brain processes this communication, whether visual or auditory, in a complementary way.
The Cognitive Bridge: How Signing Supports Language Acquisition
The effectiveness of Baby Sign Language stems from the fact that a baby’s gross motor skills, particularly hand control, develop earlier than the intricate oral motor skills required for speech. Signing allows the child to communicate using a symbol for a concept long before they can articulate the corresponding sound. This process is rooted in the link between language and cognition, regardless of whether the language is spoken or signed.
Associating a physical gesture with a spoken word and a concrete object enhances the child’s understanding of symbolic representation. This visual and kinesthetic input helps solidify the word’s meaning, creating a strong foundation for later verbal use. When the child is ready to speak, the concept and the word are already stored as a unit, making the transition to the auditory label easier. Signs are counted as words in the child’s vocabulary, and this early expansion of symbolic vocabulary is linked to later language proficiency.
Managing Pre-Speech Frustration
A distinct advantage of Baby Sign Language is its ability to reduce communication frustration for both the infant and the parent. The period between 8 months and 2 years is often marked by a large gap between what a child understands (receptive language) and what they can express (expressive language). The inability to communicate basic needs, such as hunger or discomfort, is a primary trigger for tantrums and distress.
Providing the child with signs gives them a functional outlet to express themselves before their vocal apparatus is ready. Infants who are taught signs have been reported to have fewer episodes of crying and temper tantrums. This early success fosters a sense of competence and emotional regulation in the child. The reduced frustration leads to calmer interactions and strengthens the parent-child bond, as caregivers feel more confident in their ability to respond to their baby’s cues.
Practical Steps for Introducing Baby Signs
Parents can begin introducing signs when their baby is around 6 to 8 months old, which is typically when infants start mimicking gestures like waving. The initial focus should be on modeling the sign consistently, as the child’s ability to sign back usually develops between 10 and 14 months. The most important technique is to always pair the sign with the spoken word. This ensures the child links the visual gesture to the verbal sound, reinforcing the goal of spoken language development.
Start with a small, functional vocabulary of three to five signs that are relevant to the baby’s daily life. Common introductory signs include “more,” “milk,” “eat,” and “all done.” These signs should be used during natural and consistent routines, such as mealtimes. Repetition is fundamental, and caregivers should use the signs every time the corresponding word is spoken.