Signing. We’re For It!

Signing is a wonderful tool to help your child communicate. Signs are simple gestures for objects, events, and needs. Using signs can help children express themselves, especially during the period of development from 9 to 39 months, when a child’s desire to communicate often surpasses his ability to say words. Research over the years has shown that using signs helps children learn to talk, helps their intellectual development, builds self-esteem, and builds the relationship between parent and child.

Here are some helpful tips to remember as you begin using signs with your child:

• Always use the sign and the word together.
• Use lots of praise, encouragement and enthusiasm to reward your child’s efforts along the way.
• Repetition is the key to learning. The more a child sees a sign, the easier it is for him to learn it.
• It doesn’t need to be perfect. Any approximation of a sign that your child uses consistently is fine.
• Build signing into your daily routines: dressing, diaper changing, meal times, bath time, bed time, outings. For example, gold fish crackers at snack time, a toy fish in the bathtub, fish in the aquarium at the doctor’s office, a fish on your child’s shirt, and a picture of a fish on the wall above the changing table are all opportunities to teach the sign and the word fish.

Here are some good signs to begin with. It is fine to make up your own as well!

MORE - tap fisted hands together at midline.
ALL DONE - palm down, hands move back and forth.
DRINK - thumb to mouth, tilting up.
FOOD/EAT - fingertips to lips.
UP - index finger pointing up.
BIG - hands straight up over head.
SWING - rocking torso with fists raised as if holding ropes
SLEEP - palms together to side of cheek.
BOOK - hands flat with palms up, opening and closing.

BIRD - flapping arms out to side.
CAR - steering motion with hands.
CAT - stroking back of hand with other palm.
DOG - tongue out, panting.
DUCK - fingers to thumb, opening and closing.
FISH - mouth opening and closing.
HAT - tapping head with palm of hand.
HORSE - torso bouncing.
RAIN - wiggling fingertips, moving down.
WATER - rubbing palms together.
WHERE/ I DON’T KNOW - palms out at shoulder level and shrug.

Ask your therapist to help you find any other sign that would be fun and useful to you and your child.


© Parent-Child Services Group, Inc.
Janey Tolliver, M.A., CCC-SLP
Permission to copy for
educational purposes.