The Benefits of Using Baby Sign Language to Promote Communication with Early Language Learners
As a speech-language pathologist, I have parents tell me all the time “I am modeling words but my child will not imitate them.” I always ask, “Have you tried sign language or visuals?” Using baby sign language with early language learners provides a multi-modal communication model for our children, encouraging them to communicate in the most effective way for them at this point in their development.
While it may seem obvious to some, I think it is important to point out-sign language is a language! Just like Spanish or French. While verbal speech is the most known way people express themselves, sign language offers an alternative form of communication based on visual models rather than verbal models. Incorporating sign language into the communication toolkit for young children can foster stronger connections, support cognitive development, and ease frustrations. Here are the key benefits of using sign language with early language learners.
1. Supports Early Communication Skills
One of the most significant benefits of introducing sign language to young children is that it provides a form of communication. Babies and toddlers often learn to sign before verbal expression, giving them a way to communicate earlier in their development. Sign language can also act in conjunction with verbal communication, allowing children opportunities to express their needs, feelings, and desires.
For example, a baby who can sign “milk” communicates their needs more effectively than through crying alone. By signing the word, the child is practicing using a specific vocabulary word to communicate their wants/needs. The communication attempt is then positively reinforced (by the caregiver providing them milk) encouraging the child to re-attempt this request at a later date.
2. Enhances Cognitive Development
Using sign language stimulates cognitive development in young children. Sign language requires children to use their memory, motor skills, and visual processing abilities. Using these skills strengthens their brain's connections between concepts and words, which supports overall cognitive growth. Research has shown that children who learn sign language early tend to develop stronger problem-solving and reasoning skills as they grow older.
3. Promotes Verbal Expression
Contrary to a common misconception, using sign language does not delay or replace verbal language development. In fact, it can foster it. A study by Caselli, C. et al. (1995) found “that children with early ASL exposure can develop age-appropriate vocabulary skills in both ASL and spoken English”. Sign language also introduces children to the concept of symbolism—the understanding that one thing can stand for another. This foundational concept can be applied to verbal communication.
Pairing sign language with verbal expression promotes multimodal communication. Your child is then receiving both a visual model through sign language and a verbal model. Providing multiple models creates stronger mental connections. For example, it is easier to remember a story if you can read along rather than just someone reading the story out loud to you.
4. Reduces Frustration and Enhances Emotional Expression
Children who are not verbally communicating may become frustrated when they are not understood. If their communication attempts are consistently failing, they may rely on crying or tantrums to communicate their feelings. Using sign language offers a different, yet equally effective, way to communicate with caregivers, which may be preferred by your child. Secondly, if your child is hard to understand or has not yet acquired all of their speech sounds, pairing sign language with verbal communication attempts allows the caregiver to understand the attempt even if the verbal production is unclear, keeping communication positive.
5. Encourages Inclusion and Diversity
Incorporating sign language into early childhood education programs encourages inclusivity. Teaching sign language exposes all children—regardless of whether they have hearing impairments—to a language that is used by many in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. This promotes awareness and understanding of diverse communication styles.
Inclusion of sign language in classrooms can also benefit children with hearing impairments, speech sound disorders or language delays, offering them a form of communication that is both effective and empowering. It enables them to participate more fully in social and educational activities and feel more confident in their ability to communicate with peers and teachers.
Conclusion: A Valuable Tool for Early Learners
Incorporating sign language into the early learning environment is a powerful way to enhance communication, support cognitive and emotional development, and create an inclusive, supportive atmosphere for all children. Pairing verbal models (e.g., modeling single words) with visual models (signing single words) will target the child’s visual and auditory processing systems, creating stronger connections in their brain. So next time you are playing with your child, try pairing sign language with speaking!
References:
Caselli, M. C., & Pyers, J. E. (1995). The role of sign language in the early development of language in deaf children. Journal of Child Language, 22(2), 297-315.
Photo by: Samantha Hurley from Burst