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Sign Language for Toddlers
Toddler sign language can be used to develop social and language skills (even though they are a bit older than your typical infant).
Toddlers can speak a few words, but still have many times when they are unable to express themselves to their satisfaction.
Many of the infamous “terrible two’s” tantrums are a result of complete and total frustration over the inability to express emotions or feelings.
Toddlers can learn Toddler Sign Language, which makes communication easier and more effective.
A child having a tantrum is a miserable as the parents feel trying to cope with the emotional rage. Anything that gives a safe outlet for emotional expression can only be beneficial.
Is it Too Late to Teach my Toddler Signs?
Some parents wonder if Toddler Sign Language is appropriate to teach even after the child has begun talking. The answer is a resounding “Yes!” Toddlers typically have a pretty small vocabulary.
Baby sign language, adapted to accommodate a toddler’s accelerated learning stage, can fill in the vocabulary voids. A toddler will happily and gratefully use both verbal and signing skills.
There are other significant benefits to teaching Toddler Sign Language. We all learn differently. Some people learn best through hearing, while others are more visual learners. Baby Sign Language uses both hearing and seeing to teach - the best of both worlds.
A parent saying the word out loud and signing the word at the same time teaches a child critical learning skills in a way that best suits his or her learning styles. Signing with your toddler also improves IQ and language abilities.
Using sign language for toddlers has another benefit. It can help teach your toddler to learn to read. Toddler sign language helps a child connect the word gestures with printed letters. Signs help preschool children increase their vocabulary. Because the word is spoken while signing, phonetic sounds are taught.
When using a book while signing, letters are taught. The development of these early literacy skills usually translates into exceptional performance in school, even at the preschool age. But research has shown these early skills benefit the child throughout their school years and not just preschool and kindergarten grades.
Toddler Signing and Language Development
Teaching Toddler Sign Language raises interest in spelling also! In addition, word recall is improved. If you teach baby sign language to your infant and expand the program to Toddler Sign Language, the result will most likely be a child who becomes a reader all his or her life.
No need to fear if you are concerned that teaching Toddler Sign Language will slow down your young child’s language skills development. In the toddler stage you can add more complex baby sign language words and add more complex sentences.
Teaching Toddler Sign Language is similar to teaching a second language to a child. Even as your child begins to talk more, you may still encourage the continued use of sign language. It is a legitimate language and having the skill throughout life gives your son or daughter an additional qualification for securing employment in the future! If you look ahead, the potential is unlimited.
As your toddler develops a larger vocabulary and begins to talk more and more, odds are he or she will typically start signing proportionately less and less. That is only natural. But many parents discover that infants taught baby sign language will naturally progress to Toddler Sign Language and beyond. Even at four and five years old, children tend to sign without thinking twice about it.
Toddler Sign Language can fill the vocabulary gaps and make it easier for your child to communicate. This is emotionally and intellectually satisfying for both parents and their toddlers.
Do you use Sign Language with your Toddler?
Please share your toddler signing experiences here!
Do you currently sign with your toddler? How old is
your little one? How long have you been signing?
What do you specifically love about using sign language with your little angel?
Click here to see other toddler sign language stories!
What Visitors Have Said - Toddler Sign Language
Click below to see toddler sign language experiences from other visiting toddler signers to this page...
Toddler Signing - Baby Tiger 
My son is a very smart and determined 17 month old and has been signing since he was 8 months old.
It (baby sign language) is very effective . He …
Steve' s story. (Toddler Sign Language)
Steve is 2 1/2 years old, he just has not wanted to communicate with us verbally. This would get very frustrating for all of us.
I called Early …
Toddler Sign Language helped our Son
My late talking toddler has been slow to use verbal communication.
We just started using some ASL and baby signs to see if he would embrace the idea, …
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My son Ethan has had many ear infections that hinder his hearing at the time of them so as an infant I started signing to him and he has picked up quite …
Non-Verbal 2year old Not rated yet
My son has development delays and he is in a program called PACE witch teaches him sign language and he uses the sign for "more" the most because we only …
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I am a single mother of two with a 2 year old that has a speech delay.
One of his counselors suggested that I try signing with him to see if it was …
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My aunt had my son for 2 hours and taught him the signs for more and cookie !
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My son can sign about 4 words. I'm learning myself because i want him to be able to talk to some family members on his fathers side.
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We started with two simple signs at about 6 months old. The signs were "more" and "all done"
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My daughter is now 15 months old, we have been signing with her since she was 10 months old. Her first sign she learned was "more". We showed it to her …
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I currently teach a mixed age group of children (11 month - 2 1/2 years).
Some of my students speak with ease, while others are still finding their …
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I felt that I had a good idea about things that I did and did not want for my son, because I had been working with kids my whole life!
I knew that I …
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I started teaching my baby sign language since she was 6 months old, I taught her all done and more.
She didn't sign at the beginning, but I kept showing …
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We started learning simple signs in Day Care and I bought a board book titled Baby's First Signs.
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Everything I did with my baby was different to what people in my family background did.
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I have been teaching my 20 month old sign language for several months and he just stared at me.
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My son is two and has been using and learning signs for six months because he has yet to speak clear (if anything at all).
We both learned about thirty …
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My son, who is 18 months, knows a few signs.
I love how everyone is impressed by it.
When he was 6 months i taught him baby, not knowing if he …
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I started teaching my baby,the sign language when she was 4 months old.
Like signing the milk,water,mom,dad.
And I never stopped teaching her all …
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Our therapist suggested simple signs for our one year old to help him express what he wants.
It has done wonders.
Even today at 18 months old he …
My Son Kaydhen - Baby Sign Language Has Been Amazing Help! Not rated yet
My son is 2 yrs old.
He can not talk that well so we are teaching him signs.
They seem to be helping alot ! Kaydhen catches on to signs faster …
Amazing.. Little Girl - Toddler Sign Language Not rated yet
I have been signing to my daughter since the beginning.
It's amazing how fast she picks up the signs as well as the verbal word as well.
Signing …
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We have always been big on languages in our family.
My two-year-old hears English, French, and Hindi spoken to him on a regular basis.
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i recently found out that my 2 year old was partial deaf in his right ear and we imedialty starting signing with him on friday....
well today is …
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My daughter is 21 months old and loves baby einstein sign language videos .
I have just recently shown her the My first signs dvd .
She watched …
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my daughter is two years old and she signs what she wants and tells me please and thank you and more and help and eat so far
Note from Babies-and-Sign-Language.co …
She Introduced Baby Signing to Me!! Not rated yet
My daughter loves to watch Mr Tumble on cbeebies.
Its only on for 15 mins or so and she doesn't see it every day but she surprised me one day by signing …
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At 15 months old I knew something was wrong with my son, everyone said it was too early to tell but his dr noted his chart.
On the month of his 2nd …
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I began teaching my 6 month old son Parker baby sign laguage on a whim.
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My son is 13 months old, and we have been signing since he was about 9 months old.
He signs "done" (which quickly progressed into him actually saying …
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Sign Language has saved our lives! We used signs w/ our daughter util she was two.
Up to that point she was virtually silent. We kept those signs …
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I have a two year old son who has recently been diagnosed with autism.
We're in an intense therapy program to help him and us learn about autism. …
Sign Language for My Children - Best Decision Ever Not rated yet
I sign with my 17 month old and my 3 1/2 year old.
Both started seeing signs around 5-6 months old and continue to this day.
"More" is a great …
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I am a teacher in a classroom of toddlers ranging in ages from 12 to 18 months.
Last Monday was a new child's first day of school and shortly before …
Helping herself with Toddler Sign Language!! Not rated yet
My 22 month old daughter loves to use sign language. I was concerned about her lack of ablility to tell me when she wanted something.
The pointing …
My two year old sign language teacher! Not rated yet
My favorite signing moment with my two year old daughter was when I saw her in the crib taking her baby doll's hands and putting them together saying "Okay …
I had no idea my toddler could sign!!! Not rated yet
Jeremy started daycare at 11 mos but we changed daycare when he was about 16 mos old.
He is 21 months old. He started his vacations 5 days ago and …
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Well jake is two and a half three in November. he isnt talking and he was getting frustrated trying to express and trying to talk but he couldnt talk. …
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I started signing with my son, who is about to turn 18 months, only a few weeks ago. 2 weeks max!
I know I'm not the only parent who hates giving in …
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Since my son was born I wanted to learn how to do some signing (baby sign language) so I could teach him. I've heard for years the benefits of teaching …
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My soon to be three year old daughter had a prenatal stroke and was diagnosed at 6 months old as having cerebral palsy.
After 2 years of not talking …
- How young can my baby start learning sign language?
- I live in the UK, what signed language should we use?
- Signing activities for you and your toddler to share
- Which signing style should we/our baby use?
- Questions? Comments? Would love to hear from you!
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