TEACHING SUGGESTIONS: SIGNING & SPELLING TO BABIES AND CHILDREN

One misconception people have about signing to babies is thinking we cannot spell to them since babies cannot spell or understand spelling. Babies may be unable to read individual letters or spell back yet, but they can see the configurations you are making and they will become “signs” to them. When certain words are finger spelled often, the baby will know what you are signing by the way it looks to them. Eventually, they will attempt to give it back, not in individual letters, but in similar shape and movement.

Don’t hesitate to spell if you don’t know the sign. Making up signs defeats its own purpose, as they will eventually have to be changed. One common “gesture” we use with babies is the index finger shaking back and forth for the word “No”, which is the sign for “WHERE” in ASL. Instead, the whole hand can be used to gesture “No” and can continue to be used on a long term basis without confusion. If you have already made up some signs because it was necessary in order to communicate, you can just begin to replace them with actual signs. The important thing is that you are communicating, that is much more important that doing it exactly “right.”

See video.