Sign Language Aids in the Development of Emotional Intelligence

A mom shared with me the story of being at a restaurant with her six-year old child who has cerebral palsy. A nice woman came over to their table and give her child a balloon. With a huge smile and perfect eye contact, the child signed, 'Thank you'!

Not only is 'thank you' a word that does not represent a concrete object and requires that the child understand the situation and think abstractly; it also is a word that requires the child to think beyond the world of 'self' and to demonstrate feelings toward another person. Sign language allows a young child to develop and better understand the impact he has on others. When you teach a young child manners using ‘please’, ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry, he can begin to see the positive impact he has on others and begin to develop his emotional intelligence. When he hurts others, he realizes that it doesn't feel good, and he says he's 'sorry'; when he gives others a hug, or a ‘thank you’, he knows it makes them feel good and happy. These acts of personal engagement are important aspects of emotional intelligence. People with high emotional intelligence will find themselves at a great advantage in life.

I wish I could speak another language...

My husband and I are from Germany originally, living in Austin, TX, USA. You can tell from our accent that we are not native English speakers and of course that results in lots of conversation openings from total strangers (supermarket, playground,...).
First question is: Do your kids speak German as well?
Yes, we do speak exclusively German at home.
Next statement from the other person: I wish I could teach my kids another language.

My answer is YOU CAN!!!
American Sign Language (ASL) offers you this opportunity. The beauty of it is that you don't need to be an expert at ASL to teach your children the basics. May it be only a few signs or a few sentences, you are building the foundation for another language.

And don't forget, you are never too young or too old to learn another language. Teaching ASL to your preschooler or elementary school child is as rewarding for both of you as teaching ASL to your baby!

I find it very exciting to teach ASL to pre-K and elementary school children. They have so many questions on where this language comes from, how Deaf people live, how they interact, what their culture is like. My oldest son, a 1st grader by now, is as motivated to learn ASL as he was when he was a baby. I have 2 more children (daughter who is 4 and a son who is 2) and they all love signing.
I am pregnant with twins right now and once they are born and start their own journey of learning ASL, I will post updates. I am so curious to see if the twins will adopt American Sign Language as their secret language to communicate between each other.

Good luck on your signing journey!
And remember, ASL is accepted as a foreign language!!!

Kids of All Ages

Just yesterday, my  9  1/2  year old son asked me to "turn off my voice" and speak to him only in sign.  As I did, I watched his face go from understanding to confusion and back again.  He then said "Cool Mom.  But I only got part of that... I need you to teach me again."    :)

Last week on the subway, my kids were sitting together and I was across from them.  It was too loud to hear each other well from across the aisle, so my  7  1/2  year old son signed to me "When is our stop?"    :)

While we do not sign together consistently anymore, sign language continues to be a part of our lives and our communication.  It has been extremely helpful in clarifying their thoughts, expressing feelings that words just can't, and solidifying new (English) vocabulary.   It is a means of communicating clearly when we are too far apart to hear each other, or in a place where we need to be discrete.  

Incorporating sign language in your family with your young baby has wonderful benefits....  And remember that kids of all ages can continue to thrive with sign around them. 

Both of my children began to sign when they were just over six months old!  You can read about our journey at www.mybabyfingers.com on the Our Story page.   Check out our products page for books that can help get you started, and consider joining a class in a neighborhood near you.

(Lora Heller, Founding Director, Baby Fingers LLC)

Basic tips for Early Literacy

Following on from my last Blog contribution about Signing and Literacy, here are some basic tips how to start off teaching your child to recognise letters:
You can start this as soon as you begin signing to them, no matter how old they are.

STEP ONE: Learn the manual alphabet !

STEP TWO:
TEACHING PHONEMES (SOUNDS):

· Start showing your child the first letter of their name when you say their name (=namesign)
· Add more namesigns for other people who are important in your baby’s life
· When you think you and baby are ready, occasionally emphasize the first letter, ie ‘B-B-B Ben!’
· Progress to other things around you ‘T-T-T tree’

STEP THREE:
TEACHING GRAPHEAMES (written letters)
· When your child can sign some of the letters herself, start showing them the printed letter for their name
· Add a letter a week
· Encourage her to sign the letter when she sais its sound
· Invent fun games to play, ie: spot the letter ‘H’ on the cereal packet or in the shops. Make up memory cards and play this

Always make it fun and make it into a game. As soon as it becomes difficult, stop – and carry on another day.
The aim of the game is to explore your child’s potential without forcing her to exceed the limitations she has – remember every child is different!
http://www.sign2learn.co.uk/

Gesture of Love

Why should hearing children learn sign language?

Playing in his crib at 10 months old as his mother folded laundry, Ezekiel calmly got her attention and signed "more music." Realizing only then that the mobile had stopped, his mom wound it up again and Ezekiel continued playing happily. A hearing child in a hearing family, he has been exposed to sign language since birth to aid in overall language development, early communication, and later acquisition of speech. Not only was this baby able to express his needs clearly without tears of frustration, but he also used a two "word" phrase at 10 months old. This level of language is rarely present until 18 months, or more typically two years of age.

How can Deaf children participate in and enjoy music?

Three year old Larry proudly led his integrated preschool class in "Old MacDonald" during the end of the year show for families. A deaf child of hearing parents, he first learned sign language in preschool. Larry's ability to express himself developed further through his exposure to music in a group and individual setting. Through signing songs and playing instruments such as drums and chimes, auditory discrimination improved, vocabulary flourished, interest in language and self esteem increased.

What is music mediated sign language instruction?

Maya, a two year old with delayed speech, was adopted as a baby from China. She has been exposed to sign language at home to aid in her overall language development and motivation to communicate. It was during the hello song in a music mediated sign language class that Maya first signed her own name; during a song about feelings she was able to sign and demonstrate the broad range of emotions.

Among the MANY benefits of music mediated sign language instruction: more rhythmic speech; growth in balance, spatial reasoning and motor skills.

For more articles about the benefits of baby sign language, music, and more, visit www.mybabyfingers.com.