1. Start with 2-3 signs and use them as much as possible. Once
they are mastered, you can add 1-2 new signs at a time until they are master,
and so on.
a. Start with the signs for your child’s favorite items, or for
times of day that cause you or your child the most frustration.
2. Encourage and praise your child when he or she attempts the
sign or saying the word.
3. Always say the word while signing the word.
4. Do the sign close to your face so that your child can see
your mouth making the word at the same time.
5. Once your child starts saying the word (Hooray!!), you can continue to use the sign, or just use
the spoken word. If you child stops saying the word, bring back the sign.
6. At this early stage, refrain from correcting your
child—right now their confidence needs to be super high in order to take on the
daunting task of producing language.
a. If they say the first syllable of a word, praise them, while
always saying it the right way yourself. For example, if your child says “Ehh”
for “Eat” say, “That’s right, we’re going to EAT now.”
7. Be patient with the
process, IT WILL WORK if you stick with it and are consistent. It may take a
long time for your child to produce a sign, but know that they do understand!
8. Share the sign language signs with your other caregivers,
siblings, etc. The more people signing with your child, the faster they will
pick it up.
9. Be ready to face resistance, but tremendous research has been
done that proves that ALL children benefit from sign language as a means to
communicate!
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