As a pediatric speech-language pathologist and early intervention specialist who provides services in child care classrooms every week, I am always asked the same questions by infant, toddler, and pre-k teachers when I suggest introducing sign language.

“I’m already so busy, what’s the benefit to this?”
“Wont they just sign and never learn to talk?
“Yeah, lets do it! But I don’t know any signs, how do I get started?” (Of course this is my fave question!)

Lets break down the answers:

What’s the benefit?

Many teachers are surprised to learn that sign language isn’t only for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. If you’ve ever tried to figure out what a baby wants, calm a frustrated toddler, or support a preschooler that’s learning new concepts, you know how important communication is in early childhood classrooms. But children don’t always have the words to tell us what they want, need, or know. That’s where sign language can help.

Babies can learn to sign before they can talk because imitating gestures is easier than imitating speech. This means- signing gives babies a way to communicate.
Having this ability to communicate helps babies and toddlers express their wants and needs- reducing frustration and tantrums.
Signing also makes your words concrete and adds a fun, multi sensory, and interactive element to the learning process- making it easier for children to learn and retain new concepts.

But wont they just sign and never learn to talk?

This is the #1 worry I hear from teachers. Let me put your mind at ease: signing does not delay speech and language development. In all the research that has been done on using signs with infants and young children, none have shown that using signs causes a delay in language development.

In fact, in 2023, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association stated, “Contrary to predictions often cited in the literature, acquisition of sign language does not harm spoken vocabulary acquisition.”

How do I get started?

Start as soon as you feel ready. If you have children coming to you from a different class that did not use sign language, that’s ok! It’s never too early and never too late to start!

For your infants and toddlers:

Pick a handful of words that fit naturally into your routines like "eat," “help,” "milk," "more," and "all done." I call them power words, they give you the most bang for your buck! If you have a child that loves a certain toy, like a ball- that’s a good first sign too because it will be motivating for them to imitate! Once you’re comfortable, you can build from there!

For your pre-schoolers:

Incorporate signs into your curriculum. Learning about “sink” and “float” in your science lesson, those make great signs! Teaching “more than” and “less than” in math- again, great signs to teach! Signing makes vocabulary concrete, keeps children engaged, and provides a visual support which helps with comprehension of language.

START LEARNING SIGN LANGUAGE TODAY