Other Household Signs
Of the hundreds or thousands of items found in a typical house, there are some things that babies seem to universally focus on. For example, is there a baby anywhere who is not enchanted by the steady whirl of a ceiling fan? And don’t all babies adore playing with Mommy or Daddy’s keys? In this section, you will find the signs for fans, keys, and all those other objects that so readily captivate a baby.
COMPUTERThere are several accepted signs for computer. The one shown in Figure 14–6 is widely used and is probably easy enough for your child to learn.
FIGURE 14–6
-
1. Hold your left arm horizontally in front of your body.
-
2. Form the letter C with your right hand.
-
3. Move the C up the length of your arm from your wrist to your elbow with a slight hopping motion.
E-ALERT
Although you may think of a computer as one unit with several components (CPU, monitor, keyboard, and mouse), your baby will see each of these things as individual entities. If you want your child to use the sign for each piece, wait until he is older to avoid overloading him with signs he can rarely use.
Because of the relative complexity of the sign for COMPUTER, watch out for your baby’s attempts at this sign. He may run his fist up and down the length of his arm, or it may appear that he is simply rubbing his arm. Look for context clues to help you to determine what, if any, sign he is forming.
FANMost American Sign Language users are likely to simply spell out the word “fan” using the manual alphabet. There is another acceptable way to make this sign (
-
1. Hold your hand in front of you, palm facing in.
-
2. Move your hand up and down, fanning yourself with your hand.
One way to help your baby make the connection between the object and the sign is to first hold your baby close enough to the fan so that he feels the air blowing. Then fan him with your hand, so that he also feels the air blowing. This will help him to understand the concept of the fan and how the sign relates to it.
KEYSThe sign for KEYS (
-
1. Curl the index finger of your right hand into a tight hook.
-
2. Twist the hooked finger against the open palm of your left hand.
E-FACT
There are toy keys on the market for every age and stage of a child’s development. Many even come equipped with a toy version of a remote keyless entry device. If you find that your child is fascinated by your keys and can’t seem to keep his hands off of them, consider getting him a set of his own.
Because “key” is such a simple word, some babies may begin saying it before they begin signing it. At that point, they will have little motivation to learn the sign. You might want to skip introducing signs for things your baby can say and you can understand. So if your baby can say “key,” you might choose not to sign it with him. If you want your baby to continue signing into childhood, however, you can introduce the sign now or wait until he is a bit older and more interested in learning the sign.
LIGHTThere are a few different ways to sign LIGHT. Your baby will probably most often be referring to overhead lights when he signs LIGHT. Fortunately, this version, as shown in Figures 14–7 and 14–8, is one of the easiest versions to form.
FIGURE 14–7
FIGURE 14–8
-
1. Hold your hand up in the air near your head with your fingertips and thumb touching and pointed downward.
-
2. Open your hand up wide as if indicating a flash.
The sign for PICTURE, as shown in Figures 14–9 and 14–10, is meant to depict the transferring of the image of your face to film or a piece of paper.
FIGURE 14–9
FIGURE 14–10
-
1. Form the C hand shape with your right hand.
-
2. Meanwhile, hold your left hand up, palm facing to the right.
-
3. Bring the C up to your face and hold it there, slightly below your eye.
-
4. Bring it down and touch it to your open palm.
