Better Late Than Never
So your child is ten months, eighteen months, or even twenty-nine months old, and you’ve just discovered the benefits of sign. Have you missed your chance? No! Your child can still benefit from sign. Understand, of course, that the extent of these benefits depends on his age and level of development. No matter how old or how advanced he is, however, there is never any harm in teaching your child a second language. In fact, children from birth to ten years of age can typically learn a second language almost as proficiently as their native language. So it is never too late to start!
Older InfantsOlder infants usually have no trouble picking up signs. The biggest reason why it is better to introduce sign at six or seven months of age instead of eleven or twelve months is that by waiting, you miss out on some preverbal time in which your child could be signing. The other reason is that during the optimal age range, a baby is first starting to acquire language comprehension, which makes it an ideal time to begin learning a language.
E-ALERT
Don’t be surprised if your older baby learns to say a word before he learns to sign it, particularly familiar words like “Mommy” or “bottle.” This is because you will be speaking each word as you sign it, and an older baby has reached an age when he is likely trying to say his first words.
Keep in mind that a child who is nine, ten, or eleven months old is still in the early stages of language comprehension. Parents who begin using sign language during this stage usually find that their babies are quite successful. It seems that a briefly delayed start does not adversely affect a child’s signing progress. The most important aspect of practicing sign language with a baby of any age is to sign frequently and consistently.
Toddlers and BeyondThe dynamics change a little as your child gets older. Once a toddler starts talking, he will be less motivated to sign. After all, he is able to ask for what he wants, so why bother signing? However, there are some words or concepts that may be too difficult for a young toddler to express verbally. In addition, toddlers and young children are better able to learn a second language than older kids. So if your child is a toddler or even a preschooler, he will still pick up the language better than an older child or adult.
When beginning sign language with a toddler or preschooler, consider starting with signs for words that your child has trouble pronouncing. As he probably gets frustrated when he is not understood, he will be motivated to use these signs. Of course, it is important to verbally say the word while demonstrating the sign to help him with his speech and to reiterate the meaning of the sign.
E-FACT
The average toddler has a vocabulary of 300 spoken words by the time he is two and a half years old. In addition, he will likely be able to understand approximately 900 words. By this point, he will also be constructing simple sentences of two or three words.
If your child resists using signs, even for the words he has trouble pronouncing, continue to demonstrate the signs in his presence. Eventually, he will probably start to sign, too. If, however, the stubborn nature of the terrible twos makes him especially resistant to signing, consider holding off until he is a few months older and a bit more agreeable.
