Your baby will have no understanding of the function of an aircraft, but you can be sure that he notices every time one soars through the sky above him. If he shows a particularly strong interest in aircraft, try taking him to an airport to see airplanes and possibly helicopters up close. Commercial airports have numerous restrictions that make it nearly impossible to get too close to an airplane, but some smaller airports will allow you to walk around on the tarmac and look at the parked planes.

AIRPLANE

The sign for AIRPLANE ( SEE DVD) is made with the same hand formation as the sign for I LOVE YOU.

• 1. Extend your index finger, pinky, and thumb of your right hand.

• 2. Make a jabbing motion in the air and then bring your hand up and over your head in an arc.

You can often hear an airplane before it is visible in the sky. This gives you a great opportunity to demonstrate the sign before your baby is too busy watching the plane to notice. As soon as you hear it, ask your baby if he hears the airplane. As you say it, form the sign in his line of sight. Soon the plane will be visible, and he will make the connection.

HELICOPTER

HELICOPTER takes a bit of practice to form.

• 1. Extend the index finger, middle finger, and thumb of your left hand with your thumb pointed upward, as shown in Figure 16–1 .

• 2. Place the palm of your right hand onto the thumb of your left.

• 3. Shake your right hand in a rolling motion to represent the helicopter’s blades.

Initially, your baby might have some trouble differentiating between an airplane and a helicopter. In time, as he works harder to pay attention to these flying machines, he will pick up on their differences. As you continue to model each sign, this will help to reinforce the fact that helicopters and airplanes are two entirely different things.