Baby Sign Language: A Why-To and How-To Guide

You’ve probably heard the not-so-humble brags from parents who gush about their baby knowing sign language. Imagine your tot telling you that they’re sleepy or hungry long before they can form the words. It’s kind of magic.

Baby sign language can have its benefits. But is it a must? And how do you get started? Pediatrician Shannon Thompson, DO, offers advice.

What is baby sign language?

Baby sign language is a way parents and caregivers can communicate early with infants using a small set of simple hand gestures.

“Babies start cooing and babbling early on, but they often develop more words closer to a year,” Dr. Thompson says. “Even then, it can take a while before they can effectively tell you what they want.”

But motor skills, like using your hands to share your thoughts, develop earlier than verbal speech skills. So, learning a few signs can allow babies to share their needs earlier.

It’s not the same as using American Sign Language (ASL) or other sign languages used by people who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing. Those are complete, complex languages with grammar, structure, syntax and histories.

But increasingly, many families are choosing to teach their babies a few signs, often borrowed from select words in ASL. Common baby signs include hungry, more and thank you.

Benefits of using baby sign language

Research on baby sign language for hearing children is limited, but the American Academy of Pediatrics says it can be a positive tool for improving early communication and building connections with your baby.

“It can help babies and parents understand each other better,” Dr. Thompson adds. “None of the research suggests that teaching baby sign language has negative effects, so it’s worth a try if you’re interested in it.”

In fact, teaching your baby to sign may:

• Lower frustration: “One of the biggest benefits is that babies can communicate better with their parents and vice versa,” Dr. Thompson notes. That might mean less confusion for the parents. And it can help you meet your baby’s needs, which could mean less frustration for them.
• Encourage communication skills: “Pairing the word with the sign and the action can help to cement meaning,” Dr. Thompson says.
• Enhance bonding: If your baby needs something and you respond by meeting that need, that can help your child recognize that they can rely on you.
• Support multisensory learning: “As humans, we do a lot of non-verbal communication in general, and baby sign language is a very specific form of that,” Dr. Thompson points out.
• Promote quality time: If nothing else, teaching signs can be a fun activity that gets you interacting with your baby. And the more quality time you get, the better.

When to teach your baby sign language

Dr. Thompson suggests starting to introduce baby sign language when your baby is around 6 to 8 months old. That’s also about when you can expect your baby to start mimicking gestures, like waving and clapping.

“When they start repeating your hand movements, that’s a good sign they might be ready to start using some signs,” she says.

Of course, you can begin modeling signs earlier than that to get into the habit. But don’t expect them to start signing back until they’ve developed the proper hand coordination.

How to teach babies to sign

The two most important things to remember about teaching baby sign language to babies are to be consistent and use spoken language as well.

Dr. Thompson offers these tips:

• Speak while signing. Part of the goal of using baby sign language is to encourage communication skills. Babies learn to speak by hearing you talk. So, every time you use a sign, make sure to say the word, too. “You want your baby to hear the language, as well as see it,” Dr. Thompson confirms.
• Pair the sign, the word and the object. Make the connection between the sign and the word by showing what you’re offering. So, when you ask, “Do you want milk?” do the sign for milk and offer their cup of milk.
• Start with a few practical words. Common starter signs might include more, milk, hungry, sleep, help and thank you.
• Introduce more signs gradually. “Don’t try to teach 10 signs in a week,” Dr. Thompson cautions. “Start with a few and be consistent. Once they pick up on them, you can add more.”
• Include other caregivers. If your baby spends time away from you, like at daycare or with a babysitter, encourage them to use the signs you’ve been practicing. That helps your baby to get more exposure to the signs and keeps things consistent.
• Keep your expectations realistic. Any new skill takes time. Be patient, consistent and positive.
• Encourage verbal communication as it develops. “If your toddler keeps signing while they say the word, that’s fine — just keep encouraging speech as well,” Dr. Thompson says.

Bottom line

Choosing to teach your baby how to sign can be a fun and rewarding way to connect with them. But consider it optional, not essential.

“It’s a nice cherry on top, and it might be helpful if you want to do it,” Dr. Thompson reiterates. “But more important is just to talk with them and interact with them.”

Whether you teach your baby sign language or not, the best thing for developing language in your child is simply to talk, read and sing to them.

“Babies love to hear your voice,” she emphasizes. “Even if they don’t understand yet, it’s comforting and helps them learn.”