Imagine for a moment that you’ve had a long day and all you want is a nice cool glass of water. However, you rely on your mom and dad to provide you with your cup and you don’t have the words yet to request more of what you so desperately want! You point to the kitchen but that’s also where your snack are as well as a few toys on the floor. Your mom attempts to guess what it is you’re asking for, but she can’t figure it out. How frustrating is that?
Oftentimes, for little ones who are not talking yet, or who are only using a few words, it can be incredibly frustrating when their wants and needs aren’t understood. Even the best caregiver can’t anticipate every single need or desire a child may have. This can result in outbursts, meltdowns, or other behaviors rooted in this frustration. A great way to open this door for toddlers to communicate certain ideas and desires is to teach them simple sign language.
In order to teach a toddler some simple sign language, much like teaching verbal language, it takes multiple models and repetitions in the correct context for them to pick up each sign. For example, if it’s almost dinner time, you can prepare your child by telling them, “It’s almost time to eat!”, while doing the sign for eat at the same time as the spoken word. Always pair the sign with the word itself! Doing this over and over again, in multiple different contexts and ways, will expose your child to the sign more frequently and promote carryover and use. It’s also important to note that teaching a child to sign will not prevent them from talking. In fact, it can begin building their vocabulary, and it can promote communication skills earlier!
So, what signs are beneficial to teach? Here are a few ideas:
1. More
- This sign is really versatile! It can give your child the ability to tell you that they want “more” food, they want “more” of a game you’re playing with them (example: they want you to throw the ball again), and endless other requests for you to provide more or to continue with an activity. To make this sign, you will bring all fingertips together on each hand, bunching up the fingers, and you then touch each hand together, fingertips to fingertips.
2. Eat
- This sign gives your child the ability to let you know when they would like to eat, instead of being upset and unable to communicate that they’re hungry! For this sign, you will again bunch up the fingertips, on only one hand, and bring fingertips to mouth as if “eating”.
3. Drink
- To make this sign, shape your hand as if you’re holding a cup and bring it to your mouth as if taking a drink.
4. Milk
- If you want to allow your child to be more specific in requesting a drink, you can introduce the sign for milk! For this sign, you will make two fists, extend your fingers out, and bring them back into a fist, as if milking a cow.
5. Water
- Again, if you would like to give your child a more specific sign in order to request water, make a “W” with your fingers, and bring it up to your lips.
6. All Done
- It’s important to know when your child is finished with an activity, specifically because transitions can be so difficult for some children! The sign for “all done” will help your child communicate to you when they’re ready to move on to the next activity or when they’re finished eating, for example. For this sign, you’ll put both hands up, palms facing toward yourself, and flip your hands out, palms facing outward. That motion from palms in to palms out is the sign for “all done”.
There are countless other signs out there that are incredibly helpful for your child as they learn to communicate with you and others! Other signs include “sorry”, “please”, “thank you”, and “help”, just to name a few! Try your hand at introducing some of these signs, and you may be blown away by how quickly your kiddo begins picking them up and using them to express his or her wants and needs.
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