From Signs to Words: The Sign Language Process

People often ask me, "How does sign language impact my child's ability to learn how to speak?" And the answer is simple:

Learning signs is the perfect way to kick-start your child's language development before they're able to form words. Children get frustrated easily when they're young, and rightfully so as no one understands them. Enter… baby sign language.

By teaching your child simple signs to say things like, "eat, drink, sleep, or more”, they can communicate how they're feeling much earlier than they're able to express themselves verbally.

Once your child masters this form of communication, words will come to them easier. But what does this look like? Below I'll walk you through the progression of how your child will transition from communicating with signs to using words.

Stage 1 — Watches Your Hands

Babies are curious. Once you start signing, your child will notice that your hands are moving. I always tell parents that as long as your baby can see your signs, they will begin learning. Awareness is step one of the process.

Stage 2 — Shows Excitement

Your baby begins to show excitement when you sign. They may not know exactly what's going to happen yet but they are starting to realize that signing means something.

Stage 3 —Shows Understanding 

Once your child is watching your signs, then you want to look for a sign of understanding. At this point, your child could kick, smile, point or move towards the object you're referring to. This shows that they are beginning to understand the correlation between your sign and the action or item associated with it.

Stage 4 —Pointing 

Your baby begins to point to objects or pictures in books and then looks to you as if requesting you to show them the sign for the object. This is when they are trying to get more understanding and make sure they have the right word/sign for an object or to learn a new sign.

Stage 5 —Mimics Sign

Everyone knows that kids like to copy what they see. So at this stage, your child will repeat the sign after you do it. They won't always use the sign quite right, but this stage shows that your child is trying to understand what the sign means. This is called an approximation. For example, approximations for 'more' can be clapping, pointing your finger to your palm or putting your fists together.

Stage 6 — Uses Sign

Now this stage is one of the most rewarding. You've been practicing your signs, your child has expressed understanding, and they are mimicking your signs. Now, you ask your child something like "Do you want MORE?", and your child responds, "MORE!" This stage demonstrates that your child understands language and how to communicate with you.

Stage 7 — Initiates Sign

Once your child understands that their signs get a response from you, they will want to communicate with you more frequently, especially when they want something. Without prompting, your child will start to sign when they maybe are hungry or tired. Teach your child signs like DUCK to ask for a toy in the bathtub or MOON when they see a night-themed book at the store.

Stage 8 — Uses Sign & Word

As you're signing to your child, you're also saying the words aloud so that your child becomes familiar with them. At this stage, your child will start to combine the sign and the word associated with it, even though their ability to speak will not yet be fully developed. Signs are often used for clarification because 'buh,' for example, can mean many things at this age, such as bear, bottle, blanket or other things.

Stage 9 — Uses Word Only

As your child's speech becomes more clear and they gain confidence in their vocabulary, the signs will slowly disappear. Once they master enough words to communicate with you comfortably, they'll continue to mimic what you do and learn more words so they can continue talking aloud as their parents do.

I teach all of this and more in my free baby signs parent workshop. Sign up now to get instant access!