Baby Signing

What is Baby Signing?

Did you know babies can sign before they can speak! This is why baby sign exists.

Baby sign, sometimes called Baby Sign Language is the use of signs alongside speech to encourage receptive and expressive communication through sign before they can speak. In Baby Signs the signs are borrowed from the sign language in your country, in Australia the signs are kindly borrowed from Auslan, Australian Sign Language.

Baby sign is designed for early communication with your baby or toddler, while the signs used are borrowed from Auslan (Australian Sign Language), baby sign is for all babies and is designed to be used alongside speech to encourage both verbal and non-verbal communication.

If you use baby signs from birth babies can sign from as early as 5 and a half months, but most babies usually start using baby signs from 8 – 10 months, as this is when they become aware of their hands.

Benefit of Baby Sign

The main benefit of baby sign is providing your child the ability to communicate (through sign) before they are able to speak. Other benefits of baby signing include:

• improved bonding;
• reduced frustration;
• improved self confidence;
• emotional regulation
  

For more information on baby signing and it’s many benefits please click here.

Please note: if your baby is hard of hearing or Deaf we strongly encourage you to get assistance from the Deaf Community and qualified Auslan teachers.

Starting Your Baby Signing Journey

It is recommended that when you start your baby sign journey you start with no more than 12 signs. In starting with 12 first signs with your baby it ensures that you do not overwhelm yourself or your little one as you try to make them part of your daily routine.

As well as making baby signs part of your routine adding signs to nursery rhymes is a great way for assist you in remembering them and encourage your baby to use signs as the repetition of the signs in songs is a great way for you and your little one to remember the signs.

Sunshine Sign and Sing has created all the tools you need to start using baby signs with your infant or toddler. These include:

The resources we provide include

A Baby Sign poster that includes 24 first baby signs including: Milk, Nappy, Toilet, Book, Eat, Drink, Please, Thank you, Play, More, Finished, Share, Help, Hot, Cold, Bed, Bath, Friend, Love, Home, Mummy, Daddy, Brother, Brother, Sister;

Baby Sign Flashcards for either at home (Card) or out and about (synthetic material on a metal ring), the flashcards provides access to video tutorials of the signs;

Nursery Rhyme Books which has 10 classic nursery rhymes with signs

COMING SOON….baby sign app with over 100 signs including topics such as first signs, first foods, family members, farm animals and pets

These baby sign resources can either be purchased separately or as a baby sign bundle in our shop.

To get your FREE poster and for our other children’s signing resources visit our SHOP!

Baby Sign Training

If you are interested in baby sign training in a more formal setting please contact us today.

Private Group Sessions

Do you live on the Sunshine Coast? If so we are able to do group sessions.

We are able to do a one off introduction to baby sign session or several sessions which introduces baby signs to your little one through music and sensory play.

Get your friends together and enjoy one of our fun baby signing sessions while learning an amazing communication tool for you and your little one. Contact us for more information.

If you do not live on the Sunshine Coast but would like sessions via zoom please contact us for more information.

Private Sessions

We are able to hold one-on-one sessions for those that wish to learn baby sign from the comfort of their own home. Please, contact us for more information

Customise

Do you want different baby signs than those available? Maybe customised as a gift? Why not make it personal? We are able to customise all our products to your needs. Contact us for for information

g\