Early Learning Services

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Your Early Learning Setting and Key Word Sign

Help all children at your Early Learning Setting express their thoughts, needs, feeling, desires, choices and ideas through the power of key word sign.

Key word sign borrows Auslan (Australian Sign Language) signs and uses them alongside speech, gestures and facial expressions with the key words of the sentence being signed.

Key word sign is a well recognised Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) tool, often introduced by Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) or Occupational Therapists (OTs) for children that have communication difficulties. However, recent research has found a number of benefits for using key word signing / manual signing with all children; discussed below.

We strongly encourage all Early Learning Settings to adopt key word sign into their setting to encourage inclusivity, positivity and reduce stigma for children that may use this AAC tool as their main form of communication long term.

Still not convinced?

Please continue reading for more information on:

• What is key word sign?
• The benefits of key word sign;

What is Key Word Sign?

Key word sign (‘KWS’) (previously known as MAKATON) is the use of manual signs, facial expressions and natural gestures with spoken words to assist communication for those that are pre-verbal or have communication difficulties. It is one of the most widely used strategies for people that cannot communicate by speech alone.

In recent years, research has found the use of key word sign with typically developing babies and children (sometimes called baby sign or baby sign language) has many benefits to their comprehension, vocabulary, social and emotional development and fine motor skills. For more information on key word sign please click here.

What are the benefits of Children’s key word signing?

There are many benefits of integrating Children’s key word signing (KWS) into your early childhood education and care settings. A small number of which have been set out below:

Communication

Babies are able to sign before they speak, if babies are signed from birth they are usually able to expressly communicate through sign before being able communicate verbally. This can be as early as 5 months however first signs are usually noticed between 8 to 10 months.

Further with 1 in 5 children estimated to have a language delay, this communication tool is an excellent way to ensure the children at your setting are able to expressively communicate through sign to your Educators and their peers before being able to communicate verbally.

Neurodiversity

It is estimated around 1 in 7 children are neurodiverse.¹ Neurodivergent is described as:

“Someone who is neurodivergent behaves, thinks and learns differently compared to those who are neurotypical. This term can be used to describe an individual whose brain functions differently to what we consider “normal”. This includes people with autism, ADHD, Tourette’s, dyslexia and a range of other neurodiverse conditions.”

https://exceptionalindividuals.com/neurodiversity/ [accessed 17 October 2022]

Within the neurodiverse community many have either auditory processing difficulties or visual processing difficulties. By using key word sign at your Early Learning setting it will ensure that you will be able to lean towards the strengths of each individual child, either through their visual strengths through using sign, or through their auditory strenght of also using speech at the same time.

By using signs at your Early Learning Setting it ensures the children the very best start at life. For example, if it is discovered a child may need intervention for a previously undiagnosed disability, you have already provided the child with an alternative way to communicate and process information.

Using key word sign at your setting ensures that a child that uses signs as their main way of communication will feel included and will not face the stigmatisation or exclusion often associated by those that use AAC.

Language Development

Further, both baby signing and Children’s key word signing have been shown to improve vocabularies of those that are exposed to signing and may improve the IQ of the children long term.²

Social and Emotional Benefits

Research into baby signing within Early Learning Services has also been shown to encourage Educators to be more responsive, warm and affectionate. Further, with all children learning to sign alongside speech it ensures that those that use sign alone are able to communicate with their peers essential for their social and emotional development.²

Further, when the children begin to use signs to express themselves it gives you an insight to their personalities while also improving their fine motor skills.²

Further reading

Sunshine Sign and Sing has taken the opportunity to show, through evidence based research, how integrating Children’s key word signing (KWS) into your early childhood education and care settings will assist you to meet the Principles and Learning Outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework. For more information please click here.

For a more brief overlook at the benefits of using Children’s key word signing (KWS) in your early childhood education and care settings please click here

¹https://adhdaware.org.uk/what-is-adhd/neurodiversity-and-other-conditions/ [accessed 17 October 2022]
² https://digitalcommons.csp.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&context=teacher-education_masters [accessed 17 October 2022]