With Signing, Babies Pick the Topic!

As most readers of this blog know, my collaborator and best friend, Dr. Susan Goodwyn, and I conducted federally-funded research demonstrating that baby sign language (particularly our Baby Signs® Program), helps infants learn to talk. There are many reasons for this positive effect, one of which is something developmental psychologists call “infant initiated joint attention.”

What is “joint attention?” Quite simply, it’s when a parent and child are paying attention to the same thing—and “infant initiated joint attention” means that it’s the infant who calls the parent’s attention to something rather than the reverse. And that’s exactly what signing enables preverbal babies to do. When they see a butterfly, they can “tell” their parent about it by doing the BUTTERFLY sign, which inevitably leads to the parent talking about the butterfly—its colors, its flight, other butterflies, etc. Given that we all learn more when we are interested in something, it’s not surprising that being able to launch conversations with signs helps babies pick up words more quickly.

Turns out, though, that the success in initiating joint attention that signing allows has a broader effect, too. Research by one of my graduate students, Dr. Brie Moore, demonstrated that signing results in babies tending in general to initiate joint attention more--even when signs are not involved! In other words, signing teaches babies that their parents will respond positively when they, through whatever means, direct their parents’ attention to something. The other side of this equation, of course, is that a baby’s signing indicates to his/her parents that babies do have minds of their own and enjoy sharing things with them. It makes parents more alert and receptive in general to their baby’s attempts to draw their attention.

In other words, signing has some very obvious benefits—like reducing frustration and tantrums—but it also has more subtle benefits, like inspiring very young children to pick the topics of conversations both with and without the use of signs.

Happy Signing (and don’t forget to visit us on Facebook)!

Linda

Linda Acredolo, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, UC Davis
and
Co-Founder, The Baby Signs® Program

Missing the Point

A colleague at UC Davis recently alerted me to a news report from a TV station in Washington DC that raised the concern that signing with babies might diminish interaction between babies and parents. Nothing could be further from the truth, as any parent who’s lived with a signing baby can testify.

First of all, modeling signs for babies means parents are (a) making lots of eye contact and (b) actively looking for opportunities to do so. A mom who might otherwise be content to simply plop a bunch of Cheerios in front a a baby, is likely to put a few down, stay close, and model the sign for MORE when the first ones are gone. Result? More, rather than less interaction.

Second, parents who are modeling signs are inevitably also anxiously watching their child to see if he or she is (a) understanding the sign, (b) imitating the sign, or (most exciting of all) (c) spontaneous using the sign to direct the parent’s attention. Result? Closer observation means more rather than less interaction.

Third, once a baby is able to request specific items with signs, everyone’s frustration is reduced. Result? Fewer tantrums and tears mean more time and emotional energy for pleasant interactions.

Fourth, once a baby is signing, parents begin experiencing the magic of having a window into their child’s mind. This means they can easily figure out what is fascinating their child at the moment (e.g., a butterfly, or the sound of a dog barking) and join the child in reveling in the experience. Result? Richer and more rewarding interaction for both parent and child.

So, next time you hear or read something so off-base as that signing reduces parent-child interaction, consider sharing these points—or better yet, your own experiences—with whomever it is that needs educating!

Happy Signing (and don’t forget to visit us on Facebook)!

Linda

Linda Acredolo, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, UC Davis
and
Co-Founder, The Baby Signs® Program