Doggone It!

A recent twitter that appeared on this page extolled the virtues of signing, not with babies, but with dogs. Usually what this comment is referring to is the ability of dogs to understand hand commands to do things like sit, come, lay down, stay, etc. In some cases, these few are just the tip of the iceberg and owners report comprehension of many, many more signs.

Of course, as helpful as this ability is, it can’t hold a candle to what babies are capable of doing with signs. It’s hard to imagine a dog spontaneously signing “cat” when seeing a cat on a window sill, or spontaneously signing “sad” upon hearing another dog howl, or spontaneously combining the signs for “airplane” and “fan” when a helicopter suddenly appears overhead. And yet, these are just a few of the ways babies routinely use signs.

That said, my ears always perk up when I hear someone mention signing and dogs. The reason is that it reminds me of the day Dr. Susan Goodwyn and I (as co-authors of the book Baby Signs) appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show. It was, of course, tremendously exciting—all the way from 6:30 AM when a limo picked us up at our Chicago hotel, through the 4 hours in the “Green Room” getting hair and make-up done and simply waiting for the taping to actually start, and finally through the approximately 90 minutes of taping necessary to produce the footage that would finally be used in the show. Whew! We were drained by the end, but things had gone very well.

Another guest on the show didn’t fare as well, however. His name escapes me, but what I do remember is that he was a beautiful dog! His role on the show was to demonstrate just what we’ve been talking about here—that dogs are great at responding to sign language. The problem, however, was with the long stretch of time leading up to the grand moment when the dog and owner were seated on the stage in front of the audience. All the excitement, unfortunately, had been too much for the dog and all he wanted to do was sleep; he wouldn’t do anything! Needless to say, that segment never made it into the final cut. Susan and I felt so sorry for the owner!

Which brings me to the photo I’ve posted with this blog entry. To the right you’ll see my own favorite signing canine, Divot. (Obviously, I’m a golfer.) Divot comprehends a good number of hand signs and even some important words—like “dog park.” I’m not so sure, though, if she performs any signs, that is unless it counts that when I do say “dog park,” she jumps up and down like a jumping bean!

(By the way, this whole blog entry was so I’d have an excuse to post this picture. Is she cute with her “Baby Signs” T-shirt or what!?).

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

Linda

Linda Acredolo, Ph.D.

Co-Founder of the Baby Signs^® Program

and

Professor Emeritus, UC Davis

Baby Sign Language and Learning to Talk

By far the most frequently voiced concern about encouraging babies to use signs to communicate before they can talk is that doing so will slow down verbal development. In fact, the exact opposite is true. Baby sign language actually speeds up the process.

How do we know? With a grant from the federal government, Dr. Susan Goodwyn and I compared verbal development in babies using the Baby Signs Program with that of non-signing babies. In test after test the babies who signed were more advanced than the non-signers in language skills. (The published study from the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior is available on our Baby Signs web site-- www.babysigns.com).

We really weren’t surprised because we had already observed the following ways in which baby signing spurs language skills.

1. Signing is to talking as crawling is to walking. In other words, just as crawling excites babies about getting around even faster by walking, the excitement of being able to communicate with signs motivates babies to figure out ways to communicate better—and the most obvious way is with words.
   

2. The experience of baby signing teaches babies useful lessons about how language works (like using symbols to label objects, etc.). These lessons speed up the process of learning to talk once words are finally available.

3. The natural reaction to a baby’s use of a sign is to “bathe” the child with words, and the more words a child hears, the faster he or she will learn to talk. What’s more, signs enable babies to pick the topic of conversation, thereby increasing the likelihood that they will listen attentively to the words parents say.

4. Every time a baby successfully uses a sign to label something, circuits in the brain are strengthened; circuits that then make learning words easier.

5. Signing makes book-reading more fun for babies because they can actively participate, and book-reading increases a baby’s exposure to vocabulary items.

So, the next time someone suggests that your use of the Baby Signs® Program is going to keep your child from talking, just smile knowingly, roll your eyes, and say “Oh, that old wive’s tale!”

Happy Signing! (and don't forget to follow us on Facebook!)

Linda

Linda Acredolo, Ph.D.

Co-Founder, the Baby Signs Program

and

Professor Emeritus, UC Davis

.

Baby Signs, Inc.: Mommies on the Job!

Have you ever tried to get work done while also keeping track of an adventuresome toddler? If so, you’d enjoy being a “fly on the wall” at our Baby Signs, Inc. staff meetings every Monday morning!

When Dr. Susan Goodwyn and I began the Baby Signs company back in 2003, we knew what kind of company we wanted it to be. We wanted to create the kind of atmosphere that would attract talented people who understood firsthand the magic of signing with babies and were as passionate about sharing the good news as we were.

What that has translated to over the years, because so many of our staff are young mothers, is a workplace that is “family friendly.” More specifically, it has meant making accommodations like the following:

• Enabling staff members who are mothers to work at home whenever possible;
• Allowing these mothers to leave the office temporarily to drop off or pick up children from school;
• Welcoming those same children into the office whenever necessary before and after school hours and during vacations;
• AND allowing new mothers to bring their babies to the office with them during the times they need to be there.

Indeed, each of these babies becomes so much a part of our Baby Signs® family that we can all operate as substitute “moms” in a pinch!

That brings me back to our current weekly staff meetings. The newest member of our Baby Signs® family is a truly amazing 12-month-old named Julia, the daughter of a Co-Director of the Baby Signs Institute and Early Childhood Education Specialist, Bonita Broughton. We’ve followed Julia’s progress since making her acquaintance via the very earliest sonogram photos and have been entertained by her at every staff meeting since the day she was born. Most recently we have been amazed at all the signs she knows. For example, one current favorite is “Please” which she uses at staff meetings when she sees anyone around the table eating something she things looks yummy!

Julia is now walking and life for her mother has gotten even more challenging. It’s amazing how Bonita manages to corral a squirming toddler -- keeping her from banging her head on the table or pulling on electrical cords—while never breaking stride during discussions. Most of us have “been there, done that” and, as a consequence, pitch in whenever necessary to keep Julia—and all the equipment—safe.

I’m posting a photo to go with this blog entry. I had trouble picking one because there are so cute ones! Hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoy having Julia with us to spice up our Mondays—and to remind us what Baby Signs is all about!

Happy Signing! (And don't forget to visit our Facebook page)

Linda

Linda Acredolo, Ph.D.

Co-Founder, the Baby Signs Program

and

Professor Emeritus, UC Davis

Baby Hearts: Teaching Toddlers to be Kind

One of the most important values that parents pass on to their children is empathy—that is, the ability to recognize what other people are feeling AND the willingness to take action to help them feel better—and in general to be kind and helpful to others. As Dr. Susan Goodwyn and I point out in our book, Baby Hearts, feeling empathy for others is important to your child’s future because research shows that children who are high in empathy are more popular with their peers, get along better with teachers and other adults, and in general, tend to live lives that garner them respect and affection.

What can you do to help your child develop this important emotional trait? The photo I’ve added to the right of this posting provides a clue to one easy strategy. The photo shows my 22-month-old granddaughter, Olivia, very carefully filling our dog’s food bowl. The strategy it illustrates is to provide lessons in empathy by involving your child with the care of animals. Children are naturally attracted to animals and seem to easily grasp the dependence of many animals (particularly pets) on the love and attention of humans. If your child is too young for a major pet (such as a dog or cat) or other circumstances rule them out, try installing a bird feeder outside or an aquarium inside. Be sure to talk about how animals feel many of the same feelings your child does—like hunger, thirst (except for fish, of course!) and pain—and also explain how to properly care for the animal. Even very young children can help feed fish, add seed to a bird feeder, or fill a pet’s water bowl—and lessons about being gentle can never begin too early.

Use this strategy and you’re be laying the foundation for the very important trait of feeling empathy for PEOPLE.

Happy Signing! (And don't forget to visit Baby Signs on Facebook!)

Linda

Linda Acredolo, Ph.D.

Co-Founder, the Baby Signs Program

and

Professor Emeritus, UC Davis