The Three R's for Teaching Signs and Vocabulary to Children

Relevant:

Make signs/words you are teaching the child relevant to his or her daily life - does it help them express their wants and needs or is it something they are really interested in talking about?

Repetition:

Children need a lot of repetition to learn a new word, so try to use the 5 times rule – find ways to use the word 5 times in quick succession emphasizing the word. Look for and even make opportunities to practice the word throughout the day. 

Reinforcement: Praise the child's attempts even if it is not quite correct. With practice, repetition and modeling, they will improve over time, but if they become discouraged and don't try, they cannot improve. You learn by your mistakes! It is also important to reinforce the child's use of the signs by immediately following through with the action that the sign indicates if you can. If they sign MORE, give them more immediately so they understand the connection between the sign/word and getting more. If something works, then it increases the likelihood that it will occur again. If it doesn't seem to work, your baby will probably stop trying. Consistency is key.

Click here for PDF copy.

Sign of the Week - BIRD

As the weather warms, BIRDS start to return to our neighborhoods. Children will use the sign for BIRD to tell you when they see BIRDS or when they hear BIRDS. One mom even shared a story about her daughter signing BIRD on the swing, because the little girl felt like she was flying like a BIRD!

To sign BIRD,  use your thumb and index finger to make a "beak" at your mouth and open and close.

Click on the word below or on the poster image to download the printable poster:

 Bird

Sign of the Week - STRAWBERRY

It's beginning to feel like summer here, and STRAWBERRIES are the perfect summer fruit in my opinion! By themselves, in a salad or STRAWBERRY shortcake, what could be a better summer treat? So point them out to your little ones and show them this sign next time you go shopping for them in the grocery store or the roadside fruit stand.

To sign STRAWBERRY, hold tip of pinky finger and twist like removing a strawberry from the stem.

Click on the link to see and print the poster: https://www.babysigns.com/pdf/Strawberry.pdf

Happy signing!