Using Sign Language to Read Books

One of my favorite things to do with my boys is to read and sign books. As babies my boys started out enjoying turning pages, pointing out pictures and lifting flaps.  Then it was reading a story and them memorizing the words as a read the book for the hundredth time.  Now that my oldest is 3 year olds, he wants me to use his finger to follow the words as I read to him. It is so amazing to see their love of language at such a young age.

I have also seen huge jumps in language development with my 3 year old and my 17 month old because I taught them sign language as babies.

Communicating with ASL has allowed us to understand each other more quickly, and has given them confidence in their surroundings. The boys love to learn and are excited when you are able to understand what their needs are.

Now, put reading books and signing together, and you have a double dose of language development!  Not only can we empower our children by giving them the opportunities to share what’s on their minds, but we can help develop their imagination, verbal and language skills.

In a study conducted by Marilyn Daniels, she showed that signing with books increases reading readiness, develops literacy skills, and enhances comprehension. When we sign while reading, we teach children to read and scan the most important words in a sentence.

When I teach parents how to sign a book to their child, I tell them to pick the important words on the page. The words that the child will best understand, such as the noun or action word. For example if you read “ The truck stopped at the house where the big dog sat.” You would sign truck, house and dog because these are the words the brain is focusing on.

The more the child can understand, the more he will be excited about reading with you and learn to love reading on his own!

SIGNING WITH BOOKS
Start with simple board books or touch-and-feel books that have simple, bright, and “touchable” pictures. I always like ones that have one picture and word per page.

When reading a story, remember you do not have to sign every word. Just pick out key objects or pictures that are important to you and your baby. You will be amazed at how meaningful and enriching reading combined with signing can be.

This is a great way to practice signing using repetition because babies love to hear the same book over and over.

The other benefits of signing with books include:

• Increased imagination of the child.
• Adds rich meaning to reading, making it a fun and inviting experience.
• Associates reading with positive experiences and opportunities for a shared experience for mom, dad and siblings.

Here you can see a baby in action as she signs the letters of the alphabet. See Baby Signing alphabet in video!

My Smart Hands Austin has classes around the city including Austin, Round Rock and Cedar Park.  For more information about classes, times and Tara go to www.mysmarthands-austin.com.

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About the author:

Tara Kendrick shares her passion for signing with other mothers/caregivers and is the owner of My Smart Hands Austin.

As an Austin Mom and Business owner/instructor, she is able to teach others how to use this wonderful language and open the eyes of both parent and child to the world of communication!

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