Communication
Helping Toddlers at a “Loss for Words”: The Baby Signs® Program and Social Development
By Linda Acredolo, Ph.D. and Susan Goodwyn, Ph.D. Co-founders, The Baby Signs® Program Every parent wants his or her child to enjoy other people and to be well-liked. In Developmental Psychology, we include both these goals under the term “social development.” Although most parents are aware that innate differences in temperament contribute importantly to individual…
Read MoreLate-Talking Toddlers: How the Baby Signs® Program Can Help
By: Catherine Brown, M.A., CCC-SLP Speech-language pathologists refer to children as “late-talkers” when they are slower to develop verbal/expressive skills than their peers even though they have very good receptive (language comprehension) skills. This pattern distinguishes them from “language-impaired” children who have significant deficits in both language comprehension and production. In contrast to language-impaired children,…
Read MoreLinking the Baby Signs® Program and Literacy Development
By Linda Acredolo, Ph.D. and Susan Goodwyn, Ph.D.Co-founders, The Baby Signs® Program The buzz word is literacy…. All around us we hear about the importance of literacy. Parents are told to read, read, read to their children—whether it’s cloth books, board books, or chapter books. With all this emphasis on literacy, it seems particularly important…
Read MoreUsing Infant Sign Language in Multilingual Classrooms
Classrooms today are increasingly diverse, with students coming from families that speak a variety of languages. This presents challenges for comprehension and communication, both for students learning English and for teachers trying to support the needs of multilingual students. One innovative solution that can help bridge these language gaps is using infant sign language. Infant…
Read MoreThe Baby Signs® Program: A Helpful Tool in Bilingual Settings
Linda Acredolo, Ph.D. & Susan Goodwyn, Ph,.D. As more and more parents learn the value of exposing their children to second and even third languages early in life, the number of babies being raised in “bilingual homes” is rapidly increasing. Just what does this mean? In many cases it means that one parent speaks one…
Read MoreBaby Signs® Early Childhood Educator Training: A Tool for NAEYC Accreditation
Early childhood education plays a pivotal role in shaping children’s development and preparing them for a successful future. As child development centers strive for excellence, meeting the rigorous standards set by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) becomes paramount. One program that aligns seamlessly with these standards is the Baby Signs®…
Read MoreEnhancing Communication and Development
The Baby Signs® Program in Child Development Centers In the ever-evolving landscape of early childhood education, innovative programs are continuously being explored to support children’s growth and development. One such program gaining recognition is the Baby Signs® Program, a communication tool that uses basic sign language with babies. Its implementation in child development centers has…
Read MoreThe Benefits of the Baby Signs® Program for Military Families
Although every family with very young children faces challenges, those faced by military families are particularly daunting. Here are just a few of the special situations that make their lives so stressful. How can signing with babies and toddlers before they can talk make life easier for military families? First, let’s consider the proven benefits of…
Read MoreInfant 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. Using sign language actually speeds up the process. How do we know? With a grant from the federal government, Drs.…
Read More