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sarahanne8382's review against another edition
4.0
Originally I was really annoyed with the trend of teaching babies sign language. Like parents need another thing to feel inadequate about. But for whatever reason I picked up this book at my public library, and learned about what started this craze. Originally teaching babies sign language was not about giving parents another way to compete with their gifted tots, but a tool to help parents understand the needs of their very young children who hadn't mastered spoken language yet. Basically, the researchers involved in the study Baby Signs are based on learned that older infants and young toddlers want to communicate, but lack the control of their vocal chords to do so with spoken language. Using simple signs (some based on American Sign Language, some simpler versions related to what the objects do or look like) babies can express basic needs, such as hunger, thirst, or a dirty diaper, and identify some of the things commonly in their world like dogs, cats, and other animals. The argument is that this is a parenting tool to aid communication and alleviate a lot of the fussiness common during the "Terrible Twos" which many parents will tell you often starts well before age two.
As a book, this is awfully repetitive and a little infomercial-ish, but the opening chapters discussing the reasons for developing baby signs and the research study done on it's effectiveness totally sold me and made me confident that I could take the signs included at the end of the book and immediately start using them with my son.
There are actually quite a few printable resources on the Baby Signs website, so parents might consider going there instead of paying for a book where the only part you really use is the signing dictionary.
My own son's on the young side of being ready for signs, but he loves dogs and loves when I do the sign for dog (sticking your tongue out and panting) because he also loves sticking his tongue out. I don't think he's quite figured out the connection yet, but he's watching and learning and I'm confident that in a month or two, he'll start signing back to me.
As a book, this is awfully repetitive and a little infomercial-ish, but the opening chapters discussing the reasons for developing baby signs and the research study done on it's effectiveness totally sold me and made me confident that I could take the signs included at the end of the book and immediately start using them with my son.
There are actually quite a few printable resources on the Baby Signs website, so parents might consider going there instead of paying for a book where the only part you really use is the signing dictionary.
My own son's on the young side of being ready for signs, but he loves dogs and loves when I do the sign for dog (sticking your tongue out and panting) because he also loves sticking his tongue out. I don't think he's quite figured out the connection yet, but he's watching and learning and I'm confident that in a month or two, he'll start signing back to me.
resaspieces's review against another edition
5.0
Awesome! Both my bambinos were sign babies w/30+ signing vocabs before becoming verbal chatterboxes! This book goes into some of the science of signing w/o being too technical. Great index of signs w/drawings in the back.
shaun_dh's review against another edition
1.0
“Just as deaf babies exposed to ASL can use signs and gestures to ‘talk,’ so can hearing babies. Fortunately their problem with words is only temporary...” I’m sorry, WHAT?!
Offensive language aside, this book was NOT what I thought it was going to be. While I can appreciate that learning another language would be a barrier for some—so making up gestures is a low barrier to entry—I wanted this to be a book of signs (as in ASL) that make sense for babies, not made up shit. Guess that my bad for not reading the back more throughly? But I think a more accurate title would be Baby Gestures.
Offensive language aside, this book was NOT what I thought it was going to be. While I can appreciate that learning another language would be a barrier for some—so making up gestures is a low barrier to entry—I wanted this to be a book of signs (as in ASL) that make sense for babies, not made up shit. Guess that my bad for not reading the back more throughly? But I think a more accurate title would be Baby Gestures.
inthecommonhours's review against another edition
1.0
The authors picked up on the newest trend and ran with it, but in the wrong direction. Why on earth "make up your own signs" when there is already ASL? One of the beautiful things to come out of teaching babies to sign is that children who are deaf will have peers who are already familiar with their language.
I highly recommend Joseph Garcia's books (Sign with your baby) and the Signing Time DVD series.
I highly recommend Joseph Garcia's books (Sign with your baby) and the Signing Time DVD series.
lizbusby's review against another edition
5.0
Everyone with a child should read this book before hopping on the baby sign wagon. This is the original book by the professors who "discovered" baby sign with their children. I like how it points out that baby sign is not about teaching a second language or continuing it for the rest of their lives. It's about relieving the frustration of a baby able to understand but unable to communicate back because their vocal muscle control isn't good enough. It's about building relationships so a child can ask for things instead of throwing tantrums. It's about helping your baby's brain get started in language patterns earlier, which impacts where they are later in life. According to the study these women set up, baby sign kids maintained an advantage of one grade level of IQ over peers.
I really love baby sign, and I say take it to the source.
I really love baby sign, and I say take it to the source.
kerryann's review against another edition
1.0
i was very disappointed by this book. What it tells you about Baby Signs you could learn for free by doing internet research. What it didn't have that it needed was lots of sample signs. Save your money.
jar7709's review against another edition
5.0
This really works. Both kids "signed" several words before they could talk. Big K had more than 15 signs, and Little L about 5 but we didn't work on it nearly as much with her. Really fantastic getting some communication where there would otherwise be tears.
lunamoooona's review against another edition
4.0
Looking forward to trying some of these with my daughter. If she catches on, great!
katie_voss's review against another edition
3.0
One way to pass the time. I'm still waiting for them to sign back.
library_brandy's review
3.0
80% of this book is all about why you should, y'know, communicate with your baby, instead of ignoring them. Then there's a glossary of signs that will be really useful to you and your child (diaper, eat, sleep) and others that seem so very not-useful, but most of the pictures demonstrating all the signs are small and hard to understand.
Better source: http://www.signingsavvy.com/ for a video dictionary.
Better source: http://www.signingsavvy.com/ for a video dictionary.