The Benefits of Signing with Your Baby

As a parent or carer, it can be incredibly frustrating when your baby or toddler is upset and crying, and you don’t know why. Although most children begin to talk around 12 months old, their desire to communicate starts much earlier. Every baby is unique and develops at their own pace, but did you know babies can sign back as early as six months?  Babies can often sign before they can speak due to hand-eye coordination and motor skills developing earlier than the ability to speak. Learning Signalong for Babies before speech develops can help you better understand your baby’s needs and wants.

What is Signalong for Babies?

Signalong for Babies was created after Signalong, The Communication Charity was inundated with requests to develop a recognised, consistent method of producing signs tailored to babies using Signalong’s methodology and structure. A parent commented: "I chose to introduce my daughter to signing to promote her language development and naturally I used Signalong to do this. Her enjoyment of learning signs to support her communication before speech was evident and we had many 'conversations' before she could talk. As a result, she was able to express her wants, needs, and interests and did not seem to experience the same frustrations that other children can at an early age."

Signalong for Babies involves showcasing parents and babies’ simple signs (like "milk," "more," and “dummy") to babies before they’re able to speak. Signalong has researched and published the widest range of signs in Britain and is a key word sign-supported communication system based British Sign Language (BSL) and used in spoken word order.

A baby reading a book

Why Sign with Your Baby?

1. Reduces frustration, for both you and your baby

   Babies often cry out of frustration when they can’t express what they want. Using Signalong for Babies gives them the tools to communicate clearly. Instead of trying to guess what your baby crying for milk but you keep guessing what they are crying for, imagine how quickly you’ll understand your baby when they learn to sign “milk” back.

   
   

2. Baby signing boosts language development

   Contrary to myth, signing doesn’t delay speech, it can actually support it. Studies show that babies who use signs often speak earlier and have larger vocabularies as toddlers. That’s because signing emphasises communication and reinforces the meaning of words, especially when spoken alongside signing.

   
   

3. Strengthens the bond between you and your baby

   Signing encourages more eye contact, attention, and interaction between parent and child. These bonding moments help build trust and deepen your relationship.

   
   

4. Encourages early learning

   Babies are incredibly observant and mimic back what people display in front of them. Signing taps into their ability to learn through gestures and repetition. It lays the foundation for cognitive skills like memory and pattern recognition.

   
   

5. Gives your baby a voice before they can speak

   Babies typically develop the motor skills needed for making hand signs before the skills needed for speech. By giving them a way to communicate earlier, signing empowers them to express their needs, preferences, and emotions.

   
   

How can Signalong for Babies help if my child later needs communication support?

Research* suggests that 1 in 200 children in the UK need communication support, such as learning to sign to convey their thoughts, feelings, ideas and to hold conversations. If you later discover that your child has an identified speech, language or communication need, by introducing Signalong from a young age, you’ve already laid the foundation for an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system, giving them a head start.

How can you learn Signalong for Babies?

We currently have five Trainers located across the UK, ready to support you on a journey of communication and connection with your child. With their expertise and passion, our Trainers deliver engaging, interactive courses tailored to families and babies aged between six to eighteen months. View our qualified Trainers and their locations here. We also have several resources on our shop including the Signalong for Babies and Toddlers Learning Cards, and two Nursery Rhyme books. Please note, to ensure you learn the correct handshapes and perform the signs accurately, we recommend attending a Signalong for Babies or Toddlers course led by one of our qualified Trainers. 

An Online Signalong for Babies Session

No Trainer in your Area?

Why not become a Trainer and help parents and children connect in your local area? We are actively encouraging more people to become Trainers and help parents and babies communicate with each other. Anyone can be a Trainer; all you need to do is attend and complete a two-day Signalong Training course. To enquire, please email training@signalongforbabies.org.uk.