NSBR: Baby Sign Help

[Karen P]

I'm teaching my 15 month old sign language and it was going really well until now. He's making up his own signs and he's getting really frustrated that I don't know what he means. At first I thought that he was signing words I've already taught him but interperting them different (ie wrong ) But he's not. I'm pretty sure he's not learning signs on his own. He doesn't watch TV and he spends most of his day with me. So, my only conclusion is he's making up his own signs. He already has a vocabulary of about 10 signs. Has anyone else's baby done this? Can anyone offer any tips for decoding made-up signs?

[photojenic]

My little guy never made up his own signs, but sometimes we did have to "interpret" his version of the signs. We used the Signing Time DVDs and he loves them!

[Jana1506]

I cannot help you, but know how frustrating this is. My DD is starting to talk and makes up her own words for things. The way we handle this is by saying the correct word over and over and over ... (you get the idea )

[Mandy King (Mama Mia)]

We just did please, thank you, all done and more. And with each kid I got more and more lax about it (come to think of it, may be time to start it up again w/DS...). But never had them make up their own...that's a new one! Good luck!

[Rynonut Mom]

Sorry - we had the same thing with Matthew - he just had his own versions of signs, but I don't think that he made up any. My only advice is just to watch really closely, ask lots of questions and see if you can figure it out - sorry - I know that doesn't help much at all!

[DeeZee]

My kids also made up signs -- but they were already older and able to communicate verbally as well. Some of the babies in my KM class did as well. Most of us just tried to figure out what it meant, and then, just like with language, repeated the sign the "correct" way without making an issue of it (i.e., with language, when my kids said something with that little baby accent ;-), I'd repeat it correctly in context while I was continuing with normal activities ... same thing with sign.)

I love watching it though!! Man, what an incredible thing, that they can figure out how to MAKE UP their own signs!

[Kim2002]

Mine did not make up their own signs.....but they did modify the signs on their own. So if a sign for banana was using fingers to peel from the index finger of the opposite hand, they might just hold a fist and peel off the fist. Sometimes that got confusing. Is it perhaps just a modification?

[Inkspots]

We too use Signing Time, wonderful program! My boys haven't made up there own signs, but like Kim, they have used modifications. I agree with asking questions to try and figure it out. My DS is almost three now and has just started singing his ABCs it wasn't until a couple weeks ago that I realized he was also trying to SIGN the alphabet when he sang, but he was just moving his fingers. He can sign his letters if we go slowly, but at his singing speed, it's just flying fingers.

[DeeZee]

Any of you with Signing Time going to do the Upgrade offer with vol. 1,2&3? I'm SOOOooo tempted, because, though we love the movies, these are definitely needing some pizzaz ;-)

[Inkspots]

Yes! I just need to scan my covers and wait for payday. I'm going to give the old copies to the base library.