Fad or fact? Baby signing
Babies barely have time to just lie on a mat and coo any more, it seems.
What with lessons in sign language, trips to the cranial osteopath and massage
classes, it's hard to find the space in their busy schedules. But are these
techniques just fads playing on the fears of anxious parents and carers or are
they really of some benefit?
Sign language
Baby signing, according to recent news reports, has been sweeping nurseries
in Britain. Groups of mothers have been getting together to watch videos and
practise baby signing with the aim of teaching their children to communicate
before they can actually speak.
American child development researcher Joseph Garcia suggests that babies can
begin learning the language as early as six months when they are introduced to
basic symbols like 'eat', 'drink', 'milk',
'more' and 'no'. Proponents of baby signing say that it can
also reduce bad behaviour because children are less frustrated.
Does it work?
"I'd say she spoke earlier than many of my non-signing friends' children."
Mother-of-two Gail Flaum from Bushey, Herts, has signed with both her
daughters, Millie, two, and Jessie, one. She believes it was invaluable:
"Critics of signing would say that parents who know their children should
be able to tell what they want and by a process of elimination they may get
there in the end," she says. "But by then your child is crying and
you're both stressed. It's so much better for both of you if she can
just sign the word 'drink' and you immediately know what she wants. And
it hasn't been detrimental to Millie's speech - if anything, I'd
say she spoke earlier than many of my non-signing friends'
children."
Expert view:
At the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, chief executive Kamini
Gadhok feels it is not necessary for parents to do formal signing with their
children if there is no identified risk of speech and language development:
"We are concerned that the use of formal signing does not replace or take
priority over the need for parents to talk to their children," she says.
"Language should really be encouraged through a whole range of everyday
activities."
Also in this section:
Fad or fact? Cry analysis
Fad or fact? Soothing massage
Fad or fact? Gentle cranial manipulation
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