Customer Reviews

Baby Sign Language

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm surprised to see this rated so low. I love this book! I was able to read it in a matter of hours and immediately start teaching my twins to sign. I passed the book on to my MIL who watches the girls while I work and she even read it and implemented signing immediately. I've never known this woman to finish a book in the ten years I've known her, so that's saying a lot right there.

The theory and implementation steps were very clear. The last 1/3 of the book is devoted to large pictures and detailed instructions for how to form each sign. My twins started signing within a few weeks of us starting at 9 months old, and quickly asked for more and more signs. Their gift for gab won out around 15 months old when we stopped teaching them new signs. They could say just about any new word clearly so there didn't seem to be much point in continuing signing. They just turned 2 and are talking in complete sentences. I think baby signs really helped their language development.

It's true that the signs illustrated in this book are not ASL, but who cares? We weren't trying to teach our kids a second language, just get them through that frustrating period when they want to communicate but can't verbalize their thoughts. The signs and techniques in this book worked perfectly for us.

This is a GREAT book. A good read, easy to understand, and the collection of pictures at the end of the book made it easy to learn the signs (for me and my son!). This book has truly helped my son learn how to communicate with us even before saying a single word. He started signing at 9 and 1/2 months old and he could tell us he wanted more to eat, more to drink, etc. I was truly amazed and I HIGHLY recommend this book. This book is better than the Joseph Garcia "Sign With Your Baby Book". The pictures are easier on the eyes and easier to understand. Now, according to the previous review, not all the signs are the exact right ones as the ASL. Well, to me, it doesn't matter - as long as my kid can communicate with me! It's sign language for the hearing baby...!

Why this book was reprinted in the U.S. (after it's initial publication in New Zealand) is beyond me. This book contains all New Zealand Sign Language, not American Sign Language (ASL). Contrary to what many people think, sign language among the deaf population is not universal. Countries all have their own version of sign language and ASL is used only in the U.S. and Canada. This book was written by a New Zealand author who offers classes in her country. The highly disappointing and surprising twist is that it was published by Perigee, an American publishing house devoted to publications dealing with deafness and American Sign Language, so it's not like they didn't realize the book was not ASL! Very strange! A better choice..."Baby Sign Language Basics" or Sign, Sing and Play" both by Monta Z. Briant.