Baby Signs: How to Talk with Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk, Third Edition [Paperback]

Linda Acredolo (Author), Susan Goodwyn (Author), Doug Abrams (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 9, 2009

The Essential Parenting Guide- NOW COMPLETELY UPDATED AND EXPANDED!

In 1982, child development experts Linda Acredolo, Ph.D., and Susan Goodwyn, Ph.D., discovered that babies can communicate with simple signs-even before they're able to talk. The result: Baby Signs, the groundbreaking technique that has changed parenting forever.

Now, with the widespread popularity of signing with hearing babies and new and exciting research findings to report, the authors have completely revised and expanded Baby Signs to create this indispensable new edition. Featuring an American Sign Language approach, as well as a set of “baby-friendly” alternatives, this comprehensive new program offers all the information any parent needs to join the hundreds of thousands of families around the world who are using Baby Signs to help their children communicate their “joys and fears without tears.” (Newsweek)

Inside you will find . . .

 
• An expanded dictionary with easy-to-follow photos of 150 ASL signs along with a set of 35 “baby-friendly” alternatives  
• New research showing the benefits of Baby Signs for children's emotional development, for the parent-child relationship, and for reducing frustration and aggression in childcare settings  
• Information to help parents use the magic of Baby Signs to meet the challenges of potty training (as seen on CBS's The Doctors)  
• Real-life stories of parents achieving both stunning and heartwarming communication breakthroughs with their children

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Linda Acredolo, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of California at Davis, is an internationally recognized scholar in the field of child development. She is a Fellow of both the American Psychological Association and the American Psychological Society and has served as an associate editor of the prestigious journal, Child Development. She is also a member of the Parents magazine advisory board.

Susan Goodwyn, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the California State University at Stanislaus, has served as a project director and co-principle investigator for several longitudinal research projects funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Kellogg Foundation. She currently serves as president of Baby Signs, Inc., an infant and toddler educational products company.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 3 edition (March 9, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071615032
• ISBN-13: 978-0071615037
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 0.6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,825 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #55 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Family Relationships > Fatherhood
  • #76 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Family Relationships > Motherhood

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Babies can sign and this book shows you how and WHY. July 8, 2009

By Susan Wall

Format:Paperback

The book is so reader-friendly you don't want to put it down, just like the author's other books Baby Hearts and Baby Minds. I have practiced sign language and taught classes for over 25 years to adults and teens, but never until I learned about Baby Signs, did I ever think about using sign language with babies. I am teaching my 13 month old granddaughter sign language. She can speak 4 words, mommy, daddy, Nana and flag. She knows 12 signs and can use them so that everyone knows what she wants. Friends are so surprised to see such a small baby signing. When you see her face fill with pride when she realizes that we understand her is worth the world. The glossary at the end of the book is wonderful, with 150 ASL signs and it includes 35 classic "baby-friendly" alternatives. I recommend this book to anyone who has contact with babies, grandparents, child care providers and of course parents. What a great baby shower gift!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth every penny! July 2, 2009

By Jayme

Format:Paperback

I am mother to a hearing twenty one month old and we started signing with him at about 6 months of age. We own both the 2nd and 3rd edition of this book and both are worth every penny!! A couple of highlights of this 3rd edition include using sign language for potty training and the expanded Baby Signs dictionary. We are incorporating the "new" signs from this book as we venture into potty training ourselves, we are also learning our colors and working on the alphabet. Since we have been using sign language with him for so long we have found our son learns to say words quickly after learning the sign. For example, he started saying "red" a day after he learned the sign for red, same with blue, yellow and green.

This book is a must have for all parents looking to communicate with their pre-verbal babies, for families who are potty training, and those who love teaching their children something new.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVED IT! April 3, 2009

By Mom of Three

Format:Paperback

I just got the new edition and I love it! Easy to read. Great new applications (potty training). And as a former teacher...I loved the flexibility of both the ASL and baby friendly signs and knowing why signing is a good thing for babies. I really believe this has something for every young family no matter which signs they choose to use! The expanded ASL dictionary in the back of the book is wonderful. I can't wait to get my FREE DVD- ASL dictionary.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, New Edition! August 16, 2009

By D. Carmichael

Format:Paperback

Sometimes, you get an "updated" version of the book and nothing has changed. However, that is not true in this case. The authors, Dr. Linda Acredolo and Dr. Susan Goodwyn, have really gone out of their way to make this an actual updated version.

The glossary of signs has been greatly expanded to 150 ASL signs and 35 baby-friendly signs. The glossary separates the two so there is no confusion as to which is ASL. The glossary photos and explanations of the signs are clear and easy to figure out what the sign is.

The book is easy to read and has many interesting stories about signing babies and toddlers. It also has text boxes with stories, helpful information or answers to pressing questions. These all help to make the book visually appealing.

This edition also includes information about using signs with potty training and gives helpful hints as to how to potty train your toddler.

The book also comes with a video dictionary demonstrating all 185 signs that is free of charge, except for shipping and handling charges.

All in all, this book is an excellent resource for those who want to sign with babies and toddlers. Even if you have a previous edition, this 3rd edition is well worth the price.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Good signing sense! June 16, 2009

By Dr. Elizabeth H. Roland

Format:Paperback

Everything a parent needs to know regarding why, when, and how to sign at home with baby! It has the researched benefits and real life examples to provide motivation along with the tools to implement at home (I love the choosing signs section in Chapter 4). It is so helpful to have the developmental information also to know when and why signing is so beneficial for BOTH parents and babies. Having >20 years experience with signing families really shows in this revised edition!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars INCREASES INTELLIGENCE July 6, 2011

By Stacey

Format:Paperback

I bought this book in 1996 and my daughter is now 15. She did her first signs at 4 months old - "more" and "cat". It is wonderful to have a child that never cries! With the ability to communicate, she did not need to cry. She learned over 80 signs before she was 2 and then full, complete sentences took over. We made signs up as needed. I buy this book for all new parents. I cannot tell you enough how valuable I feel this was to the overall intelligence of my child. She is thriving and excelling in everything she does. We included baby signs in everything we did and we had a child who was able to completely communicate to us and share her world from a very young age. BUY IT!

12 of 18 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a quick read and not easy to teach your baby June 24, 2010

By M. Yang

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have a book called My First Baby Signs and my baby at 11 month quickly learned the signs. It has colorful pictures of a baby doing each sign and pictures of what the sign is referring to. I was so impressed by how fast my baby picked it up that I was excited to teach her more signs. This book was not the right book for what I was looking for. It's fairly big with very few pictures, and all the pictures are small and in black and white. It's something you would need to learn yourself, and then spend the time to teach your child through repetition. The other book she learned the signs on her own so I thought that was pretty cool. This one's just not as easy to use!