Customer Reviews

Sign with your Baby: ASL Quick Reference Guide (Plastic Laminated - American Sign Language, English, and Spanish!) (Sign With Your Baby)

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We began using signs with our son off and on since he performed his very first sign at 7 mos, "waving bye-bye," and thus demonstrated that he was ready to begin learning sign language.

There are basically 2 different methods for signing with your baby: Joseph Garcia's (you're teaching American Sign Language) & "Baby Signs" (you're making up your own sign language). Through the first - Joseph Garcia's system - your little one is actually learning a second language.
The advantages to his method are:
-ASL signs are nearly universal
-many childcare centers are teaching ASL and will reinforce at the center what you are already teaching at home. In other words, you won't have to teach every teacher or different caregiver, relative, etc. the special "Baby Signs" that you and your baby have created to communicate.
-There are a lot of supplemental materials with this system as well -like videos to watch with your baby, cute little posters at teacher-supply stores, books to read and practice signing with your baby, and even flashcards (I highly recommend using supplemental materials).

On the other hand, the disadvantages are:
-You, the parent, are also learning a new language and it is very time-consuming to study these signs (you really have to dedicate yourself).
-Also, some ASL signs are simply too complex for babies to learn...

Which is why "Baby Signs" was created. This is a method where you basically "wing it." You can either use the suggestions for signs offered in the book, create your own, or follow your baby's lead when he invents a sign, but you're supposed to be consistent. The advantages to this method are:
-They are much easier for baby to learn - so you wind up communicating faster with them.
-Also, during those spontaneous "teachable moments," you can create a sign right then rather than running over to your book or looking online for the sign and totally missing the opportunity to communicate right away.

However, the disadvantages are:
-Baby Signs is relatively new so very little supplemental material exists (I think there may be 1 video in the works right now and a few books).
-Nobody else will know this language that you and your baby have created -so if you want caregivers & relatives to understand your baby, you will have to teach each and every person.
-Your child will just be learning how to communicate with you temporarily and will not be learning a 2nd language that can be used for life.

We began teaching our son "Baby Signs" (with the Baby Signs book) and switched over to the Garcia method when we realized that our son would eventually be attending a daycare staffed by teachers fluent in ASL. We also realized that when ASL signs are too complex for babies, they will create their own easier version anyway and eventually develop the ability to form the proper sign -you just have to pay careful attention to what they're doing. Sometimes, what you think are random hand motions, are really their attempt at a sign of which you introduced to them the previous week;-) The Garcia video is a superb introduction to signing with babies, 100x better than the "Baby Signs" book we read. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND purchasing this kit as early as you can, preferably months before your baby reaches the 6-7 month mark, but remember: it is never too late! The video is the best place to start because you'll have the opportunity to see babies doing their various versions of signs -so you'll know what to look for. After the video, you'll need some sort of reference book that illustrates signs. The book & reference chart, included in this kit are decent. The book includes an intro on sign language and a small dictionary w/ illustrations of common signs. Though we found the book's explanations for signs somewhat confusing at times, we visit
the ASL online dictionary to see an actual person performing the sign. http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm
There are literally dozens of books, videos, and other materials for sale on Amazon that you might also consider. The Signing Time video series sets 1-6 (for babies to watch) and the Sign Babies ASL flashcards sets 1-4 are bestsellers.

Hope this helps!!!

About a month ago, we ordered the "Complete Leaning Kit", which includes the book, companion video and sign language reference card. As recommended, we started in when baby was seven months old by demonstrating the signs for a few simple key words like "milk," "eat," "drink," "more," "finish," and "change," as in, "change your diaper." The signs are all very easy to make, and we both routinely repeated the signs several times in context to reinforce the associations.

Fast forward to tonight: this evening we were at the mall doing some shopping for baby clothes when we happened to look down at baby seated in his stroller. He was making the "change" sign all by himself. A hoist and a sniff confirmed that he was right! It was time to change his diaper. A few minutes later he also signed "eat" to indicate he was hungry.

He's also been making the "milk" sign for about a week at appropriate moments, and by eye direction and excitement level we know he also knows more words like "Mommy," "kitty," (we have a cat), and several others.

I can't tell you how thrilling this is! If you have or are expecting a kid, or know someone else who is, you really ought to look into it!

Review Update: This set goes well with the "Signing Time" video series. There's also a "Signing Time" website, which may have products similar to Garcia's. I still have the handy 3-fold sign reference card from Garcia's set. It is marked with the dates of when a sign was introduced & when it was actually used by each child (I have 2 kids). It was handy for babysitters & relatives & is now a cherished momento of my kids' babyhood. The "Signing Time" series is great for kids, and Garcia's is good for adults as an 'all-in-one' reference with 'just the facts'. I think he even has an alphabetical sign list in the back of the book & the signs are listed @ the end of the video as well. Hope he has a DVD version - VCRs are so outdated these days... 10/12/2010

Well, I tried Baby Signs and found it to be full of talk about using Baby Signs and short on instruction on when, where, how and why to use Baby Signs. Making signs up was very frustrating - I'm not a creative-type person. I want a system that's proven and works. Then I found Joseph Garcia's book here at Amazon.com. Garcia's book is excellent!

Garcia's book is clearly written. It tells you exactly why, when, where and how to use American Sign Language with your baby. Garcia also reviews several studies reporting the benefits of sign language for hearing children. The instructions on how to teach the signs and how to make the signs are quite detailed and specific, so you'll know exactly what to do. (But not so detailed that you're lost!) Garcia also discusses how children sign differently than adults and how their signs may change as their signing ability improves. This is useful in "detecting" a child's first attempts to use a sign. If you're not watching carefully, you'll miss them!

The video is enjoyable and well-done - it's broken up into short, easy segments. It adds another dimension - you see many examples of children signing so you'll know what to expect from your child. More tips are given for teaching signs, including specific recommendations for additional signs to teach later. Garcia performs all the signs at the end of the video as a reference library of sorts. Seeing the signs in action was very helpful. Illustrations of signs can only show so much. The signs are timed so you can forward to the exact point where a sign is for easy review. It's also a neat way to show the signs to your child.

Lastly, the quick reference guide is very handy. It's much quicker than fumbling through the reference section at the end of the book. The guide is laminated, so baby won't tear it up easily. There's also a place to mark which signs you have shown baby and which signs baby can perform. It's useful for showing relatives or babysitters what baby is "saying" to them. You might want to get a spare guide just in case.

In summary, I've found the book, video & laminated reference guide to be very useful and helpful. I highly recommend them all!

Teaches PARENTS how to START signing with their hearing children, ages 6 months to 2 or 3 years. Based on American Sign Language. For children who already know a few signs or who already possess a healthy speaking vocabulary, allow me to suggest "Baby See n Sign" and "Signing Time" instead (click on "see more about me" above for my reviews on these two products). When my son was 11 months old, I received Joseph Garcia's "Sign with your Baby" complete learning kit as a gift; it included a video, book, and laminated quick reference guide. We even ordered an additional quick reference guide for Grandma and Grandpa. After viewing the video a couple of times and reading the book, my husband and I felt informed on the research that supported signing with hearing children; we felt equipped to correctly model the first three signs that we were to introduce (eat, milk, and more); and we knew, in general, how long it would take for our son to reciprocate those first signs. After what seemed like two long months of repetitive signing on Mom and Dad's part, our son began to crudely reproduce the signs on his own. It was so cool to watch!! Again, I turned to Joseph Garcia's "Sign with your Baby" video to choose the next signs I'd introduce (we chose bath, banana, apple, telephone, and juice). It was at this time that I became disappointed with what the product offered. The alphabetical "Sign with your Baby" vocabulary on the video was tedious to fast forward and rewind through, and I felt the vocabulary would've been better presented in categories such as food, animals, everyday verbs, opposites (i.e. big/small, hot/cold), etc.; the alphabetical listing was virtually useless to me and entirely useless to my son because there were no pictures to go along with the signs. And so I went in search of additional resources. After reading EVERY SINGLE review I could find on signing video products at amazon.com, I decided on "Baby See n Sign" Volume 1 and "Signing Time" Volume 1; I have not been disappointed. These two products are designed to be viewed by parents AND children. To date, my 17-month-old son recognizes about 80 signs and produces about 40 signs with varying accuracy. To recap, Joseph Garcia's "Sign with your Baby" complete learning kit is great for getting parents STARTED with signing, but it falls short of being a useful resource to those who've already started signing or whose children already possess some verbal skills; in this case just check out Garcia's book from the library to learn about the research and methods he addresses in the video. Then invest your money elsewhere, like in "Baby See n Sign" and "Signing Time" videos. ONE FINAL THOUGHT: In one amazon.com review of Joseph Garcia's "Sign with your Baby," the video is criticized as "something of an infomercial...I expected more actual instruction and demonstration...There should have been more showing and less telling." While I agree to a certain extent with this reviewer, I strongly believe PARENTS should be educated in the research and methods associated with TEACHING a second language. I taught English as second language for many years in Japan; keeping up-to-date on the latest research and employing age-appropriate methods were essential in helping my students master a second language. Of all the signing products I've seen for hearing children, Joseph Garcia presents this aspect best. Good luck to anyone embarking on this adventure; it's a lot of FUN!!!

I purchased this prior to my son being born and it is geared more toward the parents learning the sign based on an educational video for the parents, a book, and a laminated sign chart. I understood the concept of applying directly but it just hasn't taken off for us and our son is now 11 months old.

We purchased Signing Times DVD and it was an INSTANT hit. Not only did Dad and Mom pick up on the signs in the video but it was fun for our son to watch as well. It has made signing fun for us and we all seem to enjoy this way of learning and applying the sign language. The Signing Times video is also much cheaper which is a bonus.

This kit changed our lives. Two days after we received the kit we were starting to sign to our 10 month old daughter. She started signing within one month and is now signing over 60 words (at 18 months old). The video is great, it shows other parents actually showing their children the signs, and it shows very young children actually signing. It is a real motivator for parents to stick with it.The book is a great reference and the pictures of the signs are very easy to understand. The reference chart was fantastic for our daycare provider. When she dosen't recognize a new sign she can look at the chart, and figure out what our daughter is telling her. Also we have included the chart in our daughters baby book.

I highly recommend this kit and I think every parent should teach their baby to sign! The results are fantastic! Kudos to the authors!

The concepts behind this kit are great. Empower your child to communicate with you long before he or she is able to speak. What's great about the process is, as Joseph Garcia suggests, you only start with 3 signs: More, milk, and eat. Start around 9 months or so (when they're able to understand symbols) and always use those signs when nursing, feeding or giving more (of whatever). Eventually they imitate, and soon after they learn that you do stuff for them when they make the sign. It opens up a whole new world for them.

We learned just the 3 signs and started signing around 9 months. Right around 11 months, she figured out the milk sign. That's a great feeling to see your child communicating language with you! And you can tell they like it too. As Joseph Garcia suggested, we rewarded our daughter by clapping, extra attention, etc, and so she had a few reasons to learn the signs. Every few weeks we would look up another word and start using it. Easy!

Our daughter is 14 months now, and she's picking up words like crazy. She speaks around 20 words and signs around 15. Words like more, milk, food, mommy, daddy, cat, dog, bird, baby, change (for diapers), bear (for her favorite teddy bear), help, up (to be picked up), down, water. All of these words are in the book and video. They're clear to understand, and most are easy for a baby to do.

The book is short and to the point. I expected to just use the video and reference the pictures of the signs in the book, but I found myself enjoying the suggestions in the book too. Same with the video. They give you great tips like where on the "sight line" to make your sign, recognizing moments of opportunity of when to show a sign, and just to emphasize repetition. It's also great motivation to see the little girl who tells her mother at 12 months "I'm your baby" using sign language.

If there is one drawback to Joseph Garcia's approach, it's that he follows American Sign Language. Some signs are tough for kids to do (cat, fish, banana for instance). Sometimes you see the perfect opportunity to teach a new word, but you don't know it yourself. So you have to go look it up. There is another school of thought (Baby Signs) that you just make up signs on the fly. Use easy signs that your baby can imitate and just be consistent. I can see the appeal, so you should decide what you want to do. For us, our daughter is going to daycare and interacting with other kids where sign language is used, and they go by the ASL standard. My daughter can't quite do the bird sign right (the beak is backwards), but we still understand, and we still use the proper sign to her. It's been working quite well for us.

Regardless of what school of thought you follow, I highly recommend you use the technique. Our daughter is rarely frustrated, she communicates with us all the time, and she's great to show off to other parents ;-).

Many people will be amazed at how quickly a baby can learn signs and that one so small does understand what they mean. My husband and I only knew a few basic signs to teach our first child. We began with "more", "please", "Thank You", "drink" and "all done". We noticed a more contented child because he knew that he could communicate some basic needs. It really helped eliminate some whining! Now that baby #2 is on the way, we are so happy to have found the Sign With Your Baby book and this quick reference resource. The illustrations are very clear and while there are hundreds of signs in the ASL vocabulary, the author did an excellent job of choosing ones that parents need to know. We highly recommend this type of training for any child.

First, understand that I think the concept of teaching your baby to communicate through sign language is wonderful. I've started to sign with my 6 month old son, and I hope my actions pay off. But Garcia's kit, while helpful, is a lot of money for a skimpy product. The video has many scenes of children signing, which while cute and encouraging, is not that necessary. The advice is just as easily conveyed in prose, and the visual index, which shows you how to correctly form signs, is not that important as long as you're consistant with the signs that you teach your baby. I can't imagine why you would need to view it more than once. The book itself is surprisingly skimpy, and repeats the instructions in the video. It contains about 40 pages of text, and the remainder is sign diagrams. And I imagine you could reproduce your own reference chart, if you needed it.

[Price] is a lot of money for many new families. If you get this as a gift, great. Otherwise, you might want to do what I did - check the video out from your local library, and purchase the book used.

my 1 year old who is extremely verbal would get so frustrated when I didn't understand what he wanted, and after a few minutes would cry and whine until i finally figured it out. After teaching him simple signs, he only cries when he gets boo-boo's now! This is a must for any parent! Also, I was a little worried that he wouldn't talk if he knew how to sign, but as he gets more verbal, and learns to speak, he signs and says the word. So don't be afraid that your child will never talk and only sign, this is a tool to help children that want to communitate but aren't able to yet!