Meaningful Baby Sign Language Activites
Incorporating sign language into everyday activities at home is a great way to reinforce action words with children. Words that help children manipulate their environment like more, help, finished, open, eat and drink will help provide your child with powerful and meaningful vocabulary that will give them a positive experience.
Here are some activities specifically designed to work on these early signs.
Mealtime
During meals, incorporate signs related to actions like "eat," "drink," and "more." Encourage the child to use the signs to express their needs or preferences. For example, ask them to sign "more" if they want additional food or "finished" when they are done eating.
Activities
Engage in interactive play with toys that involve actions. For instance, play with toy food items and containers, encouraging the child to sign "open" when opening a play kitchen drawer or "help" when they need assistance with a toy. This makes learning fun and hands-on.
Interactive play with toys
Choose books that include action words and signs. As you read, emphasize the corresponding signs, such as signing "open" when a character opens a door or "help" when someone in the story needs assistance. This helps the child associate signs with real-life situations.
Cue your child to take a turn
Incorporate signs into daily routines. For instance, when getting dressed, ask the child to sign "help" if they need assistance putting on their clothes. Similarly, encourage them to sign "finished" when they have completed a task, like cleaning up toys.
Daily routine tasks
Engage in pretend play scenarios that involve using action signs. Create a pretend store or kitchen, and encourage the child to use signs like "open" for the store or "help" when playing chef in the kitchen. This not only reinforces signs but also encourages imaginative play.
Pretend play scenarios
Be patient and provide positive reinforcement as the child attempts to use signs during these activities. Consistency and repetition will contribute to their understanding and retention of action words in sign language.
* Remember *
Be patient and provide positive reinforcement as the child attempts to use signs during these activities. Consistency and repetition will contribute to their understanding and retention of action words in sign language.
