avery's signs

we have been using signs with avery since she was about 4 or 5 months old. she did her first sign "more" when she was about 8 months old. we used signs at home, and she did them at miss karen's house. now she is able to pick up signs quickly and we know (sometimes) what she wants.

she has been staying home with dorathy, our fabulous babysitter in the mornings while i teach summer school. avery was trying to teach dorathy the signs, but some of them are hard to pick up on. since she is staying with dorathy in the mornings, and with grandparents when we go to costa rica (next month!!!) i decided to make a book of avery doing her signs that she can take to grandma's.

i don't know all the signs, so when there is a word that i want to learn with her, i look it up on the ASL browser.

here are some of the signs she knows...

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lplease - open hand circles over the heart.

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lavery has learned that please will get you ANYTHING!

thank you - The hand moves out and down.

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lavery sometimes adds the kissing noise like she is blowing a kiss.

lmore - finger tips together

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avery does fists together, usually for more food.

all done - open hands shake outward.

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lavery waves one hand.

food - one hand places food in mouth.

milk - one hand squeezes (like you are milking a cow)

avery uses the milk sign for all drinks.

cracker - hand goes to the opposite elbow

cookie - twist the shape of a cookie in the palm of the opposite hand.
avery puts one hand in the other.

help - one hand lifts the other hand up.
avery has both hands in fists with one thumb up. it looks like more but she mostly uses it when she wants to climb something.

down - point down
Avery shakes her hands with her fingers pointing down.

bed - hand rests under your head, like a pillow.
avery will use this sign, or "tap out" by tapping the top of her head when she is ready to go to sleep.

she is up to 16 signs that she can do, and a few more that she understands, like wait, no, play, and ball.

my mini soapbox -
i teach her ASL (american sign language) because that is what i use with some of my students. i know there are baby books with signs that are easier for babies to learn, and some people say just let the baby come up with the sign on her own. i treat it as if she were learning a new language (that is what it is, really) so i try to get her as close to the actual sign as possible. it is the same thing as if your child always said spitsgetti for spaghetti. you know what they mean, and it sounds cute, but you still say it correctly and eventually they will get it. same with signs, when i use the sign with her, i (try to) do it correctly.

if you are thinking about trying signs with your baby, i highly recommend it. just teach them slow and only the ones that you will use. we started with more, milk, and food. they won't pick it up right away (avery took about 4 months of seeing the signs) but when they do, it will be a lot easier to know what they want!

we were at a wedding last weekend and there was a little 17 month old girl. they were looking at each other and waving and then all of the sudden, the little girl signed "food" to her mom. avery got excited and said "food" right back so we all went and had a snack.