Top 15 reasons for signing American Sign Language

Key Points About Signing with Hearing Children.

• American Sign Language (ASL) - The use of American Sign Language, ASL with children is a physical skill that children, as young as babies, have the ability to do, understand and use.  By teaching children this is a visual and physical language you are not only enhancing vocabulary and language skills, but exposing them to one of the most common languages in the United States.
• It is a parent and child bonding activity -  Signing with children supports and enhances parent and child interaction.  Signing provides for playful engaged fun that will be used for years to come.  Signing bonding activities not only signing with songs, but also signing when reading books, reciting rhymes, playing games and even in everyday conversation.
• Signing develops communication & language skills - Signing provides parents, teachers and caregivers a proven way to give babies and toddlers usable language skills that support early communication.  Babies can speak with sign many months before they can speak.   Toddlers can greatly enhance their vocabulary and practice hand-eye coordination through sign.  Signing with preschoolers supports the learning of core educational concepts (ABC’s, Numbers, Colors, Rhymes, Animals), enhancing of vocabulary and language skills and helps to provide for their reading readiness.  Elementary children love the challenge and playfulness of signing and singing wonderful songs.
• Signing reduces communication frustrations -  Signing with babies and toddlers reduces parent child communication frustrations by providing young children with a physical language skill, signing, that allows them to express their wants and needs clearly to you.  Signing helps to relieve the crying and screaming guessing game.
• Signing helps build fine and gross motor skills - The physical nature of signing, its use of hands, arms and body, helps to develop fine and gross motor skills as well as improving hand-eye coordination.
• Signing enhances confidence and self-esteem - Babies, toddlers and preschoolers are physically capable of signing effectively allowing them to successfully express themselves.
• Signing encourages an enthusiasm for learning - Young children find signing to be an interesting and enjoyable activity that engages them while they learn.
• ASL use improves memory and enhances recall - When signs are combined with spoken word the concepts and definitions of those words are stored in a variety of places in the brain.  This allows for much better memorization and recollection of words and their meanings.
• Signing supports scaffolding - Scaffolding is the way children learn.  They learn one skill, concept or idea that provides the basis to raise a child to the next level of learning. Infants learn to communicate using words which in turn allows them as toddlers to find out more about their world and continues to support language and vocabulary expansion  along with the memorization of core concepts (ABC's, numbers, colors, animals, rhymes, etc.) for preschoolers.
• Signing uses a variety of multiple intelligences - Signing and signing activities are a wonderfully rich way for children to learn.  Children will learn by using many different intelligences (visual, physical, oral, verbal, musical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal), all at the same time!
• Signing is easy and requires no previous knowledge - For parents, teachers and caregivers to achieve the many rewards and benefits of signing they do not need any previous signing experience or education.  They just need to desire to include this activity into the lives of their children.
• Signing with songs requires no singing skills -  Parents, teachers and caregivers just need to have the desire to engage their children in these fun and playful activities.  Children do not judge vocal skills, they just enjoy enthusiastic participation by the adults around them.