Baby Sign Language: Don't spend a fortune on videos and CDs to teach your child sign language. 

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Sign Language for Your Baby and Toddler

Recommendations for Teaching Your Baby or Toddlers Sign Language.

Mary Moore

Sign Language is easy to learn. You will only need two, at the most, three tools, for learning yourself and for teaching your child.La

My two recommendations for beginning parents are:
1. Do NOT buy a book unless it accompanies a video. Sign language is not hard to learn but a video makes it much easier.

2. Make certain you are teaching American Sign Language (ASL). There is no reason to teach your child something he/she can not use later in life or in a day care facility that uses signing.

Many parents spend a fortune on books and videos for signing. That is not necessary for something that is so easy to learn. Instead, spend your money for other learning tools for your baby or toddler:

• Picture books and board books for  your child to "read." 
• More advanced books for you to read to your child.
• Interactive games like sequencing cards.
• Videos and DVDs which teach through music, dance, and fun like The Wiggles.
• Music CDs for the car.

One last bit of sign language advice: Signing Times (a video series) is good but very expensive in that you have to buy 3 videos and a music CD to pretty much get what you have in the one video--Sign With your Baby,  combined with one CD--Pick Me Up. However, if you want to start with one of the series, you can add others later.

More information about sign language for your baby or toddler.

Teaching Your Baby Sign Language.

Don't spend a fortune on books and videos for sign language products before you have experience. The truth is that sign language is not hard to learn for you or for your baby. I would only purchase two, possibly three, sign language items.

My recommendations for teaching your baby sign language:

1. Dr Joseph Garcia authored the classic in the sign language field: Sign With Your Baby.

Buy the video only or buy a kit which contains the video, a short and simple to understand book, plus a chart showing the signs. 

The sign language video is a must for the section on teaching sign language and the last section which demonstrates American Sign Language words. I would buy the kit to get the accompanying sign language book unless you buy the CD Pick Me Up at the same time. That CD includes a workbook. One sign language book is probably enough although both of these sign language books have their positive and different attributes.

Review  Sign with Your Baby
Buy Video
Buy Kit 
Buy Laminated Sign
Buy DVD

2. At the same time I would add the music CD Pick Me Up for the signing and singing as well as the excellent sign language workbook for parents. This fun, interactive experience for you and your baby is all it normally takes to rapidly add words to your American Sign Language vocabulary. 

Review  Pick Me Up: Songs for Learning Signs Buy Music CD & Workbook

3. If at any time you or your babies are having problems learning sign language, purchase Baby See N Sign, Volume I. It presents American Sign Language words three different times: as a still picture, in slow motion, and at normal video speed.

Review See 'n Sign
Buy Video

Frankly, I believe the above three items are all the sign language products you need to own. 

If you have an expanded budget, here are some other sign language products I would consider buying.

See sign language products I would not buy and the reasons I would not buy them here.

Why purchase any sign language items? Why not use the library for your sign language needs?

You probably need at least one sign language product on hand for reference. A CD of music to sign by teaches sign language daily. Plus your baby can watch a sign language video like Baby See N Sign to supplement your own signing.

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