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Using Sign Language as a Tool to Communicate

by Carolyn Riley, Sarah Merrill, and Erin O'Brien
January/February 2000
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Article Link: http://www.exchangepress.com/article/using-sign-language-as-a-tool-to-communicate/5013160/

Itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout. Down came the rain and washed the spider out. Out came the sun and dried up all the rain and the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again.

Just think how many hand movements happen during this song. You and your infants and toddlers are already using your own form of sign language. Children will often ask for their favorite songs by making the corresponding hand motions. What a rewarding experience it is to be able to have this reciprocal communication with such young children! Infant and toddler teachers already know how intelligent infants and toddlers are and how much information they can process and understand. Using sign language with hearing infants and toddlers in your child care setting can help both you and the children communicate with each other more effectively throughout the day while also having fun!

One Center's Story

We first began using two signs ("more," "all done") in our infant room during mealtimes. As infant and toddler teachers know, mealtimes can often be hectic. When our children were given the signs to use, we were fascinated by how quickly they were able to understand the purpose and meaning of these signs. ...

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