Question: When is the best time to begin signing with my baby?

Answer: Typically parents begin signing with their babies by 8 - 9 months. Having said that, there are variations do this. Some parents begin signing as soon as their baby is born. The purpose is more for the parents to get into the habit of signing so that when their baby is ready to understand signs, the parent is comfortable using signs. Some parents begin later than 8 - 9 months. Parents may come accross the Baby Signs^® Program only much later and still would like to try it out on their pre-verbal child who may be beyond 8-9 months, closer to 2 years for instance.

Do keep in mind that the younger the child is when a parent begins to sign, the longer it will take for those first few signs to appear. For instance, compare a 8 month old baby and a 18 month old toddler. An 18 month old toddler will be able to pick up signs faster compared to a 8 month old infant because of his/her more advanced level of understanding and development of motor skills.

The most typical age range for a child to sign back to his/her parent is between 10 - 14 months. Again, this is dependant on a few factors such as a child's interest in communicating, development of related skills and the frequency with which parents model the signs. Generally, the earlier a child starts to sign, the chances are that he/she will use signs for a longer period of time compared to a child who starts to sign later.