Teaching Babies Sign Language
Baby’s Sign Approximations

BIRD signed in reverse

When we are teaching babies sign language it is important to realize that most babies will not produce many of the signs we show them perfectly at first. In this section we will talk about the various ways babies might initially produce signs and how knowing what to look for can help us figure out what baby is signing when this occurs.

When your baby first starts signing, she may not yet have enough control over her hands to produce signs accurately and will thus make the signs in a way that is easiest for her. This is called approximating signs and almost all babies will do it. An example of how your baby may approximate a sign is that she may use her index finger and point it into the palm of her other hand to sign MORE or twist her index finger near her temple to sign HORSE. Likewise, she may also make signs like BIRD in reverse as this is how it looks to her when she sees you signing it.

Baby may make the same sign for signs that look similar. For example, your baby’s sign for baby, bear and hug might all look like he’s hugging himself; likewise, he may tap his fists together to sign both shoes and more. We cannot tell you how many parents did not realize that their babies were signing because they were either not aware of or forgot to watch for sign approximations (the owners of this website included!).

When teaching babies sign language, be on the look out for your baby’s sign approximations as your baby’s first sign may not necessarily be an easy one - like MILK - to spot! One of the first signs our baby made was HORSE and it took us a little while before we realized that she was signing it. In fact, it wasn’t until she was near a horse at her grandmother’s ranch, making a horse sound and signing at the same time that we put it together that the movement she had been doing near her head was her sign approximation for HORSE! Imagine how silly we felt!

Teaching Babies Sign Language: Understanding Baby's Sign Approximations

AJ approximates the sign HORSE

When teaching babies sign language it is important to know that it is typical for baby to approximate signs and it will sometimes take a little guess work on our part to figure out what baby is signing. Babies will usually use their entire hand, index finger or fist to form signs as these handshapes are the easiest for them to produce at first. The placement or location of the hand on the body as well as the hand movement may be different than how we sign to them. They may get the location right but their movement or handshape might be a little off. In the example we give above of our baby signing HORSE, she got the location and movement correct, but she used her index finger and signed it in the reverse (mirroring us). If you look at the video we’ve included here, and up at our logo, you will see that her early sign for HORSE actually looks more like the sign for UNDERSTAND (that’s why it is our logo!). In her little mind she was signing it correctly, but it was not immediately obviously to us.

When your baby is forming a sign and you are not quite certain what the sign is, look for similarities in the motion or location of a sign you may have taught him and keep in mind he may be using one of the three handshapes described above and/or making it in reverse. Try to place the sign in context to what he was doing for help in determining its meaning. Observe his surroundings. Is there a book next to him that he may want you to read? Were you playing with him and he wants more? Think about the time of day. Is it almost time to eat, might he want a snack or something to drink? Is it close to nap time, can he be sleepy? Again, look for baby to sign in context to help you figure out what your baby is trying to say.

Whatever the case may be, once you have identified what your baby is signing, acknowledge her attempts and say and model the sign correctly, i.e. "I see the BOOK. Good job signing BOOK! Do you want me to read you that BOOK?" Always let your baby know you understand her signing efforts and be sure to reward her with lots and lots of hugs and praise!