[cbw]

Though I'm a long, long way off from needing this info it's been on my mind so I thought I'd ask if anyone has any experience with it.

Has anyone used sign language to help communicate/teach English to their child?

The reason I ask is because I used sign language with my oldest and still use it with my youngest (13 months old). Lots of the ASL signs are explanatory (i.e., airplane is your hand in the shape of a plane "flying" over your head) so kids catch on really quickly. It has been wonderful to communicate with my pre-verbal sons and was very handy when my oldest started speaking but wasn't pronouncing words in a recognizable way. So, I was thinking it might be a good tool with a newly adopted child. Does anyone have experience with this?

Thanks,
cbw

[coolwhip]

Sorry, I don't have experience with adoption and signing yet, but I plan on using it also. We are adopting a 6 year old.

My oldest had issues learning to speak, so we used it then and still do now to some extend. My boys who are both younger grew up with it also and were signing before they could talk.

I have also used it to teach music to hearing kids. They love it and catch on quickly. I think it is great as a teaching tool. The signing deminishes as the child learns the words. I would suggest getting a copy of SEE. Signing exact english. Good Luck to both of us. Vicki

[momraine]

Someone on the Russian board was just mentioning using some sign with a newly adopted child. They used them in conjunction with some Russian words at first and then with the English word. One's like airplane would be fine without the Russian, but some you might need the Russian.
For my last adoption, people kept asking how we were talking to each other while we were alone in the hotel room. I told them it was a combination of Polish, English and charades.

[sak9645]

I do not speak Chinese -- except for a few words like xie xie -- and I don't know sign language. However, I found that my Chinese daughter and I communicated very easily during our first few days in China. Becca (18.5 months) showed me what she needed by pointing, expressed negative opinions by sneering and crying, etc. I spoke in English and used gestures. She did not attempt to speak Chinese -- I never heard her utter one word of it.

Within the first week she was in my custody, Becca was saying "hi" and "bye-bye" in English. By the time we landed in DC, she had picked up "OK". And the words just kept coming. I had her tested about two months after we arrived home, and the psychologist was amazed that she tested ABOVE her age level in receptive language (understanding English!), and only slightly below her age level in speaking.

By age two, she was totally caught up. From then on, she was a real chatterbox. Today, language is one of her strongest areas in school. She has a huge vocabulary, writes beautifully, reads on an adult level, and never stops talking! She reads and speaks Hebrew, too, and will start French, along with her continued immersion Hebrew, in the Fall.

Sign language may be helpful with toddlers who don't learn language easily, or who become very frustrated with inability to communicate their needs. But it is not necessaray for all children. If Becca chooses to learn ASL, it will be because of a desire to communicate with hearing-impaired people.

Sharon

[Abdulina]

Excellent idea! We used it for our last adoptions this past NOvember. It has made a world of difference for my 8 yo who has been learning english obivously. We started using it as we found out our son is deaf. So, a must have---LOL. However, we found it SO incredibly useful and are really disappointed that we didn't think to use it w/ our other older children when they came home. Would have made it oh,so much easier. Learn the basics. They come in super handy. Good luck.

Take care,