When I bought my first Baby Signing Time, I thought I would try it and see if Little Dude actually likes it. I believe I started when he was about 8 or 9 months old. He loved all the music and watching the other kids. I was already prepared that he may not sign anything till about 10 months. I bought the next DVD as he seemed compelled by them.
Then his first sign came, "Dog". We don't even own a dog, but Little Dude is obsessed with dogs. He started signing dog every time he saw one, he would be so excited. I figured milk would have been one of first signs, but I was wrong, he moved onto shoes, outside, coat. Little Dude loves being outside, so of course he started using the signs more useful to him. LOL! It wasn't till around his first birthday that he signs really took off. All of a sudden he could use over 30 signs!! Wow, you go Little Dude! At this point I had all 4 Baby Signing times and we now are starting our collection of Signing Time videos. He loves Leah's Farm and the Zoo train.
At 15 months I was still saying he knew 30+ signs until I found the wonderful Signing Time Progress Charts on the Signing time website. I started checking off everything he knows well and didn't count the words he had only signed once or twice and I was astonished to find out Little Dude knows over 90 signs now!! Don't get me wrong, he doesn't do them perfectly, bug, duck, bird, frog, pig and orange all look eerily similar :), but each day the signs are becoming more and more distinguishable. He loves to tell me what he sees or wants, he is so proud of himself. When he tells me he loves me its heart melting. Here is Little Dude version of "I Love You".
I am surprised by the comments we have received in teaching Little Dude sign language with the most common being he will never need to talk since you taught him all the sign language or his speech is going to be delayed. Of course its hard not to worry about these things. I knew it was helping him have a vast vocabulary, however was it really going to delay his speech? Was I making the right decision. Then one day he's talking! He know says several words. Of course some of them sound eerily similar as well, but with the combination of the talking and the signing we are most of them time able to figure it out. I think its a great bridge to get from understanding to being able to talk. I will hope you will consider backing this project. Little Dude tells you (signing and speaking) himself in the following clip on why I have chose to support Rachel and the TreeSchoolers:
Here is a video about the project as well:
I totally concur and have almost the exact same type of story with my now 24 month old Maddie. She now says and signs over 200 words! Have fun and definitely keep signing with your Little Dude! And don't listen to any of the naysayers. I can't tell you how many people I've had ask me how my daughter speaks so well, knows her alphabet and numbers already, or knows that rain comes from clouds. But, I tell them all it is because I've been signing with her since a year using Baby Signing Time and Signing Time and now with the Treeschoolers.
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