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Summary: Still looking...
Review: I knew that I wanted to teach my baby some simple signs before buying this book. Now that I've read it, I am still wondering how to go about doing this. The book repeatedly gave reasons why signing to babies was beneficial but fell short showing parents how to go about doing this. Too many anecdotes and pictures and not enough instruction! There is only 1 short chapter (Ch. 9) that suggests a few signs. Having read this book and tried it, I'm more frustrated than before I started and am looking for more resources regarding nonverbal communication with baby.
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Summary: Glad to Have it!
Review: This book is more a case study than an actual instruction book, but the ideas it gives are wonderful!!! It is a great companion book to Joseph Garcia's "Sign with your Baby" book and video. I am glad I got it!
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Summary: Hey Michelle, here's one for changing a dipey..
Review: Michelle, read your review above, and I do agree that the stories are cute and fun, but more direct plans of implementation would have been useful. I am glad I found this book though, and we are using it, my Son has just "clicked" with it, and has 5 signs now in 2 weeks! I wanted the dipey thing to be one of the first that he learned. Whenever I changed him, I would turn to my side and pat my bum in a very obvious way, and say "Dipey? is your Dipey wet? Do you need Mama to change your Dipey" and pat all the while. Now when he is wet, he will make eye contact and pat himself on the bum 4 or 5 times to let me know. Basically, the signs can be whatever you want, just try to connect it to some action relating to the word. I think the bum pattign was easier to teach him thatn say waving your arms overhead when wet... just make up your own and give it a try. It is fun.
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Summary: A skeptic turned believer!
Review: QUICK SUMMARY: This book has become such a large part of my child's first year. It works. It's amazing. You spend quality time with your baby. You communicate. It's fun for parent and child, and you will both feel pride and accomplishment. A little signing time with your baby goes a long way. Buy this book, read it, and try it. It's worth it. Your baby knows and can do more than you realize.RATING: Four stars. The book is a nice quick read and reference. The authors are so dedicated to this concept (and rightfully so) that they are somewhat repetitive in driving their point home. I found myself skimming portions of the book. MY STORY: I received this book as a gift. The people who gave it to me said they'd seen a spot on TV about it. I was completely skeptical, read the book, and started using some baby signs with my daughter around 8 months figuring it wouldn't hurt. To my disbelief, she started signing around 10 months. Hat, fan, flower, and fish were her first four signs. Though that doesn't sound like much, it was an amazing start. She is now 13 months old and has a huge signing vocabulary. She continues to learn. I'm amazed at her comprehension and ability to recognize things whether they are abstract or real. She is able to request food, drink, books, etc with her signs. She can tell me if she wants more, if things are hot or cold, and if she's all done. She loves identifying animals and objects of all sorts. My daughter is so proud to show off her signs to me and to others. We have HOURS of videotape! ;) This method is very flexible. If you're at all curious and have more questions, buy the book. I give it to all my pregnant friends.
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Summary: Highly recommended
Review: A friend sent me this book when I was pregnant. I started using signs (some from the book and some made up) when my daughter seemed to be interested. By 8 months of age she made her first sign--motioning above her head at the ceiling fans at my mom's house (my daughter has one in her bedroom). I also supplemented the Baby Signs signs with some from a pocket ASL book. By 15 months, she could communicate just about any need. My husband and I were amazed at how little fussing and uh-uh-uh-ing she did as she was able to tell us what she wanted. For the already interested parent, I found the anecdotal stuff in the book a little boring. For the not so sure parent, it's probably right on. I have recommended this book to friends, coworkers, etc. and will continue to do so.
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Summary: Baby Signs
Review: Before purchasing Baby Signs, I read the Amazon reviews since I had not had the chance to physically browse the book. After reading some reviews, I questioned my decision to purchase this book. Specifically, the reviews that suggested an ASL book would be more effective, caused me doubt. Well after receiving and reading Baby Signs, I can say that I am glad I did. Some of the reviews (in my opinion) were completely unfounded. Baby Signs was written for parents of hearing babies who want to improve communication with their children who can not yet speak. Approximately 53 signs are suggested in the book, along with a chapter of rhymes to accompany signs. The book also explains how parents can make up their own sign(s) to better suit their individual baby. Some readers' reviews suggested that a book on ASL signs would be more appropriate, but I think that is missing the point. A hearing impaired child requirements for signing is much different than a non hearing impaired child. Baby signs for hearing children should serve as an adjuct to their ability to communicate until they are able to speak, whereas for hearing impaired children, signing will most likely be a major method of communication for a lifetime. This book is easy to read, positive, and encourages parents to go beyond teaching your child to wave bye-bye. As for the comments on too many pictures, how can pictures of cute babies signing be a source of complaints? Some people will complain about anything!
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Summary: Baby Signs - The Best Expercise Learning Signs for babies.
Review: I am deaf and I agree with all customer reviews. My parents was learned sign language when i was one or two years old. I was never talked since one or two years old and it was hard for my parents to communicated with me until I saw the bird flies and I ran to my mom to pull her arm with me to outside, Finally I was sign language with voice (Bird), (Bird) and My mom was cried and she thoughts that I cannot talk or not do anything nothing but I learned from special school program. They were glad and make right decesion for me to go to special school. They were taken me to special school at Jacksonville School for the Deaf for a while until I learned alot then transfer to mainstream school. I thanked my parents and my teachers. It is really help babies and toddler to learn by parents teachs sign language until break out. Keep up and you guys will be fine. Believe me! I thought I can help and best to advise all of you!
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Summary: Better Communication with your baby
Review: I really appreciated this book! We started using Baby Signs with our son before he was 18 months old. He was able to use signs to communicate his desires, instead of merely pointing and saying "ah, ah, ah", or screaming. He even surprised us with a few signs, like using our original sign for "duck" to mean "fan" -- the fan blade looked like a duck's head and bill to him! Even now at 3 1/2, he still remembers some of the signs, and frequently uses his sign for "more" -- especially if his mouth is full!
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Summary: Nice to read but needs more substance
Review: This book seems to be more about how great the Baby Signs are and less about how to use them. In the book, there are many stories about the success of Baby Signs. These could be considered examples of Baby Sign usage. Well, there are many more examples than necessary. Conversely, the instructions on how to implement Baby Signs seem simple and repetitious. The 50 baby signs are a good start, but I'd like to see more signs and a laminated Baby Sign guide. One sign I'd like to see: 'change' as in "Change your diaper?". A story/example mentioned it, but I could not find it anywhere in the book, nor could I conceive of a simple motion that might get this across to my 8 month old child. Encouraging parents to come up with their own signs is good, but more signs in the book, especially those for day-to-day life, are needed.
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Summary: Authors' Response
Review: As the authors of Baby Signs: How to Talk With Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk and as researchers who have spent close to two decades studying successful Baby Signing families, we are concerned about and bewildered by comments describing our book as lacking "day to day usefulness" and not "going further than bye-bye" (see comments #36 and #37). Not only does Baby Signs include 50 specific sign suggestions (suggested by the families themselves with whom we have worked), but it also points out how easy it is for parents to adapt the Baby Signs idea to their own individual baby's interests and needs. Instead of requiring parents to use a specific set of signs designed for adults who can't hear (such as ASL), what we encourage parents to do is to come up with any simple gestures that makes sense to them as Baby Signs for things they know their baby would like to talk about. Need a sign for your baby's favorite blanket? How about rubbing a palm over the cheek, like she does with the blanket itself? Need a sign for a favorite food like "Cheerios?" How about making "O's" with thumb and index fingers? Not ASL signs, perhaps, but they work just fine for the short time they are needed. It's exactly this simplicity and flexibility that makes the Baby Sign idea fit SO easily into the lives of busy parents. We know from our research that requiring parents to memorize a repertoire of formal signs often results in parents completely abandoning the idea. Because we are bound and determined to open the door to communication for as many babies and parents as we possibly can, we specifically designed the Baby Signs program to be as "user friendly" as possible. We know, both from the thousands of parents who have contacted us directly, as well as from the vast majority of comments listed below, that we are succeeding.
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