I have been reading on the benefits of learning sign language but almost everyone starts when they babies are a few month old. I would appreciate you opinion on two isuues:
Is my grandson too old to start learning signing? He is 32 month old. He repeats everything we say and we can carry on a conversation though there are times that I have to say ‘I do not understand you’ and he tries to express it in some other way
If I am with him only 3 days a week (really have day because he goes to preschool) is it worthwhile to use valuable time teaching him signing? If so we will have to take taime from some other activity. Normally we do some drawing on board, coloring, encyclopedic knowkedge cards, music time (Trebellina and playing keyborad), reading, playing with animals, puzzles etc, etc.
Thanks a lot.
I posted on the thread that nhockaday recommended – in that post about 6 weeks ago, I said I was intending to resume teaching signing to my 26-month-old (I had done some baby signing with him but he didn’t remember any of them at 24 months). I got some Signing Time videos from the library the next week (so about 5 weeks ago) and we watch one or part of one of the videos maybe 2 or 3 times a week. I watch each one with him until I learn all the signs (several times through - all of the signs introduced initially are very easy to remember because they relate somehow to the actual word, for example “eat”, “drink” etc), and I keep a list of the signs on the kitchen table. Then we practice them during meal times (and some other times, but I have a hard time remembering the whole list of words without the list being handy). He recognizes all of the signs from the first 3 Signing Times videos, plus some others that I have introduced or that he has asked to learn. He does some of the signs also, and seems to love it. He will ask what the sign for something is and I will look it up on the computer so we can learn it together. I have actually been surprised how fast he is picking it up and how much he enjoys it.
Never too late! I am learning Mandarin and I am 29! I am teaching our boys Mandarin and we didn’t start till they were 2 and 4. Even then we just started so we didn’t know what we were doing! They are 6 and 8 now and are doing great!
Let me know how it is going and what methods you use with him on my site [url=http://mandarinkids.wordpress.com/]http://mandarinkids.wordpress.com/
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It is about teaching kids a foreign language. Mostly I talk about Mandarin but the principles are all the same! Also share any cute funny stories about learning! I would love to hear them in the Smile Stories:) or the Laugh at Yourself Page!
My older children all learned Sign Language as I taught my baby and they love it! We all know lots of signs and use it frequently when we are supposed to be quiet or are far from each other and don’t want to yell. It is a very fun language to learn. I think you will love it.
I agree. Never late to learn a new language.
I have 4-5 years old in my program and toddlers too which all of them sign and they have lots of fun the older ones feel really proud of they signing! I think is fun.