By Paige Lambert
K
imberley Ferguson signed along with the class while her four-month-old lay peacefully in her lap. She and other parents motioned words from a children’s book, some even trying to get their toddlers to sign along.
The activity was part of the demo Baby Sign and Play class at the San Marcos Activity Center. The class teaches parents and children how to communicate when the baby’s speech hasn’t fully developed.
The class was created in response to a post on the Mothering San Marcos Facebook page, Jessica Ramos, youth services manager, said. The mothers asked for, and supported, a baby sign language closer to home.
To teach their infants basic American Sign Language, many others drove to The Signing Connection in Austin. The business’s licensed signing instructors facilitate sign language classes for infants and their parents.
Amy Joines, owner of The Signing Connection, said of the 700 licensed instructors in the country, none are in the San Marcos area.
“There’s not a market down here and there’s a great need for it,” Joines said. “By the showing of these people here you can tell they really wanted it and were really excited about it.”
Ramos said because of the students’ positive reception, multiple classes will be offered during the week, including evening times for parents who work. Each class costs about $6, same as the classes in Austin.
Ferguson said learning how to decrease the amount of crying attracted her to the class.
“This is our first baby, and everyone tells you you’ll learn what the different cries mean. Well we haven’t,” Ferguson said. “So if she can helps us to see what she wants and needs that would make a huge difference.”
During the class, participants learn signs such as milk, done, or sleep. Through activities like singing, reading a book or arts and crafts, they go over 10-12 signs in each class. By the end of the 16-class program, families learn more than 100 signs.
During one activity, they would put trash, or wadded paper, into bins while signing pick up and trash. Parents connect and build trust with their children, an important product of signing, Joines said.
Interactive games like the trash pick up help to reinforce the lesson and keep the infants active during the 45-minute class.
“They can’t sit during the whole time,” Joines said. “So we do jumping and lap sit and bouncy songs, whatever can keep them engaged.”
Going over these signs, even if it’s just the parents practicing, helps prevent future tantrums and fussiness, Joines said.
“If we are teaching them (a motion) for milk, whether it be bottle or breast-feeding at that time, they are confident that they will know what’s coming,” Joines said. “As they get their muscle tone and coordination they can communicate ‘this is what I need now.’”
Research shows that early signing helps not only during the baby stage, but later in life as well.
According to a recent Michigan State University summary, 11-month old babies who were in a family group using signs had better language skills than group who didn’t use sign language.
“These children now have been given a lot more words, even though the are signed,” Joines said. “Once they become verbal, they already have those words in their minds.”
The summary said signing not only helps language skills, but IQ levels and attention spans.
Studies also show that American Sign Language can help children who have Down’s syndrome, dyslexia or autism communicate and function better in the long run.
For Ferguson, whose mother-in-law is deaf, the classes will help the whole family.
“My husband signs a little bit because its his mom, so I’m hoping he will pick some things up and it will help me maybe, too,” Ferguson said.
