July 10, 2014

Signing Stories: 2.5 year old Finger Spelling

I’ve been with My Smart Hands for over 5 years now. When I first learned about Baby Sign Language I did a lot of research into different companies and classes and decided that I loved everything about MSH and wanted to become an instructor myself. I had already started signing with my son, and really enjoyed taking him to classes with me while I still could. H always picked up on signs very quickly, his first at 6 months, and about 60 by the time he was 1 year. His first words also all consisted of the signs we were doing with him.

He is a very visual child, and loved looking at different letters or signs, and by 2 he started to ask him to read everything to him. By 2.5 he was already fingerspelling a handful of words. I was so proud! Everywhere we went he’d want to stop and read signs and finger spell along to them – it was amazing!

From there he started reading short books, and everything else he could come across he’d still try. It really was amazing.

I still remember H’s Kindergarten classroom visit the Spring before he was going into JK. While his teachers were both busy greeting other parents, he loudly read out ‘Be All That You Can Be’ which was above the chalkboard. Both teachers turned with amazed expressions on their faces that a 3 year old could read that – Talk about proud mamma moment!

I really do attribute the use of ASL to H’s advancements. Not only did it help us immensely when he was non-verbal as a baby, but helped him and his skills beyond that!

Here is a video of him at 2.5 years old doing some fingerspelling. At the end, you will see a sign he made up for his Cheesy Pasta (Mac and Cheese) The signs for ‘Cheese’ the letter ‘E’ and the sign for ‘Pasta’ – too cute!