Mackonochie,+Alison

Mackonochie, Alison

Mackonochie, Alison. //Baby Sign Language//. Bath [England: Parragon, 2008. Print.
 * "Baby signing is a series of simple signs and gestures that allows your baby to communicate with you before he/she has developed the physical ability to coordinate the lip, tounge, and jaw movements needed for speech." pg. 8
 * "Expressions and gestures help adults to communicate when there are language barriers to contend with, but, even among speakers of a shared language, we all use nonverbal communication techniques to help make ourselves understood." pg. 8
 * "Baby signs use many everyday gestures--waving, pointing, nodding--along with simple hand movements, to create a type of nonverbal 'language.'" pg. 8
 * "Sign Language has been used for many years as an effective form of communication for people who are hearing-challenged." pg. 8
 * "The first baby signs were based on American Sign Language (ASL), but today other baby signing systems have been developed all around the world." pg. 8
 * "Some of these use the offical sign language of the country where they are used--for example, British Sign Language (BSL) is the official language for the deaf in the United Kingdom--while others, such as Makaton and Signalong, use some official sign language elements alongside other symbols, gestures, and words." pg. 8
 * "Your baby may try to form a sign and consistently get it "wrong" but, as long as the signs remains consistent and you know what your baby is trying to say, that's fine." pg. 9
 * "Signing can be a useful way of interpreting your baby's first words, and can help you to understand the meaning of the words that sound the same." pg. 10
 * "Babies can sign as soon as they can control their hand movements, usually at around eight or nine months, although you can begin to teach your child the signs earlier than this." pg. 12
 * "Many of the physical gestures and expressions used in signing are a natural part of everyday conversations." pg. 12
 * "Paradoxically, the earlier you start, the longer you may have to wait for your baby to start signing back to you." pg. 12
 * "The reason for the delayed reaction is quite simple; it is because if you introduce signing before your baby is physically and mentally ready to sign, he/she won't be //able// to respond." pg. 12
 * "However, this doesn't necessarily mean that your baby isn't taking in the signs that you demonstrate--some babies who have been signed to from six months or even earlier seem to pick up new signs more quickly once they are old enough to sign themselves." pg. 12
 * "Do remember, though, that all babies are different: They develop at their own speed and there is nothing to be gained by trying to push them." pg. 12
 * "If signing stops being enjoyable, your baby will have no interest in learning how to do it." pg. 12