Child Development & Guidance
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Using Sign Language with Toddlers: Classroom and Home Strategies That Boost Communication
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Using Sign Language with Toddlers: Classroom and Home Strategies That Boost Communication
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In my classroom we always encourage the kids to sign please and more while we are serving breakfast, snack, and lunch. There have been a couple of young children in my class that are slightly non verbal where they are able to talk but either are to shy or they aren’t able to voice what they want or need help with so they will either use sign language to communicate or visibally show us what they want or need.
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Great approach, Savannah! Encouraging sign language fosters communication and empowers non-verbal children to express their needs effectively.
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In our toddler room we like to sign the basic like “please , thank you , all done and more” I’ve been incorporating it at home too with my daughter who soon will be starting preschool
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Great job, Erika! Incorporating basic signs at home reinforces communication skills and helps your daughter transition smoothly to preschool.
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We use sign for a variety of action words, food words, and in songs! The children pick up sign language very very quickly, and I find that they use signs from song sin other contexts. We sign and sing “The More We Get Together”, and children recently have been asking to sit “together” using sign language even though we havent modeled the use of “together” in that particular context!
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Great insights, Molly! It’s wonderful to see how quickly toddlers adapt and incorporate signs into their everyday interactions!
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I’ve only recently started using sign language with toddlers. We use it at meal times to communicate their wants/needs, but I find it particularly useful during diaper changes. Toddlers can be quite fussy on the changing table so I use sign to keep them visually engaged and occupied; they really like when I sign “all done”.
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Great job, Maria! Using sign language during diaper changes is a fantastic way to engage toddlers and enhance communication.
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I’ve used signs mostly at meal times for things like “more” and “all done”.
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Great job, Quinn! Using signs like “more” and “all done” effectively promotes communication and enhances understanding during mealtimes.
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I have used the sign all done with my nephew when he is eager to get out of his high chair. I haven’t used very much signing with my classroom kiddos, but I think the basic and easier signs they would do well with.
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Great insight, Tatiana! “All done” is a powerful sign for toddlers. Introducing more basic signs can enhance communication significantly!
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I use signs during lunch time like more, all done and thank you. They understand these signs and use them to tell me what they need. While eating they cannot talk, so I encourage them to use signs to show if they are done or want more.
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Great job, Monika! Using signs during mealtime effectively supports communication and fosters independence in toddlers.
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We use ASL during circle time, when teaching sounds and letters. Most of the children are older than 3 years old. I would like to incorporate more signs to encourage further their brain development and to expose them to a second language at a young age, facilitating the learning process.
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Great approach, Amelie! Incorporating ASL enhances communication and cognitive development. Expanding signs will enrich their language skills further!
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In my classroom, I don’t treat sign language as a separate lesson; it’s simply part of how we communicate. I use signs consistently during real moments throughout the day, especially during snack, toileting, transitions, and when a child seems frustrated.The signs toddlers respond to most are “more,” “all done,” and “help.” I’ve noticed that “help” makes a big difference. Instead of crying or throwing something when they’re stuck, some children will pause and attempt the sign. That shift alone changes the emotional tone of the moment.I’ve also seen that signing supports independence. When toddlers realize they can communicate a need without relying entirely on speech, they seem more regulated and engaged. For some children, signs come first, and spoken language follows. Others use both at the same time.What has helped the most is consistency, always pairing the spoken word with the sign and responding immediately when they attempt it. Over time, it builds trust. They learn that communication works.
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Great insights, Samira! Your integration of sign language into daily routines fosters communication and independence effectively. Keep up the excellent work!
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We have started using sign language at meal times and diaper changing times. The words that we use most are more, food, mother, father, drink, please and thank you.
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Great job, Kimberly! Using sign language during routines enhances communication and fosters respect for manners. Keep it up!
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I have used the signs for more, please, and thank you as these are the only signs that I know at the moment but I am going to start incorporating more signs into my curriculum because I have kids in my class that don’t talk much yet so this will help them communicate to me their needs and wants.
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Great start using basic signs; expanding your skills will further support toddlers’ communication and reduce frustration effectively.
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My 35 years in early childhood care have refined my approach to fostering communication. Currently, I work with a toddlers who conveys needs through emerging words, cries, and gestures. I effectively use positive body language and basic sign language (e.g., for hunger, thirst, politeness, and rest) to understand and encourage their expression.
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Great insights, Phimmasone! Your use of sign language and body language clearly enhances communication and understanding in your classroom.
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In my Early Preschool/Toddler classroom we use sign language/ model when giving commands like sitting down, time to eat, potty, and during learning times like with the abcs, numbers, and emotions. We are also working on incorporating it when we are talking to them to give another visual.
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I have not used signing in the classroom. but I have used it in talking with my niece and would love to introduce some of it into a classroom and help them understand and learn a second language.
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As an infant/toddler teacher we use signs daily, as they are not able to verbally communicate fully. Sometimes I get frustrated when trying to tell us what it is that they’re wanting and we are just not getting it. Simple signs such as more, please, thank you, banana, up, down, or all done, are great beginning signs to help our toddlers there to communicate their needs to us.
