That's beautiful. I've been signing with my 13-month old. I started when he was about 9 months then gave up out of boredom. Then at 11-12 months he started doing them out of the blue. I do think they keep him from getting frustrated (especially around mealtime). He uses about half a dozen correctly and consistently, but the interesting thing is he has modified most of them... So we have our own little sign language unique to us.

caterina, sonnet is a beautiful name. you might also want to look at the page on that site about name signs, because naming in deaf culture is very unique, more personal, like nicknaming, and different than what we spoken world folks understand.

That's interesting! I did not know that babies could actually learn to communicate early with signs.....

Sounds like fun. I'm not sure I totally believe the "studies" (with agendas) that say it doesn't delay early language, but it can certainly reduce the anxiety of a baby that wants to communicate before they are able to talk. And communication can help with bonding as well, so there's plenty to think about.

One of the best bits of advice I read about this was: "Just be sure to always speak the word while using the sign so that your baby doesn't rely on signing alone to communicate."

Enjoy these times, they go by waaaay too quickly! :-)

Caterina, congrats on such a beautiful girl! Signing helps augment verbal communication (I've read the studies; I'm a speech-language pathologist) and won't delay verbal language if she has normal hearing and hears the words every day.

All the best to you and your family!

When Saul was little, he learned "more" pretty quickly - that was very handy.

You should look around your area for theater companies that incorporate sign language into their performances - here in Ann Arbor the White Swan Theater is one example of that. Language in context can be a lot of fun (and easier to learn).