It might surprise you, but if your child is pre-reading and is ready to learn to read, using American Sign Language to help teach your child may be one of the best things you can do. 

In the early 19^th century, educators realized that sign language helped hearing siblings of deaf students learn to read.  Due to political reasons, these findings were not pursued until recently. In the 1970’s, researchers “discovered that all normally hearing children with average or above intelligence who have non-speaking deaf parents (parents who expose their children to signing and fingerspelling) actually learn to read before they begin school.”  It was surmised that they learned to read as a result of making the connection between manual letters and printed letters.   

And children of hearing parents who were exposed to fingerspelling also had similar results.  In one study, Marilyn Daniels, author of Dancing with Words, showed that signs helped kindergarten children increase their speaking vocabulary in addition to learning sight words, letters of the alphabet and phonetic sounds. Children who had problems remembering letters, words or sounds were often able to recall needed information once they saw the sign for the word (1996, Sign Language Studies).

Laura Feltzer, who has used sign language to teach special education students—most of whom had Down Syndrome, general educations students, and English Language Learners found that the results of using sign to teach reading exceeded expectations. In the classes with English Language Learners, students tested at or above the beginning of first grade level on the Oral Gray Reading Test.  Feltzer’s sign language beginning reading program is available online for parents and educators to access with full materials and signs.  See http://www.csupomona.edu/~apfelzer/mbr/mbr.html#unit1.  

So, if you think signing is JUST for the diaper set, think again.  As you sign with your baby now, you are creating the basis for a proven method to teach reading and phonics to your preschooler, ensuring a life-long love of reading!