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Research
» Vocabulary and Speech Benefits
» Signing and Bilingualism
» Literacy
» Overviews/General Interest
» Impact of Signing on IQ
» Classroom Use of Signing
» Reaching Special Needs Children through Signing
» General Special Needs Research
» Autism
» Down Syndrome
» Children in Hospital Settings
» Reading Disabilities
» About the Researchers
Over the last two decades, many research studies have examined the use of baby sign language. We have gathered for you a list of the leading studies and articles in the field. It is important to note that there is NO evidence that signing with your child hinders verbal language development.
SignShine partners with the Language and Cognitive Development Lab, a part of the UCLA Department of Psychology. They are currently conducting a research study looking at how signing influences language development processes. If you are interested in participating in the research with your child, please contact Emily at 310-206-8286, or email her at emilyt0623@ucla.edu, or visit their website: http://babytalk.psych.ucla.edu.
Benefits of Signing on Language Development
Research has shown that signing with your baby provides a wide range of benefits for language development. Studies have demonstrated that signing babies develop larger vocabularies and have better spelling and reading skills. Researchers also have found a connection between signing and early literacy skills.
Vocabulary and Speech Benefits
Acredolo, L.P., Goodwyn, S.W., & Brown, C. (2000). Impact of symbolic gesturing on early language development. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 24, 81-103.
Allott, R. (1994). Gestural equivalents of language. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from: http://www.percepp.demon.co.uk/gesture.htm
Anthony, M., & Lindert, R. (n.d.). National study of signing smart children. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from: http://www.signingsmart.com/research.html
Daniels, M. (1994). The effect of sign language on hearing children's language development. Communication Education, 43(4), 291-298.
Daniels, M. (1994). Nonverbal language and manual speech. The Speech Communication Annual, 8, 51-60.
Daniels, M. (1996). Previously masked concepts: The communicative role of language in deaf and hearing cultures. Ohio Speech Journal, 34, 1-15.
Daniels, M. (1996). Seeing language: The effect over time of sign language on vocabulary development in early childhood education. Child Study Journal, 26(3), 193-208.
Daniels, M. (2001). Sign education: A communication tool for young learners. Speech Communication Association of Pennsylvania Annual, LVII, 77-95.
Daniels, M. (2001). Sign language advantage. Sign Language Studies, 2(1), 5-19.
Daniels, M. (1994). Words more powerful than sound. Sign Language Studies, 83, 155-166.
Moore, B., Acredolo, L., & Goodwyn, S. (2001). Symbolic gesturing and joint attention: Partners in facilitating verbal development. (Paper presented at the Biennial Meetings of the Society for Research in Child Development.)
Robertson, S. (2007). Using sign to facilitate oral language: Building a case with parents. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from: http://www.speechpathology.com/articles/article_detail.asp?article_id=315
Schunk, H. A. (1999). The effect of singing paired with signing on receptive vocabulary skills of elementary ESL students. Journal of Music Therapy, 36(2), 110-124.
Daniels, M. (1993). ASL as a possible factor in the acquisition of English for hearing children. Sign Language Studies, 78, 23-29.
Daniels, M. (1996). Bilingual, bimodel education for hearing kindergarten students. Sign Language Studies, 90, 25-37.
Daniels, M. (2003). Using a signed language as a second language for kindergarten students. Child Study Journal, 33(1), 53-70.
Daniels, M. (2001). Dancing with words: Signing for hearing children's literacy. Westport, CT: Bergin and Garvey.
Daniels, M. (2004). Happy hands: The effect of ASL on hearing children's literacy. Reading Research and Instruction, 44(1), 86-100.
Daniels, M. (2002). Reading signs: A way to promote early childhood literacy. Communication Teacher, 16(2), 32-38.
Edmunds, M., & Krupinski, D. (n.d.). Using sign language and fingerspelling to facilitate early literacy. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from: http://www.pbs.org/teachers/earlychildhood/articles/signlanguage.html
Felzer, L. (n.d.). MBR reading program: How signing helps hearing children learn to read. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from: http://www.csupomona.edu/~apfelzer/mbr/research.html
Felzer, L. (1998). A multisensory reading program that really works. Teaching and Change, 5, 169-183.
Hafer, J. (1986). Signing For Reading Success. Washington D.C.: Clerc Books, Gallaudet University Press.
Koehler, L., & Loyd, L. (1986). Using fingerspelling/manual signs to facilitate reading and spelling.
Cardiff, Wales: Biennial Conference of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED284179)
Wilson, R., Teague, J., & Teague, M. (1985). The use of signing and fingerspelling to improve spelling performance with hearing children. Reading Psychology, 4, 267-273.
Daniels, M. (2005). Deaf President Now and American sign language: Seeing rhetoric. Pennsylvania Communication Association Annual (in press).
Jaworski, M. (2000, October 3). Signs of Intelligent Life. Family Circle, p. 14.
Kokette, S. (1995). Sign language: The best second language? Retrieved November 10, 2007, from: http://australianbabyhands.com/sign-language-the-best-second-language.html
Paul, P. (2006, January 8). Want a Brainier Baby? Time. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1147180-1,00.html
Snoddon, K. (2000, May) Sign, Baby, Sign! World Federation of Deaf News, 13(1), 16-17. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from: http://www.handspeak.com/tour/kids/index.php?kids=signbabysign
Everyone wants a smarter baby. This study found that at age 8, children who had learned to sign as infants scored significantly higher on IQ tests than those who had not.
Acredolo, L. P., & Goodwyn, S.W. (2000). The long-term impact of symbolic gesturing during infancy on IQ at age 8. (Paper presented at the meetings of the International Society for Infant Studies, Brighton, UK.)
Classroom Use of Signing
Teachers are always looking for additional tools to reach young students. These studies looked at the benefits and use of sign language in the classroom. Research has found young children who are able to sign and communicate their needs to teachers demonstrate less frustration in the classroom.
Daniels, M. (1997). Teacher enrichment of prekindergarten curriculum with sign language. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 12(1), 27-33.
Whaley, K. (1999). Pilot study at the A. Sophie Rogers Infant-Toddler Laboratory School at Ohio State University. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from: http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/?id=SIGNLANG.OSU
Reaching Special Needs Children through Signing
For decades, speech language professionals have used signs simultaneously with speech in treating children who are slow to develop verbal communication. Using sign language has also proven to be a successful intervention with children with special needs including Down syndrome and autism. Many of the aberrant behaviors associated with developmental disabilities are rooted in the frustration associated with an inability to communicate. Signing can help alleviate this frustration in special needs children.
General Special Needs Research
Daniels, M. (2005) The silent signs of learning: ASL in a special needs class. Child Study Journal (in press).
Donovan, C. (1998, January/February) Teaching Sign Language. Disability Solutions, 2(5), 1, 3-7.
Apraxia of Speech
Gretz, S. (n.d.). Using sign language with children who have apraxia of speech. Retrieved Nov. 10, 2007 from: http://www.apraxia-kids.org/site/c.chKMI0PIIsE/b.980831/apps/s/content.asp?ct=464165
Square, P.A. (1994). Treatment approaches for developmental apraxia of speech. Clinical Communications Disorders, 4(3),:151-61.
Autism
Edelson, S.M. (n.d.). Signed speech or simultaneous communication. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from http://www.autism.org/sign.html.
Down Syndrome
Gibbs, E.D., Springer, A.S., Cooley, S.C., & Aloisio, S. (1991). Early use of total communication: Patterns across eleven children with Down syndrome. (Paper presented at the meeting of the International Early Childhood Conference on Children with Special Needs, St.Louis, MO.)
Hopmann, M.R. (1993). The use of signs by children with Down syndrome. Down Syndrome Today, 2(2), 22-3. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from: http://www.csdsa.org/artsigns.asp
Miller J.F., Sedey A., Miolo G., Rosin M., & Murray-Branch J. (1992). Vocabulary acquisition in young children with Down syndrome: Speech and sign. (Paper presented at the 9th World Congress of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Mental Deficiency. Queensland Australia August 1992.)
Watson, C. (Winter 1996). Total communication options for children with Down syndrome in the context of Hanen programs for parents. Wig Wag. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from: http://www.altonweb.com/cs/downsyndrome/watson.html
Children in Hospital Settings
Hall, S.S., & Weatherly K.S. (1989). Using sign language with tracheotomized infants and children. Pediatric Nurse, 15(4) 362-367. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from: http://www.ncbi.nih.gov
Reading Disabilities
Blackburn, D., Vonvillian, J., & Ashby, R. (1984). Manual communication as an alternative mode of language instruction for children with severe reading disabilities. Language, Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, 15, 22-31.
Carney, J., Cioffi, G., & Raymond, W. (1985, Spring). Using sign language for teaching sight words. Teaching Exceptional Children, pp. 214-217.
Sensenig, L., Topf, B., & Mazeika, E. (1989, June). Sign language facilitation of reading with students classified as trainable mentally handicapped. Education and Training of the Mentally Retarded, pp. 121-125.
Vernon, M., Coley, J., Hafer, J., & Dubois, J. (1980). Using sign language to remediate severe reading problems. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 13, 215-218.
About the Researchers
Dr. Linda Acredolo and Dr. Susan Goodwyn
In 1982, two researchers, Drs. Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn, noticed that young babies were spontaneously using simple hand movements to represent words they weren't yet able to say. This discovery prompted Acredolo and Goodwyn to conduct research, which spanned two decades, to study the effects of teaching hearing babies to sign. Much of this research was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Acredolo and Goodwyn conducted a longitudinal study that involved 103 11-month-old babies. What these researchers found was amazing: babies who communicated with sign language before they could speak actually learned to talk sooner and scored higher on intelligence tests when compared to their non-signing peers. These babies developed larger vocabularies, displayed more self-confidence and engaged in more sophisticated play than their non-signing peers. Even at age 8, children who had learned to sign as infants scored significantly higher on IQ tests than those who had not. In addition, the parents of these babies reported a decrease in frustration and a strengthening of the bond between themselves and their babies.
Dr. Elizabeth Bates
"We love to look at each other, share information with each other, imitate each other. That's what's innate," said Dr. Elizabeth Bates, the director of the Center for Research in Language at the University of California at San Diego. "The human brain has been tuned for social learning. We have a general purpose device for acquiring culture, technology and language. Yes, we're the only species on the planet with full-blown language, but we're also the only species with ice hockey and international finance and funeral parlors."
Dr. Marilyn Daniels
Dr. Marilyn Daniels, a professor of speech communication at Penn State University, has found that hearing students in pre-kindergarten classes who receive instruction in both English and ASL score significantly higher on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test than hearing students in classes with no sign instruction. Her studies demonstrate that adding visual and kinesthetic elements to verbal communication helps enhance a preschool child's vocabulary, spelling and reading skills.
Joseph Garcia
As Joseph Garcia began working as an interpreter in the late 1970s, he noticed that hearing babies of deaf parents could communicate their needs and desires at a much earlier age than children of hearing parents. Garcia began to research the use of American Sign Language with hearing babies of hearing parents at Alaska Pacific University in 1987. His thesis research showed that babies who are exposed to signs regularly and consistently at six to seven months of age can begin expressive communication by their eighth or ninth month.
After graduating, Garcia focused on creating a practical system for hearing parents to use sign language with their preverbal babies. He published his first book on the subject, Toddler Talk, in 1994. As Garcia began his doctoral studies in adult learning and education, he expanded and revised his program, which is now known as SIGN with your BABY®.
Dr. Patricia K. Kuhl
Dr. Patricia Kuhl, Co-director of the University of Washington Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, has researched the role of vision play in speech perception for infants. Dr. Kuhl's research has shown that infants have a surprisingly sophisticated knowledge not only of audible speech, but also of the visual components of speech. Dr. Kuhl’s research proves that infants demonstrate knowledge of the link between the sight and sound of speech at a very early age.
Dr. Kimberlee Whaley
Dr. Kimberlee Whaley started a longitudinal study in November 1999 to research the use of ASL signs with preverbal babies in a preschool environment. After her pilot study was conducted at Ohio State's A. Sophie Rogers Infant-Toddler Laboratory School, Dr. Whaley noted, "It is so much easier for our teachers to work with 12-month olds who can sign that they want their bottle, rather than just cry and have us try to figure out what they want. This is a great way for infants to express their needs before they can verbalize them."