Ways to Introduce Sign Language to Babies for Early Communication Development

Crying isn't only the way a baby can communicate... Thank Goodness!

"Language is the most powerful instrument of human progress."

- Maria Montessori

Born without language skills or knowing how to speak, crying is the only way a baby can communicate with the outside world. Babies start to communicate with us as soon as they enter the world, not by popping out to say hello or how are you? But instead, a baby says hello and tells you what it needs by crying. Born without language skills or knowing how to speak, crying becomes the only way a baby can communicate with the outside world... And communicate they do!

Spoken language and facial cues eventually come as muscle development and coordination develop within their brains, but most babies know what they want long before they know how to communicate it verbally. Focusing on early childhood development means that parents can offer infants and toddlers new ways to communicate, other than crying, through a few fun and development-forward ways! Introducing sign language can be so beneficial for you and your baby too, not only do you start to challenge the formation of their language, coordination, and communication skills, but sign language can further support your infant or toddler feeling bonded and understood by you! What's even better, you can start practicing sign language with your baby as early as you want. I started around 9 months, and by 12 months my son was really starting to grasp that he could use these signs to tell me what he wanted. I also noticed that his grasp of manners: please, thank you, and others, started to develop as his understanding of the signs deepened. Now let me share some easy ideas on how to incorporate sign language into your day in order to help your baby learn. A visual demonstration of each sign can be seen by clicking the linked word highlighted below.

Show me the Signs!

The first sign I like to introduce is "milk". This is because they are babies, and for a long time, milk is all they have known, and they know when they want it! This sign can be done by using your hand like you are squeezing the udder of a cow. Before you feed your baby, either breast or bottle, you can do this sign along with saying the word milk. It’s important to say the word along with the sign so they associate the two together; it will also help them catch on quicker. Each time they have milk or reach for wanting milk, repeat the sign with the word. This sign is a little hard to guide them on how to do themselves, but it doesn’t hurt to try!

The next sign I like to encourage is the sign "more". The easiest way to introduce this sign is during feeding times. If you are spoon-feeding your baby, you can show them the sign "more" between bites; you can also take their hands and guide them on how to do it. If they have solid food, just give them a small portion, and when they are finished, do the sign "more" and show them how to do it, then give them more. At the start, you may feel like a broken record repeating and emphasizing these signs, but they are listening and observing, and you will be amazed how quickly they catch on and start communicating with you!

The following signs I never did in a particular order; in fact, they were all kind of introduced at the same time for my son! The next signs are: "please" (flat hand moving in a circle on the chest), "thank you" (flat hand with fingertips touching the chin then moving in a downward forward motion in front of you), "all done" (arms up, fingers open and twist hands), and "eat" (fingertips bunched and brought to lips of mouth)! Please reference the photos for the signs as my descriptions may not be super clear!

Introducing the sign "all done" was one of my favourites. Why? Because if you have started feeding your baby and letting them have control over the food on their tray, they learn very quickly how to throw their food or swipe their plate to the floor. Once they learn the sign "all done", it will help reduce the number of times you will be picking up swiped or thrown food from the floor at least a little bit! A few more examples of when I found it beneficial to work on demonstrating the sign "all done" were when we were finished tidying up toys, at the end of a bath, before getting out of the stroller, and after a diaper change was finished.

Introducing the sign "eat" was really beneficial around the one-year mark as the baby needs to start relying more on food than milk. We started reducing bottles by replacing them with a snack or meal, and each time I would demonstrate the sign "eat". Once he picked it up, it was helpful for him to tell me what he wanted during the day. Sometimes he would sign "milk" and other times he would sign to "eat". Depending on the time of day, I would even provide choices and ask him using signs and words, allowing him the opportunity in his day to use the signs as well.

Every spoken word has a sign, as that is how some people solely communicate, and if you are wanting to teach your baby other words, I would encourage you to look up what those signs are and find ways to help your child learn that sign. These signs were the ones I found most beneficial and the common ones that babies can catch onto quickly and help reduce crying and improve communication between my son and me. If I were to pick a few more words to introduce next, they would be help, play, sleep, and bath.

I have worked in many daycares where babies were already able to communicate through sign language, and it was very helpful to the educators to understand the babies' needs. At one Montessori Childcare Centre I worked for, we introduced a new sign each week with the infants as part of their language development. You can never be too young or too old to learn a new language, so give it a try together!

"Of all the skills available to us, communication is perhaps the most empowering." - Bret Morrison

For more early childhood development information and ways to support your babies milestones, check us out at:

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The information shared on this blog is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical, professional, or legal advice. We are not healthcare professionals. Always consult with a qualified professional regarding your child or family’s specific needs. Use of this information is at your own discretion. For full details, please visit our Legal page.

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