My Favorite Baby Sign Language Books and Resources
In this post, I explained to be wary of “baby sign language” books on the mass market. Ever since I was horrified by the gift I chose to give my sister at her baby shower, I have been on the search for something I can recommend with certainty.
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I’ve been asked NUMEROUS times for a book recommendation, and for the longest time I haven’t been able.
The back story…
For my sister’s baby shower, the invitation was to bring a board book to build the baby’s library in lieu of a card. Being a Teacher of the Deaf, I wanted to get a baby sign language book! I grabbed one off Amazon, wrote a super thoughtful note on the back, and gifted it to her. I never looked inside.
Later, I got the same book for our home library when I was expecting our daughter. I also never looked inside until after she was born.
I. WAS. HORRIFIED.
That’s when I began to dig around and came to learn about the incorrect signs, inconsistencies, and neglectfulness of these resources.
Needless to say, I am *thrilled* to have found these resources!
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Check out my online resources for parents! Browse my current offerings.
Favorite #1: Rhymes When Signed
Author Laura Blum has written board books that are written in English, but rhyme in ASL when they are signed! She works closely with Deaf artists to illustrate the books.
We own the first 3 books and the Kickstarter project for the next 3 is in full swing to pre-order. Not only is it wonderful language exposure to both English and ASL, but they are also wonderful concepts that last through toddlerhood. While my baby is engaged in the pictures and turning the pages, my toddler enjoys acting like the ocean animals on each page, finding her play food to match the pictures, naming her own family members, and the like.
Favorite #2: Sign Me Up for a Happy Home
Author Elise Tate is a mom, just like the rest of us. After feeling the overwhelm and confusion surrounding the available resources when she was trying to learn sign language for her daughter, she sought help from editor Colleen Farrell, who is a Deaf adult and holds a Master’s Degree in Deaf Studies: Sign Language Teaching.
With Elise’s mission to create a resource she wished was available to her and Colleen’s fluency in ASL, this is a fantastic resource for parents who want to use sign language with their babies and toddlers.
Learn more here (affiliate link).
