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Bonita Broughton signs to her 2-year-old daughter, Leia,
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About a year ago, Andrea Grosvenor watched a 14-month-old throw a crying fit at a mall food court.
The baby, who hadn't learned to speak yet, tearfully pointed to his diaper bag. A frustrating guessing game ensued between child and mother.
She handed him a juice cup. Then a bag of cereal. The baby responded by wailing louder. Then she gave him what he'd wanted all along--a milk bottle.
Grosvenor, who lives in Stafford County, looked to her own child, 14-month-old Alex. The blond-headed bundle smiled and tapped his left elbow.
Alex wanted crackers. Grosvenor knew it. Over the past four months, he'd been using sign language to communicate. This hand-to-elbow motion meant "crackers."
After watching the scene at the mall, Grosvenor wondered how many tantrums she'd avoided--tantrums often thrown by frustrated youngsters old enough to know what they want but too young to say it.
With simple hand movements, Alex could tell his parents he wanted milk, or that he was hungry or sleepy.
This silent speech is the product of the book "Baby Signs: How to Talk With Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk," published in 1996.
The authors, child-development professors Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn, reasoned that since babies gesture for what they want, parents could enhance this by using signs for certain words.
They were right. At age 10 months to a year, those constantly exposed to signing began to sign back. The babies continued until they learned to speak.
Parents were intrigued, and the concept became a hit.
Today, Baby Signs sells board books, games, toys and singalongs for little ones.
In April 2003, the company began hiring consultants to share these products and teach new moms how to sign.
A year ago, Baby Signs consultant Ann Supanklang offered this area's first "Sign, Say and Play" course. Three moms signed up for the six-week class.
But word spread quickly, and interest has exploded. Now, the Spotsylvania mother of one is a district manager for Baby Signs and oversees a half-dozen consultants.
Since last January, more than 60 babies have completed a program locally--learning to talk with their hands before mastering language.
Alex, Grosvenor's first baby, is one of them. She signed up for a six-week class last May.
"It was so much fun," Grosvenor said. "Alex had such a good time."
He signed his first word--milk--at 10 months old. Six months later, Alex could sign more than 100 words.
Walking through their neighborhood one day, Alex signed "pig" and pointed into a back yard. Grosvenor didn't see anything at first. Then she noticed a potbellied pig.
A month later, mother and son were taking another stroll. "He started signing 'pig' again before we even got to the house. He remembered."
Grosvenor got chills. "I thought, 'My child is brilliant!' It shows you they understand so much more than you realize."
Grosvenor became a Baby Signs consultant. She shares her experience and knowledge with new moms each Thursday evening at Fredericksburg's Dorothy Hart Community Center.
In this Level 3 class, parents and children are learning signs for things like bulldozer, rocket ship and ambulance. They sign, sing songs and play games.
Seven families come regularly, and these veteran parents swear by Baby Signs.
Their little ones can communicate while others their age can't. Their children aren't as frustrated. They throw fewer tantrums.
Babies exposed to sign language learned to talk earlier, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. They strung together more coherent sentences than other children their age. At age 8, they scored 12 points higher on IQ tests, research showed.
For now, though, moms like Geri Peters of Stafford County are satisfied with the immediate benefits of baby sign language.
"Without it, I wouldn't know what she was thinking," Peters said of daughter Nora, who is 21 months old. "She can ask for a cookie or cheese. Food is a big one. 'More' is very helpful."
There are hundreds of stories and reasons why parents decided to try Baby Signs.
Laura Simmons takes a beginner's class at Stafford County's Recreation Center with twins William and Alden. William was born hearing-impaired.
"I want to make sure he's exposed to language as much as possible," she said.
Once a week, William and Alden sit in a circle with other moms and babies. They go through a stack of flash cards: duck, toothbrush, water, bath and bubbles.
The mothers learn first. Then, with lots of repetition, the babies join in.
To reach KRISTIN DAVIS: 540/368-5028 kdavis@freelancestar.com
