The first signs to introduce to your baby

Learn baby sign language with these 5 basic signs.

Want to go further? There's an app to develop baby sign language.

As parents and caregivers, we often wonder about which signs to introduce first (signed vocabulary repertoire). You can start by familiarizing yourself with the 10 essential signs found on the 'Petit Signe' app, which can quickly address many needs and reduce much frustration for both parent and child. The 150 words and signs chosen for the 'Petit Signe' app considered the following elements:

Word Frequency:

The vocabulary was selected based on words frequently used with young children daily. These have been grouped by category.

• Think about daily routines and words that can be useful for you and your child (e.g., getting dressed, bath time, meal progression, brushing teeth, diaper changes...). Also, consider games and activities that little ones enjoy.

• Note that we communicate using concrete words, but we also use many descriptive words and action words in our interactions (e.g., it's good, I want more, it's hot...).

• Also, think about the following categories: significant people, food, toys, frequented places (e.g., home, daycare, park/playground, pool, store...), clothes, emotions, and qualifiers.

Communication Functions:

The repertoire was designed to support various communication functions (the goals behind the interaction). For example:

• Attracting attention / social interaction – E.g.: dad, mom, friend, baby…

• Requesting recurrence - E.g.: more

• Requesting cessation - E.g.: finished

• Asking for help – E.g.: help

• Asking for food – identify what comes up regularly during meals and snacks. - E.g.: milk, water, juice, banana, cereal, cookie, yogurt…

• Asking for or commenting on an object / a toy / a piece of clothing… - E.g.: book, stuffed animal, puzzle, doll, diaper, mitten, coat, spoon, pacifier…

• Asking for or commenting on an action - E.g.: eat, drink, sleep, give, want, walk, fall, play…

• Agreeing, denying, and protesting – E.g.: yes, no, want / don't want…

• Commenting on a state / tastes / emotions – E.g.: tired, likes, good, not good, hot, cold, boo-boo/hurt, happy, scared, beautiful…

• Expressing a polite phrase – E.g.: thank you, please, hello….

• Questioning – E.g.: where, who, what…

• …

What about names?

For names, you can invent a sign by taking inspiration from the first letter of the person's name and combining it with a personal characteristic. Think of a characteristic that can last over time (for example, a baby brother won't remain a baby for many years).