Baby sign language can support early communication, but it is not a speech test and should never replace talking. Use this checklist: model a simple sign while saying the word, repeat it during predictable routines, and track broader communication—not only signs. Baby sign language means using simple hand gestures for needs or ideas such as "more," "milk," or "all done." It may give a child another way to communicate while speech develops, but progress varies from child to child.
Table of Contents
- What should the checklist measure?
- How to model a sign
- What effective repetition looks like
- How to read progress without overinterpreting it
- When to ask for early-intervention help
What should the checklist measure?
Track whether your child communicates more clearly over time. A sign counts as progress when the child uses it intentionally, even if the movement does not look exactly like the adult model.
Look beyond the number of signs. Notice whether your child also: This is a home observation list, not a diagnostic tool. The CDC explains that its milestone checklists describe behaviors seen in at least 75% of children at a given age; they are communication tools rather than developmental standards or diagnoses.
- Looks toward you or a familiar object
- Responds to words or gestures
- Points, waves, or reaches with a clear purpose
- Attempts sounds or spoken words
- Follows simple directions
How to model a sign
Choose one or two signs connected to frequent, motivating moments. Before giving more food, for example, make the sign for "more," say "more" naturally, and then respond to the child. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends modeling a simple sign while speaking and repeating it consistently in daily routines.
Its guidance also notes that babies introduced to signs at 6 or 7 months may begin using them around 8 or 9 months, although timing differs widely among children in its HealthyChildren guidance. Keep each model brief: Do not turn every interaction into a lesson. A few useful signs repeated in meaningful situations are easier to follow than a long list presented without context.
- Get your child's attention without forcing eye contact.
- Make the sign where your child can see it.
- Say the matching word in your usual voice.
- Respond to the child's attempt, including an approximate gesture.
- Continue talking before and after the sign.
What effective repetition looks like
Repetition means pairing the same sign and spoken word with the same kind of event. Use "milk" before offering milk, "more" during meals or play, and "all done" as an activity ends. Give the child time to respond, but avoid withholding food, comfort, or a wanted object until the sign is copied.
You can acknowledge a reach, sound, look, point, or partial hand movement and then model the sign again. Practice should fit inside ordinary routines: Consistency matters more than perfect form. If several caregivers participate, agree on the gesture and spoken word so the child sees the same pairing.
- Meals: "more," "eat," and "all done"
- Dressing: "shoe" or "on"
- Play: "again," "ball," or "help"
- Bedtime: "book," "sleep," or "finished"
How to read progress without overinterpreting it
A new sign shows that a child has learned one way to express meaning. It does not, by itself, show whether spoken-language development is early, typical, or delayed. That distinction matters because research has not established that teaching baby signs produces faster spoken-word learning.
In a four-week experiment involving 92 children who were 15 months old, children learned signs through videos or parent instruction, but the groups did not differ from controls in learning the corresponding spoken labels in the published Child Development study. Use age-based communication milestones as context. The CDC milestone checklists include: Treat these ages as prompts for observation, not pass-or-fail deadlines. A useful progress note records the date, the situation, what the child understood, and how the child communicated.
- At 12 months: waving "bye-bye," using "mama," "dada," or another special name, and understanding "no"
- At 15 months: pointing to request help, looking at a familiar object when it is named, following directions paired with gestures, and trying one or two words beyond "mama" or "dada"
- At 18 months: pointing out something interesting, trying three or more words beyond "mama" or "dada," and following a one-step direction without gestures
When to ask for early-intervention help
Contact your child's clinician when communication progress stalls, skills disappear, milestones raise concerns, or you are uneasy about what you observe. You do not need to wait for a child to stop signing or reach a particular word count before discussing a concern. A clinician may evaluate hearing and both expressive and receptive language. Expressive language is what a child communicates; receptive language is what the child understands.
The clinician may also consider whether language delay accompanies hearing loss, a broader developmental delay, or autism, and may refer a child under age three to early intervention according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Signs can remain part of that support. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association classifies gestures and signs as low-tech augmentative and alternative communication, or AAC, and states that young children do not need prerequisite skills to use AAC. A speech-language pathologist can help a family choose communication supports suited to the child rather than requiring signs to replace speech.