“Good” is one of the most encouraging signs a toddler can learn. It starts exactly like “thank you” and lands in the other palm, and toddlers usually manage it between 12 and 18 months.
How to Sign “Good” in ASL
Photos: Rodasmith via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Make the handshape: Hold one hand flat at your chin, palm facing you. Hold the other flat in front of you, palm up.
- Touch your chin: Rest your fingertips lightly on your chin.
- Drop it down: Lower the hand until its back lands in the waiting palm.
Think of it as “thank you” that lands in your other hand — that landing is what makes it “good.”
Step-by-Step Photos
Photos: Rodasmith via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
When to Use It With Your Child
- At praise moments: Sign “good” with a big smile when they stack the block or finish the peas.
- About food: Taste something and sign “good” before offering a bite.
- At book time: Label pictures — “the puppy is being good!”
Tips for Success
- Pair it with applause at first; toddlers connect the sign to praise faster.
- A single flat hand bouncing off the chin counts as an early version.
- Model “good” far more often than “bad” — it keeps signing positive.
Signs Related to “Good”
“Bad” starts the same way but flips palm-down instead of landing in the palm, and “thank you” is the chin movement alone. All three share the chin starting point, so they reinforce each other.
“Good” appears in nearly every early-intervention core vocabulary list because praise is one of the highest-frequency messages parents send.