Yes, toddlers can absolutely learn sign language, and many do so with remarkable success. Children between 12 and 36 months are actually in a prime developmental window for picking up signs because their cognitive understanding outpaces their verbal abilities. A toddler who struggles to pronounce “more” or “milk” can often master the corresponding signs within days, giving them a functional way to communicate needs that would otherwise result in frustration or tantrums. Research from the National Institutes of Health has shown that toddlers can learn and use dozens of signs, with some studies documenting vocabularies of 50 or more signs in children under two years old. The process differs somewhat from teaching signs to younger babies.
Toddlers tend to pick up signs faster because they already understand cause and effect, can imitate more precisely, and have stronger memories. A 15-month-old watching you sign “dog” while pointing at the family pet might start using that sign independently within a week, whereas a 7-month-old might need two months of consistent exposure before the same sign clicks. This article covers the specific ways toddlers learn signs differently than infants, what to realistically expect at various ages, common obstacles parents encounter, and practical strategies for building a signing vocabulary with your toddler. Throughout this guide, you will find age-specific milestones, comparisons between different teaching approaches, and honest assessments of what works and what does not. Whether you are starting from scratch with a toddler who has never been exposed to signing or building on signs introduced during infancy, the information here will help you set appropriate expectations and avoid common pitfalls.
Table of Contents
- At What Age Can Toddlers Start Learning Sign Language?
- Realistic Expectations for Toddler Sign Language Vocabulary
- Practical Methods for Teaching Signs to Toddlers
- Common Challenges When Signing with Toddlers
- Using Signs to Support Toddler Emotional Development
- The Transition from Signing to Speaking
- Conclusion
At What Age Can Toddlers Start Learning Sign Language?
toddlers can begin learning sign language at any point during the toddler years, though the experience varies considerably depending on their specific age. Children between 12 and 18 months typically learn signs more slowly than older toddlers but faster than infants, usually needing one to three weeks of consistent exposure before producing a sign independently. By 18 to 24 months, many toddlers can learn new signs after just a few demonstrations, sometimes picking them up within a single day if the sign connects to something they find highly motivating. The difference between a 13-month-old and a 26-month-old learning signs is substantial. The younger toddler is still developing fine motor control and may produce approximations of signs rather than precise hand shapes, much like their early spoken words are approximations of adult speech. A 13-month-old signing “ball” might use an open-close motion rather than the correct fingertip-touching gesture, and this is completely normal. The older toddler, in contrast, can usually produce more accurate signs and may even self-correct after watching an adult demonstrate the proper form. Both are successfully learning sign language, just at different developmental stages. However, starting sign language with an older toddler is not always easier. Children who have already developed substantial verbal skills, typically those over 24 months, may resist signing because talking feels more natural to them. If your 30-month-old already has 200 spoken words, introducing signs requires a different approach than teaching a pre-verbal 14-month-old. In these cases, signs often work better as supplements for complex concepts or emotions rather than basic requests, since the child can already verbalize simple needs.
## How Toddler Sign Language Learning Differs from Infant Learning The neurological and motor development differences between infants and toddlers create distinct learning patterns. Infants under 12 months typically need two to three months of repeated exposure before producing their first sign, and even then, their motor limitations mean signs often look quite different from the adult versions. Toddlers benefit from more developed memory systems, better hand-eye coordination, and crucially, an understanding that symbols represent things. This symbolic understanding, which emerges around 12 months for most children, dramatically accelerates sign acquisition. Toddlers also bring intentionality to signing that infants lack. A 9-month-old who learns to sign “milk” is responding to conditioning and association, connecting the hand motion with the experience of receiving milk. A 20-month-old learning the same sign understands that the gesture is a tool for communication, a way to request something from another person. This cognitive leap means toddlers often generalize signs more readily. A toddler taught “more” in the context of snacks might spontaneously use it to request more tickles, more swinging, or more book reading, demonstrating an understanding of the underlying concept rather than just a specific association. One limitation to recognize is that toddlers can also be more willful than infants about what they choose to learn. An infant will generally absorb whatever signs are consistently presented, but a toddler may show active disinterest in signs that do not serve their immediate purposes. If you spend weeks teaching signs for colors because you find it educational, but your toddler has no particular interest in communicating about colors, those signs may not stick. Toddler sign language learning works best when it aligns with the child’s intrinsic motivations.
Realistic Expectations for Toddler Sign Language Vocabulary
Setting accurate expectations prevents frustration for both parents and toddlers. Research studies on baby and toddler signing have documented wide variation in vocabulary size, with some 18-month-olds using five signs and others using 75. These differences do not predict later intelligence or language ability. A toddler using 10 signs meaningfully and consistently has achieved something valuable, regardless of what milestone charts or other families report. For a toddler starting with no prior sign exposure, a reasonable expectation is learning three to five functional signs within the first month of consistent practice, assuming daily exposure to those signs in natural contexts. By the third month, many toddlers use 10 to 20 signs and begin combining them into two-sign phrases like “more milk” or “all done eat.” However, if your toddler is simultaneously experiencing a spoken language explosion, which typically occurs between 18 and 24 months, sign acquisition may slow as verbal communication becomes the preferred mode.
A specific example illustrates typical progression. A family beginning to sign with their 16-month-old daughter started with five core signs: more, all done, milk, eat, and help. After two weeks, she produced “more” independently. By six weeks, she used “more,” “all done,” and “eat” regularly. At the three-month mark, she had added “help,” “dog,” “water,” and “book,” plus started combining “more eat” when she wanted additional food. This pace is common, though some toddlers move faster and others more slowly without any cause for concern.
Practical Methods for Teaching Signs to Toddlers
The most effective approach for toddlers combines demonstration, repetition, and immediate relevance. When you sign “cracker” while handing your toddler a cracker, you create a direct link between the sign and the desired object. This works better than signing during a quiet teaching moment disconnected from the actual experience. Toddlers learn contextually, so integrating signs into routines like mealtimes, bath time, and book reading yields faster results than dedicated practice sessions. Comparing two teaching styles reveals important tradeoffs. The immersive approach involves signing constantly throughout the day, treating signs like a second language exposure. This produces faster vocabulary growth but requires significant parent effort and consistency.
The targeted approach focuses on five to ten high-utility signs, practicing only those until mastered. This requires less parent effort and often produces quicker results for those specific signs, but vocabulary grows more slowly overall. Neither approach is superior; the better choice depends on family capacity and goals. Physical guidance, gently forming your toddler’s hands into sign shapes, works well for some children but backfires for others. Toddlers who dislike having their hands manipulated may develop negative associations with signing. If your child pulls away when you try to shape their hands, switch to an observation-only approach and let them develop their own approximations. Many toddlers self-correct their sign formations over time without any physical intervention, especially when they see the correct form modeled repeatedly.
Common Challenges When Signing with Toddlers
Toddler stubbornness presents the most frequent obstacle parents encounter. Unlike infants who passively receive sign input, toddlers have preferences and opinions. A toddler may refuse to sign for something they want, preferring to point and whine, even when they know the appropriate sign. This is normal testing behavior rather than a sign language failure. Consistently and calmly requiring the sign before fulfilling requests typically resolves this pattern within a few weeks, though some toddlers need longer adjustment periods. Sign approximations create another challenge because parents sometimes do not recognize their toddler’s attempts to communicate.
A toddler’s version of “help” might look nothing like the adult sign, especially early in the learning process. Keeping a mental or written log of your child’s sign approximations helps caregivers, grandparents, and babysitters understand what the toddler is communicating. Without this shared understanding, the toddler may stop using signs because they are not getting responses. A significant limitation to acknowledge is that signing does not resolve all communication frustration. Parents sometimes expect sign language to eliminate tantrums, but toddlers have emotional outbursts for many reasons beyond inability to communicate. A toddler who can clearly sign “cookie” may still melt down when told no cookies before dinner. Signing provides a tool, not a cure, for the inherent challenges of the toddler developmental stage.
Using Signs to Support Toddler Emotional Development
Beyond requesting objects, signs can help toddlers identify and express emotions they cannot yet verbalize. Signs for feelings like “scared,” “angry,” “sad,” and “frustrated” give toddlers vocabulary for internal experiences that might otherwise manifest as behavioral outbursts. A 22-month-old who lacks the verbal ability to say “I am frustrated because I cannot make this puzzle piece fit” might be able to sign “help” and “frustrated,” communicating enough to receive appropriate support.
One family found that teaching emotion signs to their 20-month-old son significantly reduced hitting behavior. When he felt overwhelmed, he had been hitting as his only outlet. After learning signs for “angry” and “help,” he began signing instead of hitting, giving his parents a chance to intervene before behavior escalated. This is not a universal outcome, and some toddlers need additional support beyond signing, but the example illustrates how sign vocabulary can extend into emotional regulation territory.
The Transition from Signing to Speaking
Most toddlers naturally reduce their signing as verbal language develops, typically between 24 and 36 months. This transition happens organically without parent intervention. A toddler who signs “water” for months may suddenly start saying the word, using the sign less frequently, and eventually dropping it entirely. This is the expected developmental progression and indicates successful bridging from gestural to verbal communication.
Some research suggests that toddlers who learn signs demonstrate slightly accelerated verbal vocabulary, though the effect is modest and not universal. What the research consistently shows is that signing does not delay speech. The persistent myth that signing will make toddlers “lazy” about talking has been thoroughly debunked by multiple studies tracking language development in signing and non-signing children. If your pediatrician expresses concern about signing delaying speech, this concern is not supported by current research, and you may want to share relevant studies or seek a second opinion.
Conclusion
Toddlers are excellent candidates for learning sign language, often picking up signs faster than infants due to their more developed cognitive and motor abilities. The key factors for success include starting with high-motivation signs, integrating signing into daily routines rather than treating it as separate practice, accepting and responding to sign approximations, and maintaining consistency even when toddlers test boundaries by refusing to sign. Realistic expectations about vocabulary size and acquisition speed help parents appreciate progress rather than feeling discouraged by comparisons.
For parents considering signing with a toddler, beginning with five practical signs related to your child’s daily needs and interests provides a manageable starting point. Signs like “more,” “all done,” “help,” “eat,” and one object sign for a favorite item give your toddler useful communication tools without overwhelming either of you. As those signs become established, expanding to emotion signs, activity signs, and additional objects follows naturally. The investment of consistent modeling for a few weeks typically yields a toddler who can express needs with less frustration and communicate more effectively during the months or years before verbal language fully develops.