The best first baby sign language words to teach are **milk**, **more**, and **all done** “” three simple, high-frequency signs that connect directly to your baby’s daily needs and desires. These foundational signs work so well because they offer immediate rewards: a hungry baby who signs “milk” gets fed, which creates powerful motivation to keep communicating. Most babies can begin learning signs between 4-6 months old, though they typically won’t sign back until 6-9 months, so patience during those early weeks is essential. The reason babies can sign before they speak comes down to basic physiology.
Arm and finger muscles develop faster than the complex coordination required for the mouth, throat, and nasal cavity to produce speech. This developmental gap creates a window “” sometimes lasting months “” where your baby understands far more than they can verbalize. Sign language fills that gap. A 10-month-old who frantically points at the refrigerator while crying transforms into one who calmly signs “milk” and waits for the bottle. This article covers when to start teaching signs, which words to prioritize beyond the starter three, what the research actually shows about cognitive and behavioral benefits, and practical strategies for weaving sign language into your daily routines without it feeling like another item on your parenting to-do list.
Table of Contents
- When Should You Start Teaching Baby Sign Language Words?
- Essential First Signs Every Baby Should Learn
- What Does the Research Say About Baby Sign Language Benefits?
- Why Some Babies Take Longer to Sign Back
- Expanding Your Baby’s Sign Vocabulary Over Time
- Long-Term Effects of Early Sign Language Exposure
- Conclusion
When Should You Start Teaching Baby Sign Language Words?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends starting baby sign language at 6 months old, which aligns with when most babies begin developing the motor control and cognitive readiness to absorb signs “” even if they can’t reproduce them yet. Some parents begin as early as 4 months, consistently signing during feedings and diaper changes, essentially building a foundation their baby will draw from later. Think of it like speaking to your newborn: they don’t understand the words initially, but the exposure matters. The gap between comprehension and production can frustrate eager parents. You might sign “milk” fifty times before your baby attempts it back.
This delay is completely normal. Most babies start signing between 6-9 months, but some don’t show visible signing until closer to their first birthday. The variation depends on individual development, how consistently signs are used at home, and the baby’s temperament. A highly observant baby might take longer to attempt signs because they’re perfecting the movement in their mind first. One common mistake is waiting too long to start because you want your baby to be “ready.” By the time babies show obvious readiness “” reaching, pointing, babbling with intent “” you’ve already missed months of potential exposure. Starting at 6 months, even when it feels like you’re signing into a void, pays off later when your baby suddenly signs “more” during breakfast and you realize they’ve been absorbing everything.
Essential First Signs Every Baby Should Learn
Beyond milk, more, and all done, the next tier of useful signs includes **mommy**, **daddy**, **eat**, **water**, and **help**. These cover the primary figures in a baby’s life and their most pressing physical needs. In American Sign Language, there’s a helpful pattern: female-associated signs like “mommy” happen below the nose (thumb taps the chin), while male-associated signs like “daddy” happen above the nose (thumb taps the forehead). This distinction makes the signs easier to remember and teach. The sign for “help” deserves special attention because it can prevent meltdowns. A toddler struggling with a puzzle piece who doesn’t have words might throw the puzzle across the room.
The same toddler who can sign “help” learns that communication solves problems more effectively than frustration. This single sign has been credited by many parents with dramatically reducing tantrums during the 12-18 month period when comprehension far outpaces verbal ability. However, the “best” signs ultimately depend on your specific baby and household. If you have a dog, teaching “dog” early makes sense because your baby sees the animal daily and will be motivated to communicate about it. If bath time is a beloved ritual, “bath” becomes more useful than “water” might be for another family. The core signs provide a communication foundation, but personalizing the vocabulary to your baby’s actual life accelerates learning.
What Does the Research Say About Baby Sign Language Benefits?
The most frequently cited research comes from Drs. Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn at UC, whose NIH-funded study spanning the 1980s through 2000 compared 32 sign-trained children against 32 verbally-trained children and 39 control children. The headline finding: children who signed as infants had IQs averaging 12 points higher at age 8 compared to their non-signing peers. This longitudinal tracking suggested that early communication advantages compound over time. Professional consensus supports these findings. In one survey of 79 professionals working in early childhood development, 97% believed sign language benefits early development, with 65% rating it “very beneficial.” The behavioral benefits extend beyond cognitive measures. Studies document that signing babies tend to have fewer tantrums, demonstrate better language skills as toddlers, and show improved social-emotional regulation. Parents consistently report less stress and frustration, describing the experience as having a “window” into their babies’ minds. A persistent myth suggests that teaching sign language delays verbal speech “” that babies who can sign won’t bother learning to talk. Research has found no evidence supporting this concern. Most studies actually show positive effects on verbal language development, likely because signing parents tend to engage in more face-to-face communication, label objects more frequently, and create richer language environments overall.
The signs become a bridge to speech, not a replacement for it. ## How to Teach Baby Signs During Daily Routines The most effective teaching method embeds signs into existing routines rather than creating separate “sign language practice time.” When you’re already feeding your baby, that’s the moment to sign “milk” or “eat.” When removing them from the high chair, sign “all done.” This approach requires no extra time in your day “” just conscious layering of signs onto activities you’re already doing. A parent signing “bath” while running the water every single evening creates more learning opportunities than a dedicated weekly signing session ever could. Experts recommend introducing only 1-3 signs at a time with frequent repetition. This constraint matters more than it might seem. Parents excited about sign language sometimes introduce a dozen signs in the first week, which dilutes the repetition any single sign receives and can overwhelm both parent and baby. Starting with just “milk” and “more” for two weeks, then adding “all done,” creates stronger neural pathways than a scattered approach covering many signs superficially. One critical technique: always say the word while signing it. This dual-channel input “” visual and auditory “” reinforces the connection between the sign and its meaning while simultaneously supporting verbal language development. Signing silently misses half the benefit. Additionally, frame signs as statements rather than questions. Signing “milk?” with a questioning tone can confuse babies; signing “milk” as a firm declaration while handing over the bottle creates a clearer cause-and-effect understanding.
Why Some Babies Take Longer to Sign Back
The timeline from first exposure to first produced sign varies enormously, and this variation causes unnecessary anxiety for many parents. Some babies sign at 7 months; others don’t produce recognizable signs until 14 months despite consistent exposure. Factors influencing this timeline include individual motor development, personality differences in risk-taking versus perfectionism, the amount of daily exposure to signs, and whether multiple caregivers are using signs consistently. Babies who attend daycare where providers don’t sign may take longer to produce signs at home, simply because their total daily exposure is lower. This doesn’t mean daycare babies can’t learn “” it means parents need to maximize signing during the hours they do have together.
Similarly, households with multiple caregivers benefit when everyone learns and uses the same signs. A baby receiving inconsistent signals “” one parent signing “more” and another using a different gesture “” faces a harder learning task. If your baby hasn’t signed by 12 months despite consistent effort, this isn’t cause for alarm, but it might warrant a conversation with your pediatrician about developmental milestones more broadly. The absence of signing in isolation means little; the absence of signing combined with limited eye contact, no response to their name, or lack of gesturing in general could indicate something worth professional evaluation. Most of the time, though, late signers are simply late signers, and they catch up quickly once they start.
Expanding Your Baby’s Sign Vocabulary Over Time
Once your baby masters the starter signs, the next phase involves strategic expansion based on their interests and your daily life. Common second-tier signs include **dog**, **cat**, **book**, **ball**, **sleep**, **hurt**, **please**, and **thank you**. The politeness signs (please and thank you) are particularly valuable because they establish early habits that translate directly into verbal manners later. A practical approach: observe what captures your baby’s attention and create signs around those interests. A baby fascinated by ceiling fans might benefit from learning “fan” even though it’s not on standard first-signs lists. A baby who loves peek-a-boo might take to “where” more readily than a baby who prefers stacking blocks.
This customization makes signing feel relevant rather than academic. The transition from signing to speech happens naturally for most children. As verbal abilities develop, babies gradually drop signs in favor of words “” sometimes keeping signs for emphasis or when upset. Some families continue signing well into toddlerhood because the combination of words and signs reduces miscommunication. “Water” spoken by a toddler might mean the water bottle, the bath, the rain outside, or the fish tank. “Water” signed while pointing at the fridge clarifies exactly what they want.
Long-Term Effects of Early Sign Language Exposure
The longitudinal data from the Acredolo and Goodwyn research suggests that benefits persist well beyond the signing period itself. The 12-point IQ advantage observed at age 8 indicates that something about early signing “” whether the communication itself, the parent-child interaction it fosters, or the cognitive exercise of learning a visual language “” creates lasting effects. These children weren’t still signing at 8; they had long since transitioned to speech. Yet the advantage remained measurable.
Beyond cognitive measures, parents report qualitative benefits that matter in daily life. Signing families often describe stronger bonds during infancy because communication began earlier. The frustration-reduction benefit during toddlerhood “” fewer tantrums, less parental stress “” creates a calmer household during what can otherwise be an exhausting developmental stage. These softer benefits don’t show up in IQ scores but significantly affect family quality of life.
Conclusion
Teaching baby sign language begins with three essential signs “” milk, more, and all done “” introduced around 6 months of age and woven into daily routines rather than treated as separate practice sessions. The research supports both cognitive and behavioral benefits, with signing babies showing higher IQs years later and fewer tantrums during toddlerhood. Parents consistently report that signing reduces frustration on both sides by opening a communication channel months before speech becomes possible.
Start simple, stay consistent, and remember that the gap between your signing and your baby’s response is normal and temporary. Say words aloud while signing them, focus on routine moments like feeding and bath time, and resist the urge to introduce too many signs at once. Your baby is absorbing more than you realize, and the moment they sign back for the first time makes all those weeks of apparently one-sided communication worthwhile.