To use baby sign language daily, weave a small set of signs into the routines you already have — meals, diaper changes, bath time, bedtime, and play. Start with just three to five high-frequency signs like MORE, MILK, and EAT, and pair each one with the spoken word every single time. That consistency, repeated across ordinary moments throughout the day, is what turns signing from a novelty into a genuine communication tool. For example, a parent who signs MILK before nursing, while preparing a bottle, and again while the baby drinks is giving their child three natural exposures in a single feeding — no flashcards or formal lessons required.
Research supports this approach. A landmark NIH-funded study by Acredolo, Goodwyn, and Brown tracked 32 signing infants against 39 controls and found that signing children were three months ahead in verbal skills by age two, with statistically higher receptive and expressive language outcomes through 24 months. A follow-up at age eight found those same children scored an average of 12 IQ points higher than their non-signing peers. Importantly, no research has demonstrated that baby sign language causes a delay in spoken language development. This article covers when to start, which signs to teach first, how to build signing into every part of your day, techniques that actually work, common mistakes to avoid, and what to do when your baby does not seem to be signing back.
Table of Contents
- When Should You Start Using Baby Sign Language Every Day?
- Which Signs Should You Teach First and Why It Matters
- Building Signs Into Mealtime, Bath Time, and Bedtime
- Daily Techniques That Accelerate Learning
- What to Do When Your Baby Is Not Signing Back
- Using Music and Songs to Reinforce Daily Signing
- Signing as a Foundation for Language Development
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
When Should You Start Using Baby Sign Language Every Day?
Experts recommend introducing baby sign language between four and six months old, when babies begin attending to and imitating gestures. That said, do not expect your child to sign back right away. Most babies will not independently produce signs until eight to twelve months old, so the early months are about exposure, not performance. A useful developmental marker is independent sitting, which typically happens around five to seven months. Once a baby can sit without support, their hands are free for reaching, grabbing, and eventually signing. This means the first weeks — sometimes months — of daily signing are a one-way street.
You sign, your baby watches. Many parents lose motivation during this period because it feels like nothing is happening. But this stage is no different from spoken language: babies hear thousands of words before they say their first one. The daily repetition you put in at five or six months is laying groundwork that shows up months later, often suddenly, when your child signs MORE at the dinner table or MILK when they wake up hungry. If your baby is already past six months and you have not started, there is no penalty for a late start. Older babies often pick up signs faster because their motor skills and comprehension are more developed. The principle stays the same regardless of age: pick a few signs, use them consistently in context, and say the word aloud every time.
Which Signs Should You Teach First and Why It Matters
The three best starter signs are MORE, MILK, and EAT — the most common things babies want to communicate. These work well because they are tied to strong, immediate motivations. A hungry baby has a reason to sign MILK in a way they do not yet have a reason to sign TREE. Motivation drives repetition, and repetition drives learning. After your child begins responding to those first signs, expand gradually with ALL DONE, WATER, MOM, DAD, HELP, DIAPER, and SLEEP.
These cover the major categories of a baby’s daily life: eating, caregiving, comfort, and identifying the important people around them. A practical approach is to add one or two new signs per week once your baby is actively using at least two or three signs consistently. However, if your child shows particular interest in something outside the standard starter list — dogs at the park, birds outside the window, a favorite toy — there is no rule against teaching those signs early. Following your child’s attention is often more effective than following a prescribed curriculum. The limitation of sticking rigidly to “essential” signs is that you may miss what your individual child is most eager to communicate about. The goal is functional communication, not checking items off a list.
Building Signs Into Mealtime, Bath Time, and Bedtime
The easiest way to make signing a daily habit is to anchor it to routines that already happen at predictable times. Mealtimes offer the most natural repetition opportunities because they happen multiple times a day and involve clear, concrete concepts. Useful mealtime signs include EAT, DRINK, MORE, MILK, ALL DONE, BANANA, CRACKER, and WATER. A parent might sign EAT before placing food on the high chair tray, sign MORE when the child reaches for another piece, and sign ALL DONE when the meal is over. Three meals plus snacks can easily produce a dozen signing moments without any extra effort. Bath time is another rich context. Signs like BATH, WATER, BUBBLES, DUCK, SOAP, CLEAN, and DRY map directly onto objects and actions the child can see and feel.
Because bath time is multisensory — warm water, splashing, the smell of soap — signs taught here tend to stick well. A parent who signs WATER while turning on the faucet and again while pouring water over the baby’s hands is creating the kind of repeated, in-context exposure that works. Bedtime rounds out the daily cycle with signs like BED, SLEEP, BATH, BOOK, MOON, STARS, LIGHT, and I LOVE YOU. The bedtime routine is particularly valuable because it is slow and predictable. There is no rush. You can sign BOOK before reading, MOON while pointing at a picture, and SLEEP as you lay your child down. Over weeks and months, these signs become part of the ritual itself, and many toddlers begin initiating them — signing BOOK when they want a story or SLEEP when they are tired.
Daily Techniques That Accelerate Learning
The single most important technique is to always say the word out loud while signing. Never sign silently. This reinforces spoken language development and ensures your child is learning the sign as a bridge to verbal communication, not a replacement for it. The Cleveland Clinic emphasizes this point specifically: signing should always accompany speech, not substitute for it. Sign before, during, and after an activity for maximum repetition. If you are about to give your child milk, sign MILK while asking “Do you want milk?” Sign it again while pouring or preparing, and once more while your child drinks.
This triple exposure in a single natural interaction is far more effective than a single demonstration. Huckleberry’s guide to baby sign language recommends this layered approach as one of the highest-impact habits parents can adopt. A common tradeoff parents face is between variety and consistency. Adding many signs quickly feels productive but can dilute the repetition each individual sign gets. Starting with three to five signs and adding new ones gradually, as Pampers recommends, gives each sign enough daily exposure to actually take hold. Once your baby is reliably using a few signs, the pace of adding new ones can increase because the child now understands the concept of signing itself — that a hand movement can represent a thing or an action.
What to Do When Your Baby Is Not Signing Back
Consistency is critical, and the American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to model signs even when the baby is not signing back yet. It may take several weeks — sometimes two months or more — before a baby produces their first sign. During this period, many parents wonder whether they are doing something wrong. In most cases, they are not. The gap between comprehension and production is normal and expected. When your baby does begin signing, reward approximations. A baby’s version of MORE might not look like the textbook sign — it might be a clumsy clap or a fist squeeze.
That is fine. Encourage the effort rather than correcting the hand shape. Babies refine their signs over time, just as they refine their pronunciation of spoken words. Omega Pediatrics emphasizes that insisting on perfect form can discourage a child who is trying to communicate. One important caveat from research published in the ASHA Leader: the largest benefits of baby sign language appear for children who are linguistically behind their peers, rather than providing a uniform boost for all toddlers. This does not mean signing is pointless for typically developing children — reduced frustration, fewer tantrums, and improved parent-child communication are well-documented benefits across the board. Signing babies had fewer episodes of crying and temper tantrums, and parents reported less stress and frustration, according to research summarized by Bright Horizons. But parents should be realistic: signing is a communication tool, not a guaranteed intelligence enhancer for every child.
Using Music and Songs to Reinforce Daily Signing
Songs paired with signing increase both engagement and memorability. A simple strategy is to add signs to songs you already sing — signing STAR during “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” or signing WATER and CLEAN during a bath-time song. The Bump recommends this approach as a way to make signing feel playful rather than instructional.
Music activates different neural pathways than speech alone, which can help signs stick in contexts where verbal instruction might not hold a baby’s attention. Playtime offers similar opportunities. Signs like PLAY, BALL, DOG, CAT, BIRD, and OUTSIDE connect to activities and objects that children are naturally excited about. A parent at the park who signs BIRD every time one flies past, or DOG when one walks by, is teaching through genuine shared attention — the most powerful learning context available.
Signing as a Foundation for Language Development
Baby sign language is best understood not as a standalone program but as an early layer in your child’s overall language development. The signs your child learns at nine months become the words they say at fifteen months, which become the sentences they construct at two years. The NIH-funded longitudinal research bears this out: the signing children did not just sign better — they spoke better, tested better, and maintained those advantages years later.
Looking ahead, the daily signing habits you build now also prepare your family for something broader. Many parents who start with baby sign language develop an interest in ASL itself, and some continue teaching their children sign language well into the preschool years. Whether you stop signing once your child is verbal or continue building a bilingual foundation, the daily practice of watching your child closely, responding to their attempts at communication, and giving them tools to express what they need is the real skill you are developing — for both of you.
Conclusion
Using baby sign language daily comes down to a straightforward practice: pick a few signs that match your child’s strongest daily motivations, say the word every time you sign it, and repeat across the routines you already have — meals, baths, bedtime, and play. Start between four and six months, expect to wait weeks or months before your baby signs back, and reward their early attempts even when the hand shapes are approximate. The research consistently shows that this approach supports rather than delays spoken language, reduces frustration for both parent and child, and can provide measurable developmental benefits.
The most common reason parents stop signing is discouragement during the gap between when they start and when their baby responds. If you take one thing from this article, let it be this: that gap is normal, it is temporary, and the repetition you put in during that quiet period is exactly what makes the breakthrough possible. Stay consistent, follow your child’s interests, and let the daily routines do the heavy lifting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will baby sign language delay my child’s speech?
No. No research has demonstrated that baby sign language causes a delay in spoken language development. The NIH-funded study by Acredolo, Goodwyn, and Brown found that signing children actually had higher expressive and receptive language scores than non-signing peers through 24 months.
How long does it take for a baby to sign back?
Most babies will not independently produce signs until eight to twelve months old, even if you start introducing signs at four to six months. It may take several weeks of consistent modeling before a baby signs back. The delay between exposure and production is normal.
How many signs should I start with?
Start with three to five signs and add new ones gradually as your baby begins responding. MORE, MILK, and EAT are widely recommended as the best starter signs because they connect to strong, immediate motivations.
Does my baby’s sign need to look perfect?
No. Babies will produce rough approximations of signs, just as they produce rough approximations of words when they first start talking. Reward the effort and the intent. Hand shapes refine naturally over time.
Do all babies benefit equally from signing?
Research published in the ASHA Leader suggests the largest measurable benefits appear for children who are linguistically behind their peers. However, reduced frustration, fewer tantrums, and stronger parent-child communication are benefits reported across the board.