Why sign with my baby?

It's a good question!

The best reason to sign with your baby is communication. Because with babies as with all people, being able to communicate effectively reduces frustration and validates needs, feelings, and desires. And signing with your baby is fun! Your baby will get a kick out of learning new signs with you, and you'll love having more insight into what your baby enjoys. Some research also suggests that babies who sign have larger vocabularies at age two, and may have higher IQs when they're older. See Baby Center for my source and more expert opinion.

How does sign language help a hearing child communicate earlier than waiting for speech? Think about this:

• At 3 months old, your baby starts batting at toys and attempting to grab them
• By 4 months old, your baby can grab a large object
• At 8 months old, your baby is raking smaller objects towards himself, and has perfected getting things from his hands to his mouth
• Before a year (as early as 7 months!), your baby has mastered pincer grasp, meaning that she can hold small objects between her thumb and forefinger
• BUT most babies don't start saying words until they are a year or more, and probably won't start using two-word "sentences" until they are 18 months or older.

Babies develop manual dexterity faster than language, and their cognitive ability greatly outweighs their ablilty to vocalize what they're thinking. Think of all the words your baby knows... does she get excited when you start talking about milk? When you say "sippy cup" does he automatically start looking around for it? Does your baby love to look at animals? Your baby knows these things in her mind, but she can't vocalize them yet. Baby sign language gives your baby simple hand gestures to name what's most important to him.

Wondering if the time is right? If your baby is waving "bye-bye" or blowing kisses, she's already shown you that she can learn baby sign language! But remember, in order for you baby to learn signs, YOU have to learn the signs! Get a head start so you'll be ready when your little love-bug wants to sign!

Birdies and Stars

Violet and I met up with a girlfriend of mine and her 12-month-old daughter today at a petting zoo, then we went to Marie Callender's for lunch (you know, because kids eat free on Tuesdays!). At the petting zoo I actually got a picture of Violet signing "bird"! It's her favorite sign, but I've never really been able to get a good picture... here it is:

Then, while we were sitting on the patio at Marie Callender's, Violet started excitedly signing "stars"- sure enough, she was pointing to the Macy's sign, which had two big stars on it! It was fun to know that she was thinking about those stars, instead of wondering what was making her so excited. This happens to be MY favorite sign, because it's so cute to watch her do her little "star boogie". Unfortunately, my camera battery had already died- next time!

First Class: Success!

Thank you to all of the mommies who came out to my first baby sign language class! We had a great time, and all of the babies interacted really well. I'm excited to start the full five-week series in two weeks. I hope to see you there!

Free Class!

Join me for a FREE baby signs class as I test my curriculum! This class will mix and match signs from the five-week series. Please email littlehandsbabysigns@gmail.com to make a reservation.

2:00 PM, Monday, August 31st
at the
Westwood Recreation Center

We'll be on the lawn; look for a big pink sign and a lot of happy babies!

About Me

Hi Parents and Care-Givers!

I am a former English teacher with a Master’s Degree in Education. Although I loved my job, I quit over a year ago to stay home with my now-toddler, Violet Jean. Since leaving work, I have been thrilled with my new job teaching Violet! We have had such success with baby signs and so many “I would have missed that!” moments that I really want to share the experience with more parents.

Smiles, Sarah Lima

Welcome to Little Hands!

Baby sign language is a fun and exciting way to communicate with your baby before your baby can talk. So often, our babies cry because they are frustrated, and have no other way to communicate their needs. With baby sign language your baby will be able to communicate his or her needs to you! You’ll have “early access” to your baby’s thoughts, and may be surprised to discover how much your pre-verbal child understands.


I’m starting a series of five classes this fall (2009) at the Westwood Recreation Center in Los Angeles. There will be a Sunday afternoon series, and a Monday morning series. The classes are ideal for all pre-verbal babies, but keep in mind that babies 6-8 months and older are likely to start signing sooner than younger babies. For more information about classes, click here.


So come learn more about baby sign language, and how to start teaching your baby now! You’ll leave with informative reference sheets, and some great ways to easily integrate baby signs into your every day routines with your child.