The story of Erica and Megan Hewetson
I decided before Meg was born that I wanted to sign with her. The school where I teach had been using signs in the Nursery and we had seen great results. The children were enthusiastic about signing, motivated, and had gained excellent phonic skills. When those children reached Year 1, they had a far greater grasp of phonics than had any other group previously.
The class was taught by a teacher who was new to Year 1. I had been working with her to support target groups. She identified her target group: children with Special Educational Needs. When signing was introduced, they were soon making progress. As I watched them acquire phonics, I saw an example of a huge success. In the past, children of similar ability had not managed to achieve as high a level of phonics so quickly. They’d been heavily reliant upon published schemes as crutches. The problem was that once the scheme was taken away, the children were unable to work. With signing, they can take the ‘crutch’ with them. Signing doesn’t have to be unlearned—quite a difference from the crutches we’d given children in the past.
My husband and I began signing to Meg when she was about seven months old. I felt frustrated when I saw her grabbing things and I insisted that she look me in the eye when I gave her something as I signed "thank you" to her. Quickly she learned to look at us when we gave her
something, and ‘thank you’ was her first consistent spoken word—even though she never signed it! It was clear that she understood the "thank you" sign—as soon as we signed it to her, she said it.
By nine months, Meg began to respond to our signing. If she was crying she would stop when we signed what she wanted.
“Please” was her first sign—at 11 months.
By 14 months, Meg was making up her own signs, confident that she could communicate her needs to us. For example, she could signal that she needed her nappy changed.
She is now 18 months old and can create upward of 20 signs. She understands approximately 40 signs. What has struck me is that the first signs she has used are of abstract concepts: Please and Sorry. She knows exactly the right time to use them. She is also able to choose food without it being in front of her. As she finishes her lunch, I will sign some possible after's and she can tell me which one she wants.
I have seen amazing role play from her. I believe I see even more because through sign I am trained in watching her actions.
She now enjoys books more than ever and is interacting with them as she signs animals she finds in the books. She scours the pages for other things she knows the signs for. It has made sharing books such a pleasurable experience far earlier than I expected.
She’s headstrong and feels frustrated, yet I know that many potential tantrums have been avoided by her ability to communicate her needs to us. I believe that as a result of the signing we communicate so much better and that I have been allowed into her world much sooner. In fact I see how empowered she feels because she shares so much with me.
By nine months, Meg began to respond to our signing. If she was crying she would stop when we signed what she wanted.
“Please” was her first sign—at 11 months.
By 14 months, Meg was making up her own signs, confident that she could communicate her needs to us. For example, she could signal that she needed her nappy changed.
She is now 18 months old and can create upward of 20 signs. She understands approximately 40 signs. What has struck me is that the first signs she has used are of abstract concepts: Please and Sorry. She knows exactly the right time to use them. She is also able to choose food without it being in front of her. As she finishes her lunch, I will sign some possible after's and she can tell me which one she wants.
I have seen amazing role play from her. I believe I see even more because through sign I am trained in watching her actions.
She now enjoys books more than ever and is interacting with them as she signs animals she finds in the books. She scours the pages for other things she knows the signs for. It has made sharing books such a pleasurable experience far earlier than I expected.
She’s headstrong and feels frustrated, yet I know that many potential tantrums have been avoided by her ability to communicate her needs to us. I believe that as a result of the signing we communicate so much better and that I have been allowed into her world much sooner. In fact I see how empowered she feels because she shares so much with me.