Teaching Sign Language to Children
Age-appropriate ways to introduce signing to children, with games, songs, and the developmental benefits of learning BSL.
Age-Appropriate Learning
Children can begin learning sign language from infancy. Babies as young as six months old can start to understand and produce simple signs, often before they can speak their first words.
For toddlers and pre-schoolers, focus on signs that are meaningful to their daily lives — food, drink, more, finished, play, sleep. These practical signs reduce frustration and support early communication.
Primary school-aged children can learn more complex vocabulary, short phrases, and even basic BSL grammar. At this age, children are natural language learners and often pick up signs with impressive speed.
Older children and teenagers may enjoy learning BSL as a second language, exploring Deaf culture, and connecting with Deaf peers. Framing BSL as a valuable life skill motivates deeper engagement.
Games & Fun Activities
Signing games make learning enjoyable and memorable. Try 'Simon Says' using signs instead of spoken instructions, or play 'Sign Bingo' where children match signs to pictures.
Flashcard games with BSL signs on one side and pictures or words on the other help children build vocabulary. You can make these together as a craft activity, doubling the learning value.
Scavenger hunts where children find objects and sign their names are excellent for active learners. Hide items around the house or garden and have children sign each item as they discover it.
Storytelling with signs captures children's imaginations. Sign along to favourite picture books, or create your own signed stories. Children love the visual and physical nature of signed storytelling.
Songs & Rhymes with Signs
Many popular nursery rhymes and children's songs have BSL versions. Singing and signing together helps children associate signs with words in a fun, musical context.
Songs like 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,' 'If You're Happy and You Know It,' and 'Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes' translate beautifully into signed performances that children adore.
Creating signed music videos or performances for family members gives children a goal to work towards and a sense of achievement. It also helps them practise and remember the signs through repetition.
Look for BSL children's TV programmes and online videos that include signed songs and stories. These resources provide engaging visual input and model natural signing for young learners.
Benefits for Child Development
Research shows that learning sign language can boost cognitive development in children, improving memory, spatial awareness, and problem-solving skills regardless of hearing ability.
For hearing children, learning BSL develops empathy, inclusivity, and cultural awareness. It teaches them that people communicate in different ways and that all forms of communication are valuable.
Baby signing has been shown to reduce frustration in pre-verbal infants, strengthen the parent-child bond, and in some studies, support earlier speech development. It gives babies a way to express their needs before they can talk.
Children who learn BSL gain a lifelong skill that can benefit them personally, academically, and professionally. Being bilingual — in any combination of languages — is increasingly recognised as an asset in education and the workplace.