Signing for Family
Mommy
Family literacy is more than learning new words or reading
books together. Family literacy is also communicating.
A great way to communicate with your child is through
the use of sign language. Research shows that teaching
your child to sign does not slow down speech, but helps
to increase the development of speech. There are lots of
online resources to help you build your sign language skills,
but here are a few signs in ASL (American Sign Language)
1. open your hand with fingers apart,
little finger pointing away from your
body and thumb facing your chin
to get started.
What do you do?
1. While making or reading signs, say the word
out loud as well.
2. Repeat the sign whenever you say the word.
2. tap your thumb on your chin
3. When your child uses a sign, say the word out
Daddy
loud and sign it back to your child.
4. Have fun!
Eat
1. Daddy is the same hand
position and motion as Mommy
1. place the tip of your
thumb against your
fingertips to form a
duck’s bill shape
2. tap fingers and thumb
on your mouth
2. tap your forehead
instead of your chin
For more fun activities you can share with your children, visit
FamilyLiteracyFun.ca
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Signing for Family
More
1. bring fingertips and thumb
together to form a duck’s bill
shape with both hands
2. with thumbs facing body, tap
fingers of hands together in
front of your chest
Diaper
1. fold in your third finger and
pinkie finger
2. place index finger and middle
finger together
3. tap your index and middle fingers to
thumb at waist level (or where your
child can see the sign)
It’s just like playing little castanets!
Book
1. place your hands together palm to palm
2. keep your pinkies together
3. open your hands like
reading a book
For more fun activities you can share with your children, visit
FamilyLiteracyFun.ca
Proudly supported by