The Phenomenon of Baby Sign Language: A Signing System Used With Toddlers
2016
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The Phenomenon of Baby Sign Language: A Signing System Used With Toddlers
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2016
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Abstract
Baby Sign Language (BSL) used with young children with typical hearing
abilities is a popular phenomenon with many parents. A number of Baby Sign
Language studies claim that BSL improves children's abilities to communicate
their needs and wants with their parents along with other potential benefits, too.
Although BSL continues in popularity, a number of studies dispute the claims
made about the benefits of using BSL. The researcher/teacher from a Midwestern
college childcare program conducted this pre-experimental quantitative study.
The purpose of the study was to determine if a teaching unit on BSL used as an
educational intervention with a group of toddlers ranging in age from 16 monthsof-
age to 35 months-of-age has an effect on their communication skills according
to the parent's perspectives of their experiences of their children at home. The
researcher/teacher was interested in the data collected from the study participants
that included two fathers and nine mothers who completed both a pre-study
survey and a post-study survey. The number of participants in the study was
inconsistent since fourteen parents completed the pre-study survey (two fathers
and twelve mothers) and eleven parents completed the post-study survey (two
fathers and nine mothers). The foundation of this study was the research
completed by Thompson, Cotnoir-Bichelman, McKeerchar, Tate, and Dancho
(2007). In the current study, many parents found using BSL "helpful” for
assisting young children with their communication skills. Many parents used
BSL with their toddlers at home some time between their toddler's first and
second birthdays and before their children were talking. The parent's motivation
to use BSL with their children lessened once their children orally communicated
more effectively. This was consistent with some studies who found there was a
short window of time when parents used BSL with their children. The use of
BSL dropped off once their children became effective oral communicators. The
current research found some effect on the toddler's communication skills with
the children learning and using BSL, although the results were not statistically
significant.
Description
Capstone Project Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
The Master of Education Degree in the College of Education and Human Service Professions
By Melinda Gay Ferry, University of Minnesota Duluth. August 2016. 1 computer file (PDF); ix, 124 pages, appendices A-L, tables. This item has been modified from the original to redact the signatures present.
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Ferry, Melinda G. (2016). The Phenomenon of Baby Sign Language: A Signing System Used With Toddlers. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/193345.
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