Baby Sign Language: How and When to Start (2026 Guide)
A practical guide to baby sign language — when to start, which signs to teach first, and how photo board books make the signs stick.
Baby sign language gives a child a way to tell you what they want months before they can say it. It’s simple to start, it costs nothing, and the main thing it asks of you is repetition. Here’s what it is, when to begin, which signs to teach first, and how books fit into a daily routine.
What is baby sign language?
Baby sign language is the practice of pairing a spoken word with a hand sign so a pre-verbal baby can communicate. Most families borrow the signs from American Sign Language (ASL) and use a small set of everyday words — milk, more, all done, eat, help — rather than learning ASL as a full language. The sign always goes with the spoken word, never instead of it.
Is baby sign language the same as ASL?
No. ASL is a complete language with its own grammar; baby signing is a handful of borrowed ASL signs used alongside spoken English. Many parents still choose real ASL handshapes rather than invented gestures, so the signs stay useful if a child keeps learning. The ABC Sign Language Board Book follows that approach, pairing every letter with its ASL handshape and your own photos.
When should you start baby sign language?
Most families start somewhere between six and nine months and see signs coming back between eight and twelve months. Starting earlier does no harm — you’re just modeling — but a baby needs enough motor control to bring their hands together before they can sign back. If your baby is already waving or pointing, they’re ready.
Which signs should you teach first?
Start with words your baby has a reason to use several times a day.
- Milk — opening and closing a fist, the most requested word of all.
- More — fingertips tapping together, useful at every meal.
- All done — hands turning outward, the sign that ends a lot of mealtime frustration.
- Eat — fingertips to the mouth.
- Help — a fist on a flat palm, lifted.
- Names — Mama, Dada, Grandma, Grandpa, paired with a photo of that person.
Add one or two new signs a week once the first ones land. Five reliable signs beat thirty half-learned ones.
How do you teach baby sign language?
Say the word, make the sign, and show the thing — every single time, in the same moment. Signing "milk" while holding the bottle at every feed is what builds the connection; signing it at random moments does not. Expect weeks, not days. Most babies watch for a long stretch before they attempt a sign, and their first attempts are approximations, the same way early speech is.
How do photo board books help with baby signing?
Books turn signing practice into a routine that happens at the same time each day, with the same words in the same order. A personalized photo board book does that with people your baby already knows: point to Grandma’s photo, say her name, make the sign. Because the faces are familiar, the only new thing is the sign itself. That’s the same reason personalized books help with early speech — we cover it in how photos help language development.
The Custom Board Book of Names & Faces is the natural starting point: 13 to 31 photos of parents, grandparents, siblings, and pets, each with their name, suitable from six months and up. For letters and handshapes together, the ABC Sign Language Board Book pairs all 26 letters with ASL.
Does baby sign language delay speech?
There’s no evidence that it does, and research on early language acquisition generally points the other way — gestures and pointing tend to travel alongside spoken vocabulary, not in place of it. The important habit is to keep saying the word out loud every time you make the sign, so your baby always hears the speech too.
Baby signing vs. talking at a glance
| Milestone | Typical age |
|---|---|
| Start modeling signs | 6–9 months |
| Baby signs back | 8–12 months |
| First spoken words | 10–14 months |
| Signs fade as speech grows | 18–24 months |
Ranges are typical, not a schedule — children vary widely, and a pediatrician is the right person to ask about your own child.
What kind of book holds up to a signing baby?
One built for hands that grab before they turn pages. Kids Board Books by Pinhole Press are printed on ultra-thick paperboard with rounded corners and a wipeable gloss coating, and every book is spiral-bound so pages lie flat while a baby uses both hands to sign. Titles run 20 to 56 pages and grow with the number of photos you add, except the ABC books, which have a page per letter. Nothing gets cut to fit — that’s Every Story Fits Perfectly™.
Where do you start?
Pick five signs, pick one book, and use them at the same two or three moments every day. Designing a book takes about 10 to 15 minutes, and it’s printed in the USA in 5 to 7 business days. Browse the ABC & Learning collection, read the personalized baby books buying guide, or see our routine for teaching first words with photo books.
Frequently asked questions
When should you start baby sign language?
Most families start between six and nine months and see babies signing back between eight and twelve months. If your baby is already waving or pointing, they have the motor control to begin.
What are the first baby signs to teach?
Milk, more, all done, eat, and help — plus names like Mama, Dada, Grandma, and Grandpa. Choose words your baby has a reason to use several times a day, and add one or two more per week.
Is baby sign language the same as ASL?
No. ASL is a full language with its own grammar; baby signing uses a small set of borrowed ASL signs alongside spoken English. Using real ASL handshapes keeps the signs useful later.
Does baby sign language delay speech?
There is no evidence that it does. Always say the word out loud while making the sign so your baby hears the speech along with the gesture.
How do photo board books help with baby signing?
They create a repeatable daily routine with familiar faces, so the only new thing your baby has to learn is the sign. Personalized photo board books pair each person's photo with their name and sign.
Kids Board Books is the personalized photo board book catalog from Pinhole Press, made with the littlest hands in mind. Every photo tells a story — this is how we help tell it.
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