Montessori School offers sign language for babies

A University of California study says infants who use sign language end up more advanced than their peers.

YOUNGSTOWN — Baby talk can be cute, but chances are, parents don’t really know what their young children are trying to say.

The Montessori School of the Mahoning Valley hopes to change that with an infant sign language class that aims to give a voice to babies who don’t yet speak.

Executive Director Amy-Anne Kibler said more than 17 years of research show that early exposure to sign language can speed brain development and verbal skills. It can also alleviate the frustration and guesswork of trying to figure out whether babies are tired, hungry, wet or in pain.

Four-week sessions begin April 2 at the school, located at 2008 Lynn Ave. in the Brownlee Woods section of the city.

Classes will be offered on Wednesdays, from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., and again at 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The interactive class, open to children ages 6 months to 21‚Ñ2, gets parents involved and encourages bonding.

Barbara Ricks, a speech and language pathologist, and Karen Wenzel, an interpreter and deaf educator, will head up the program.

A press release from the school touts a University of California, Davis study that says 35-month-old babies who learned sign language as infants speak almost one full year ahead of their peers. The study also showed that 8-year-olds who signed as infants had IQs that were 12 points higher than their nonsigning peers.

The study also suggests that signing babies end up with higher levels of self-esteem, a stronger bond with parents and an increased interest in books.

Parents are asked to sit on the floor with their kids in their laps, and Kibler said this helps give them the best opportunity for early expressive communication.

For more information about the class, call the school at 330-788-4622 or instructor Barbara Ricks at 330-540-1025.