FOXBORO – More young children are learning to express themselves through sign language at day cares in Massachusetts.
“Imagine having all these big feelings and no way to get it out,” said Jessica Hearn, director of The Learning Experience in Foxboro. “That’s what sign language really helps our children do.”
Sign language for young children
Infants as young as six months are being taught the form of communication at their school.
Hearn says more and more research shows that young kids exposed to American Sign Language speak earlier, have larger vocabularies and actually understand more words by age 2, than those not exposed.
“It shows they’re going to have a higher language development, vocabulary and a higher IQ score,” Hearn said. She’s seen the benefits in her own son. “He was really frustrated at a young age, around 18 months, when they usually start developing early words to express themselves.”