Bringing Up Baby with Baby Signs: Language Ideologies and Socialization in Hearing Families

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THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS an analysis of the functional roles of "baby signing" in three hearing families in the United States, as well as a discussion of the social and ideological implications of the practice. "Baby signing" refers to the use of visual-gestural signs between hearing parents and their young hearing children with the goal of earlier and clearer communication, often guided by parenting books, videos, and workshops that are available in the United States and other countries around the world. This practice has been adopted by many families who had no previous knowledge of a natural sign language and no contact with the Deaf community. Unlike previous research on baby signing, …