ABSTRACT
This case study presents data from a study which evaluated the interactional value of a Baby Signing Approach (BSA) with practitioners in their everyday care of pre-verbal babies, building a capacity for voice. A baby sign approach is when physical handshapes are used to symbolise a word and meaning, allowing babies to communicate their emotions, needs, and objects prior to being able to verbalise them. Baby signs are always used in conjunction with speech as a way of supporting verbal communication.
The practitioners own voice was drawn upon in sharing thoughts and reflections using BSA. The rationale for implementing BSA was to
support practitioner and baby interactions between the practitioners and babies in their care, and
develop practitioner skills, working innovatively and authentically, emotionally interacting with babies (EYFS, 2017).
The success of the technique was in the collaborative approach to implementing the BSA, with the practitioners learning from each other as well as from the babies about how they could express themselves. The BSA created opportunities for babies to reciprocate and then initiate baby signs as a way of emotionally expressing themselves and be understood. In the latter weeks the practitioners also felt a shift was occurring in their own emotional responses with the babies in their care; they slowed down their communication, they listened more and felt more confident in calmly supporting the baby’s emotional needs. The babies themselves were also showing developing awareness that if they were able to sign their needs they would be listened to and responded to, thus reducing anxiety and frustration. A BSA was therefore deemed an authentic, fun and meaningful way of promoting interactions to support the emotional wellbeing of the babies and opportunities for practitioners to reflect on their own body language and communicative styles.
