Most babies start signing back between 8 and 9 months old, though some begin as early as 6 months. The gap between when you start teaching signs and when your baby uses them can feel long, so knowing what to realistically expect helps you stay consistent during the weeks (or months) of modeling before you see a response.
The Typical Timeline for First Signs
Babies who are taught sign language generally produce their first recognizable sign around 8 to 9 months of age. A well-known study of hearing children with deaf parents found the average age for a first sign was 8.5 months, with the earliest child signing at 5.5 months. That early end is unusual, though. If your baby isn’t signing at 6 or 7 months, that’s completely normal.
The reason for this window is straightforward: signing requires fine motor control that most babies simply don’t have before 8 months. Opening and closing a fist for “milk,” touching fingertips together for “more,” or waving for “all done” all depend on hand coordination that develops gradually during the second half of the first year. Your baby may clearly understand what a sign means weeks before their hands can reproduce it.
When to Start Teaching
Most experts recommend introducing signs between 6 and 9 months. Starting at 6 months gives your baby repeated exposure during a period when they’re absorbing language rapidly, even though a visible response may not come for another two or three months. Think of this early phase as building a foundation. You’re not failing if nothing seems to happen right away.
The key is consistent modeling. Use the sign every time you say the word, in context. Sign “milk” before nursing or bottle-feeding. Sign “more” when offering another bite of food. Sign “all done” when mealtime ends. Repetition in natural, everyday moments is what eventually clicks. Most parents report modeling signs for 6 to 10 weeks before their baby produces one independently, though this varies widely.
Understanding Before Signing
Babies understand signs well before they can physically make them, just as they understand spoken words long before they talk. You might notice your baby looking at their bottle when you sign “milk,” or getting excited when you sign “eat,” even though they aren’t signing back yet. These are real signs of comprehension and a signal that your teaching is working.
Research has consistently shown that infants who learn symbolic gestures (whether formal ASL signs or simplified baby versions) begin using those gestures roughly three weeks before their first spoken words. Signing doesn’t replace speech. It fills the communication gap during the months when your baby’s brain is ready to express ideas but their mouth isn’t ready to form words.
What First Signs Look Like
Don’t expect textbook-perfect hand shapes. A baby’s first signs are often approximate, the same way early spoken words are garbled versions of the real thing. “More” might look like clapping or banging fists together instead of neat fingertip touches. “Milk” might be a general squeezing motion rather than a clean open-close fist. If your baby repeats a consistent gesture in the right context, that counts as signing.
The first signs babies tend to pick up are ones tied to things they want most: milk, more, eat, all done, and water. These are motivating because they give your baby a way to ask for something concrete. Signs for abstract concepts or less urgent needs usually come later, once the idea of “gesture equals communication” is established.
Does Signing Delay Speech?
This is one of the most common concerns parents have, and the research is reassuring. Signing does not delay spoken language. In fact, studies have found the opposite pattern: babies who sign tend to produce their first spoken words slightly earlier than babies who don’t, likely because signing builds the habit of intentional communication. The American Academy of Pediatrics considers baby sign language a positive tool for early communication and parent-child bonding.
As your baby’s spoken vocabulary grows, typically between 12 and 18 months, signs naturally fade out. Children drop signs on their own once they can say the word faster than they can sign it. You don’t need to actively wean them off signing.
If Your Baby Isn’t Signing Yet
Some babies sign at 7 months. Others don’t start until 10 or 11 months. The range is wide and influenced by temperament, fine motor development, and how consistently signs are modeled. A baby who watches you closely but doesn’t imitate is still learning. Continuing to model signs during daily routines is the single most effective thing you can do.
If your baby isn’t signing by 12 months and also isn’t babbling, pointing, or making other communicative gestures, that’s worth mentioning to your pediatrician. The concern there isn’t about signing specifically. It’s about overall communication development. For the vast majority of babies, though, signing back is simply a matter of time and motor readiness catching up with comprehension.