>Actually, my understanding it has more to do with physical development and
>readiness. Babies are more physically ready to coordinate movements with
>their hands at a younger age than they are to coordinate the muscles in
>their mouths and throats to produce speech at that age. If you think about
>it, it makes sense... babies at 6-7 months can grab stuff, so it's not a far
>step to produce the handshape and movements needed to sign, but babies at
>6-7 months still need help to burp-- if they can't burp, they surely can't
>produce speech!
>
>--Don Grushkin
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Hi Don - and yes this makes a great deal of sense - thanks for the
information. This explains the physical side of it.
I am curious about research on comprehension...does this mean that the
signing babies and the speaking babies both have the same comprehension at
the same age, but the signing babies can express themselves sooner because
of motor skills, and the hearing babies are frustrated and have to wait
longer to express their understanding through speech? Is it only the
physical that is holding them back, or is comprehension of speech learned
later, and comprehension of signing learned sooner?
I just wondered if comprehension of a signed language might be sooner
because of its visual nature?
Valerie ':-)
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Valerie Sutton at the DAC
Deaf Action Committee for SW
SignWriting
https://www.SignWriting.org
Center For Sutton Movement Writing
an educational nonprofit organization
Box 517, La Jolla, CA, 92038-0517, USA
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