Great for early intervention
You can start using Makaton early! Baby signing has lots of similarities to Makaton and if used consistently from a young age, some babies may even sign before their first words. As a first time Mum, I have been using signs with my baby since she was tiny! On the flip side, it’s never too late to start introducing signs with older children too.
Supports EAL
It’s great for children with English as an Additional Language (EAL). Makaton can be a fantastic universal cue for students who are finding themselves in an environment with a new or unfamiliar language. Of course, we have to be aware of any cultural sensitivities and make sure the signs we use are appropriate. In my first year as an Early Years teacher, I will always remember one of my Chinese students with very little English signing ‘sad’ to me when she saw her peer crying.
Eases frustration
Signing can take away the frustration of being unable to communicate meaningfully or effectively. In any classroom, there is likely to be a range of development in the children we teach, students who might be experiencing a delay in vocabulary learning, difficulties expressing themselves, finding the right words or have unclear speech can all benefit from learning and using signs to communicate.
Supports literacy development
It can support phonological awareness skills. Makaton also uses ‘fingerspelling’ where each letter of the alphabet has a corresponding sign. These can be used to develop children’s awareness of the sounds in words and to attach a sign to people’s names
It’s fun
And finally, and perhaps most importantly, it’s fun! Children love learning new signs, it’s like learning the actions to new songs. There are some great resources out there too!