BABIES are learning sign language before they can talk - to help them tell their parents what they want.

Mother-of-two Katie Lawton has launched classes in Didcot, Wallingford, Abingdon and Thame.

She is running the weekly hour-long sessions for parents and carers who want to understand the needs of their babies better.

The mother of three-year-old Amelia and 17-month-old Maisie said: "Amelia did her first sign for 'more' at 10 months and soon afterwards had a vocabulary of 30 to 40 signs with some of her favourites being food, milk, more, cat, dog and duck.

"I really feel that signing helped us to avoid the frustration that many babies feel when they try to communicate but we adults are unable to understand them.

"Apart from being able to tell me when she was thirsty or hungry, she was also able to remind me if I had forgotten to give her water at mealtimes, if we were out and she wanted to go home or even to alert my attention to the latest prank our cat was getting up to.

"I think signing gave her the tools to say what she wanted and to share her thoughts with us."

The first half hour is spent teaching through singing and signing, then the second half hour is social time with toys, coffee and biscuits.

Mother-of-one Cathy Smith, of Brightwell Upperton, near Wallingford, whose five-month-old daughter Hannah has been going to the classes for three weeks, said: "I found out about it from my health visitor and I thought it would be a good idea because it incorporates singing and actions. We both thoroughly enjoyed the classes

  • For more information call 01491 835332.