Baby sign language has been punted by many to be beneficial to a baby's language development, thanks to a child's ability to express themselves through baby signing from as early as 6 months of age. However, other studies claim that although babies learnt the gestures and used them long before they started talking, they did not learn the associated words any quicker than the non-gesturing babies, nor did they show enhanced language development.

When you introduce signing to your baby, gradually introduce the signs one at a time. It is recommended to begin with approximately five words and once your baby has begun to respond to those words, you can introduce more.

From all the studies conducted in this field the benefits of introducing your baby to sign language are vast.

Expect more exploring and activity this month as your baby learns how to propel themselves across the floor. They may shuffle along on their bottom, leopard crawl or even creep along with most of their weight on their tummy. Whichever way works for them, they will be building on their skills in movement. Nine month old babies have lots to see and do. Even though that speck of dust on the floor seems rather uninteresting to the rest of us, it demands picking up and examination if there is a 9-month-old around.