This article discusses how and why the lessons learned from research with hearing children can easily be applied to deaf and hard of hearing children. While educators have long advocated early use of American Sign Language (ASL) for deaf and hard of hearing children in order for them to experience the benefit of full language access, parents and educators of young deaf and hard of hearing children should also be advised to increase the quantity and improve the quality of the sign language to which their children are exposed. This means taking advantage of opportunities when together and signing more. It also means signing to the child directly and engaging in turn-taking that encourages children's participation in conversation. By increasing the amount of ASL deaf and hard of hearing children experience and ensuring parents and educators engage children directly with visual strategies, there is the potential to impact their early language and cognitive abilities and, later, academic achievement.