"I want"

The teacher at the private preschool asked me yesterday if Nathan knows Baby Signs. Sure, but he has all the words for everything he signs and his words are clearer than his signs, speech being better than fine motor for him. Apparently he doesn't want to use words or signs to communicate at school, even the basics like "more". I know he doesn't talk as much at school as at home, but the public school is reporting good progress on such things as "more juice". I told the teacher that sometimes if you withhold something for a bit and wait he will produce the word, but not to withhold food unless she's pretty sure he's had plenty already, since he could potentially stubborn himself out of a wanted snack!
At home we're working on putting more words together. I hear "again" a lot, sometimes without having done anything in particular first! Again means again, but it also seems to mean "want". So I'm trying to work on "I want". We read "Going on a Bear Hunt", and then we read it again, and again, and again. This is not a real short book, and 4 times through is a lot of Bear Hunt. I decided that I wasn't going on a bear hunt again until Nathan said "I want Bear Hunt". He said it! We read it. "Again?" I told him to say "I want Bear Hunt". He fussed, he cried, I held out, and then in the most pathetic little voice he said it again, "I want Bear Hunt". Yep, they boy has words. He just holds out on us sometimes. Now, we need to keep working on this, and then we incorporate the "please" back in. He will say "again, please" if I ask him to. So, building up to "I want bear hunt again, please." We'll get there. It'll take some time, but we'll get there. I have no doubt. That child is so motivated to hear his books again that he will get there.