Fingerspelling is a part of the ASL language that is extremely difficult for many students. There are a lot of fun fingerspelling activities that I have shared with you that work great for practicing fingerspelling in a relaxing environment. But what is the best way to teach students how to read and understand fingerspelling and be able to produce it clearly in communication? That is a question I don’t have the final answer to since students all learn differently. However, I do have some ideas I can share with you.
Use the alphabet on day one
I always start the first day of ASL 1 using the alphabet. I do not teach the alphabet in isolation. I do not go through each letter one at a time. So what do I do you ask? Let me tell you how I introduce the alphabet on day one step by step.
- Greet the students in ASL as they take their seats. Have students write their name on a paper teepee. Write your own name on the board.
- Point to your name and sign MY NAME ______ then fingerspell your name.
- Then introduce each student by name by showing the name to everyone then fingerspelling HIS/HER NAME _____.
- Then ask students what a specific student’s name is by pointing to them and signing GIRL NAME WHAT? Help students form the letters if they need it.
Using this method helps students see the letters formed how they should be in real world communication and learn the alphabet at the same time. They also pick up on other words like PAPER, NAME, GIRL, BOY. Of course you want to fingerspell at a slower pace then gradually pick up speed as the year progresses.
Make the alphabet visible
To help the learning process, I always post the alphabet in my classroom for students to use as a reference. I know some teachers don’t like to do this because they feel like students can “cheat” by referencing it during an exam. However, I don’t share the same opinion, and here is why. I never test fingerspelling in isolation. I don’t quiz letters I only use words. I only test on words that are used in the real world like name brands, names, acronyms, etc. I use these words in a sentence and students need to identify the fingerspelled word. They can’t use the handshapes on the wall to cheat with. Students would need to have a specific skill to pass the test. This of course is my personal opinion and I love having the alphabet there for students to see on a daily basis.
Alphabet posters – multicultural hands or chalkboard hands
Use the alphabet daily
Students need to see the alphabet modeled daily. Always remember that students do not pick up on the ABCs the same way a native user of the language would. The more they get to see it and practice, the better at the language they will become. Providing students with self-paced lessons to learn and practice fingerspelling can be beneficial.
You may be signing at a slower pace in the lower levels but make sure you gradually speed it up as the days, months and levels go on. We also need to make sure we provide students with opportunities to use fingerspelling in communication and with peers. Everyone signs differently.
Ways for students to practice fingerspelling
There are a lot of ideas for practicing fingerspelling. Some of my favorite platforms to use for fingerspelling are:
- Boom cards
- Quizlet flashcards
- Gimkit
- Self-paced lessons (Google Slides)
- Daily conversation prompts
- Practicing conversations in class
Do you have a favorite platform for using fingerspelling? Share it with us in the Creative ASL Teaching Facebook group.
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