Looking for a fun, interactive way to teach your child fingerspelling? The Fingerspelling Blocks is an ideal, hands-on toy designed to teach young children (ages 3 and up) how to fingerspell!
All 26 letters of the English alphabet are included in the Fingerspelling Blocks with corresponding sign language hand shapes molded on top. According to the toy’s description on AblePlay, “Each block is embossed with letters and associated pictures to further connect written and sign language letters. Children are able to easily feel and see how to form each letter with their own hands.”
Fingerspelling Blocks Encourage the Following Developmental Processes:
- Fine motor
- Hand and finger grasp
- Letter recognition and identification
- Pre-literacy
- Finger and hand control
- Tactile discrimination
- Visual discrimination
- Part/whole relationships
- Sequential thought
- Matching
- Turn-taking
- Language development
- Attention to detail
- Peer interaction
- Life skills
- Memory and recall
Multiple Ways to Play!
To promote communicative skills:
- Have children spell words to each other using blocks. The children can verbally say the word or make the individual letter sounds to practice speech.
- Make picture cards with just the picture on one side and the picture and word on the other. Have children spell the word pictured using the blocks. Utilize the side of the card matching the child’s level. Have child say and sound out each word.
To promote social/emotional skills:
- Multiple pieces encourage social interaction and working together towards a common goal.
- Learn signs for words to expand sign language beyond the alphabet.
To promote Cognitive Skills:
- Have an adult or child start a word by placing one letter in the middle of the table. Have another person add a second letter to begin spelling a word. Continue until every individual has had a chance to add a letter. Then have children sound out the word and see if it is a real or fake word.
- Have one child do the hand shape and have other children find the letter block that matches.
The Fingerspelling Blocks are available for purchase for $150.
Hi ,
I was trying to purchase a set of the ASL Fingerspelling Blocks – but when I clicked on the “available for purchase for $150.” it took me to a site with nothing on it – if you can direct me to the proper link to purchase a set I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!