A 45–60 minute follow-up lesson that lets pupils practise the BSL fingerspelling alphabet through four short games. Designed to follow Say It Without Speaking, but can also be used independently once pupils have been introduced to the BSL fingerspelling alphabet.
Recognise individual fingerspelled letters at sight.
Read short words shown through on-screen or live fingerspelling.
Produce individual fingerspelled letters accurately.
Understand how clear hand position, orientation and pace make fingerspelling easier to read.
The four games together total around 45 minutes of teaching time. Allow extra time for transitions, repeated rounds and class discussion if you have the full hour.
Use the Fingerspelling Player on the board to spell a three-letter word slowly twice. Pupils write what they think it spells on a mini whiteboard or rough paper. Reveal together. Repeat with two more words. This revisits the fingerspelling alphabet introduced in “Say It Without Speaking”.
Printable: Master games packHand out a bingo grid per pupil, choosing Level 1, 2 or 3 according to their confidence with fingerspelling. Use the Fingerspelling Player to spell each word slowly twice; pupils cross off the word they think they saw. First full row wins.
Pupils can ask for one additional repeat, and the alphabet chart can remain visible throughout.
Printable: Bingo packPlace four large fingerspelling letter cards in the corners of the room (image-only cards are harder; cards with the written letter beneath are easier). Call a written letter or show one on the board. Before moving, ask everyone to form the letter themselves. Pupils then move to the matching corner. Reveal the answer together each round; rotate the corners every few rounds. Inclusive: pupils can point, hold up a number card, or move a counter on a printed grid.
Printable: Corners packHalf the class gets a written-letter card, the other half a matching fingerspelling-image card. Pupils complete the activity without saying or showing their letter. Anyone holding a written letter forms that letter using BSL fingerspelling; anyone holding a fingerspelling image looks for the matching written-letter holder. Pairs meet and confirm by showing one another their cards. Once all pairs have matched, swap cards and repeat so every pupil practises producing and recognising a fingerspelling letter. Discuss what made each letter easy or difficult to recognise, including hand position, orientation and clarity.
If your class has an odd number of pupils, a teacher or teaching assistant can join in, or one group can work as a three and rotate roles so everyone practises both recognition and production.
Printable: Snap & Pairs packEverything you need is in the master pack. Individual activity packs are also available if you only want to print part of the lesson.
Letter cards in two formats, word cards, bingo grids and teacher answer sheets for the whole lesson. Choose cards with the written letter beneath the image or image-only cards. Formatted for A4 printing directly from your browser, with no sign-up required.
Three bingo-grid levels and a teacher call list.
Used in: Main Activity 1Open / printFour large fingerspelling letter cards and game rules.
Used in: Main Activity 2Open / printMatching written-letter and fingerspelling-image cards, plus game rules.
Used in: PlenaryOpen / printUse bingo grids and letter cards with the written letter beneath each fingerspelling image. Allow pupils to point or tap cards instead of moving across the room.
Use image-only letter cards; move from three-letter words to four- and five-letter words or names in Bingo.
All activities have seated / tabletop alternatives – use cards on a desk and counters or pointing instead of standing in corners.
Keep the printed alphabet chart visible throughout. Repeat each word twice in Bingo.
Offer the left-handed alphabet chart and switch the Fingerspelling Player to its left-handed setting where preferred.
Talk directly with the pupil in advance about what works for them. Never assume; ask.
By the end, pupils should be able to recognise individual fingerspelled letters and decode at least one three-letter word presented through live or on-screen fingerspelling.
The plenary “Find Your Partner” activity gives a quick low-stakes check: each successful pair demonstrates recognition at letter level. Observe pupils forming their letters before they reveal their cards, comparing each one with the corresponding fingerspelling image to check handshape, orientation and clarity.
