Examining the Effectiveness of Fingerspelling in Improving the Vocabulary and Literacy Skills of Deaf Students

This article provides a narrative review of journal articles on the use of fingerspelling to support the vocabulary and literacy development of deaf students. The role of fingerspelling in decoding written English and supporting vocabulary development has become an increasingly relevant topic in the bilingual education of deaf students. Search limiters included written English, full-text articles that were published in peer-reviewed journals after 2005. A total of eleven articles were reviewed. The findings from the review indicated that the use of fingerspelling could support vocabulary and literacy development among bilingual deaf students. The current review discusses the findings and offers recommendations for future research.