Strengthening your Core: Building vocabulary muscles for stability and independence Beth Saunders, MS CCC/SLP/ATP Assis>ve Technology Consultant Sal>llo Corpora>on 954-649- 1234 beth@sal>lloconsultant.com Chris>ne Kramlich, M.Ed Assis>ve Technology Consultant Prentke Romich Company 770-871- 8434 Cyk.cons@prentrom.com Beth s Disclosure Ø This presenta>on will focus exclusively on using core vocabulary to communicate. Ø I am a contract employee of the Sal>llo Corpora>on. Ø MS CCC/SLP/ATP Ø I am an assis>ve technology consultant. Chris<ne s Disclosure Ø This presenta>on will focus exclusively on using core vocabulary to communicate. Ø I am a contract employee of the Prentke Romich Company Ø M. ED Ø I am an assis>ve technology consultant. Learner Outcomes Ø Iden>fy major classes of core vocabulary Ø Understand the importance of using core vocabulary Ø Demonstrate use of core vocabulary in at least 3 different ac>vi>es Ø Explain how to foster language growth through basic core vocabulary Agenda Ø Intro/ Ac>vity Ø Overview of Core Vocabulary Ø Using Core Vocabulary Ø Teaching Core Vocabulary Ø Ac>vity and Wrap- Up Ø Teaming Up Goal = Communica<on and Language Ø Communicate any>me Ø Communicate anything Ø Communicate with anyone Beth Saunders, MS CCC/SLP/ATP 1
About the Handout Ø Goals for users of AAC devices Ø Reasons AAC users don t use their devices Ø Communica>on partners behaviors that do not facilitate communica>on by AAC users It s all about the vocabulary!!!!! Everyone needs a good analogy Strengthening the core stability muscles There are main 3 stages to a^aining a strong core. Stage 1: Independent core contrac>on Stage 2: Integrated focused core exercises Stage 3: Incorporate into func>onal ac>vi>es Research and implementa>on results have shown that core vocabulary should be an integral part of teaching communica>on skills. h^p://praac>calaac.org/strategy/teaching- core- vocabulary/ Types of Vocabulary Core & Fringe Core vocabulary - composed of high frequency words that are very versa>le ü Developmentally, environmentally and pragma>cally appropriate. (gender, age, topic, sebngs, disabili>es) Fringe vocabulary - composed of words that occur infrequently and lack versa>lity ü Primarily nouns and custom vocabulary. All Words are NOT Created Equal hibernate who up is have Paul Revere about do Mars a help cylinder stop want am market down Beth Saunders, MS CCC/SLP/ATP 2
Core vs. Fringe hibernate who up is have Paul Revere about do Mars a help cylinder stop want am market down Genera<ve Language is Based on Core Words Ø 85-90% of what we say throughout the day comes from a small bank of 400-500 core words. Ø 20% of what we say comes from thousands of fringe words. Baker & Hill, 2000) Core vs Fringe h^p://www.aaclanguagelab.com/other/core- vocabulary Types of Words VERBS Got/ Get Look Feel Go Make Said Was Like Know Put Do Work ADVERBS Anymore Some More Always Never Not QUESTIONS What? Where? PREPOSITIONS On Off In Out PRONOUNS I/I ve We/We re You My Mine It Types of Words VERBS Got/ Get Look Feel Go Make Said Was Like Know Put Do Work ADVERBS Anymore Some More Always Never Not QUESTIONS What? Where? PREPOSITIONS On Off In Out PRONOUNS I/I ve We/We re You My Mine It Nouns Toddler Vocabulary Arranged by Frequency Words Percentage I 9.5 No 8.5 Yes/yea 7.6 my 5.8 the 5.2 want 5.0 is 4.9 it 4.9 that 4.9 a 4.6 go 4.4 mine 3.8 26 core words shown at you 3.2 left comprise 96.3 percent what 3.1 of the total words used by on 2.8 in 2.7 toddlers in this study here 2.7 more 2.6 out 2.4 off 2.3 some 2.3 help 2.1 all done/finished 1.0 96.3% Banajee et al., 2003 Beth Saunders, MS CCC/SLP/ATP 3
Modified list of core vocabulary AAC Gail VanTatenhove, 2005 1 st 8 words: All done Help Want Mine More Stop That what Next 7 (for top 15) Away Go Here I It Like You Let s do it Ø Suggest 3 scenarios Ø 15 loca>on MCB Ø Words Ø Words on all 3 ac>vi>es h^p://www.aacandau>sm.com/common- words Why don t SLPs focus on core? Ø Nouns are picture producers. Ø Most standardized tests focus on nouns easier to test, both recep>vely and expressively. Ø Need to take a look at tes>ng- open ended ques>ons. More important to find out understanding of topic than able to recite names. Ø We rarely need to focus on core vocabulary with VERBAL kiddos this is open done naturally by parents. Common Core Standards Ø Core Curriculum Standards emphasize the ability to answer open- ended ques>ons. Ø Common Core Curriculum Standards require students to describe, explain, compare/contrast, ask/answer, determine the meaning, make connec>ons and analyze, etc. Ø The Common Core Standard does not specify being able to say par>cular words. Ø It demands students be able to tell about and talk about curriculum content meaningfully. How do I teach core vocabulary? Back to Basics - Strategies for Language Development Focus on Language - Sebng Language Goals - Brown s stages Language Lab The Medium Ma^ers - Appealing ac>vi>es Beth Saunders, MS CCC/SLP/ATP 4
Teaching Core: Back to Basics What do you do with your verbal students who are delayed? Ø Model Ø Repeat what they say + 1 Ø Follow child s lead Ø Sabotage Ø Wait Ø Cue Ø Set the scene for success (errorless learning) Ø Write scripts Ø Use peer models Ø Effec>ve ques>ons: Open- ended - not YES/ NO Teaching Core: Pick your words! Ø Use the core word lists as a guide Ø Acknowledge that kids are different Maggie (2 ½ reluctant communicator; developmental delay) John (5 year old, ac>ve; au>sm) Bill (8 years old, social, severe apraxia) Ø Start with a list of 5-10 words, and keep growing! Brown s 6 stages Language Lab Typical Language Development Stage 1: MLU of 1.75; ages 15-27 months. Ex: go, that, help, more, stop; 85 single words. Stage 2: MLU of 2.25; ages 21-30 months. Ex: want more, need help, all done, stop, don t; 75 200+ words. Stage 3: Ques>ons and nega>ves develop. MLU of 2.75; ages 23-37 months. Ex: Mom coming in, Dad helping, Man riding, Look it going; 200 1000+ words. h^p://www.aaclanguagelab.com/ Typical Language Development con<nued Stage 4: Imbedding sentences in sentences. MLU: 3.50. Ages 26-44 months. Ex: I fell down, where is it?; Up to 2000 words. Stage 5: Combining simple sentences. MLU: 4.00. Ages 27-48 months. Ex: I did this and I did that. Typical Language Development con<nued Stage 6: uses all parts of speech; correct word order; MLU: 4.5+. Ex: Where s a pencil I can use?, I wanted you to turn it. 5000+ words Beth Saunders, MS CCC/SLP/ATP 5
How do you know where nonverbal kid is? Recep>ve understanding of spoken vocabulary Ø Test of Auditory Language (TACL) Ø Test of Nonverbal Intelligence (TONI) Ø Wechsler Nonverbal Scale of Ability Aided Language S<mula<on Defini<on: (AAC Ins>tute) Ø A communica>on strategy where a communica>on partner teaches symbol meaning & models language by combining his/ her own verbal input with selec>ons of vocabulary on an AAC system. Bicycle Analogy Ø Can t just tell someone how to ride a bike. Ø They must visualize/ see a competent cyclist. Teaching core: Appealing ac<vi<es Ø Books Ø Games Ø Toys Ø Language Cards Ø Role Play/ Make- believe Ø Arts & Craps Ø Classroom rou>nes Line leader Calendar Time Ø Age appropriate Ac<vi<es: Books Ø Core can be used to: Request ac>on (turn page; read) Make comment (cool, I like, yuk) Say repeated line (what do you see?) Predict (he happy, she not go) Describe (it red/ pre9y/ big) Ø Create original books Ø Use magazines Ac<vi<es: Books Ø Adapt and re- write for older students Sports Comic strips Find age appropriate materials of interest: Ø Use photographs Home Classroom Field trip Beth Saunders, MS CCC/SLP/ATP 6
Rewrite the story at an appropriate language level. They worked hard all year. They were ready. They played a good game. Go Ravens! They won the big game! ChatPower 42 Ac<vi<es: Games Use games for personal and social skills: Turn Taking (my turn/ you go) Patience (waiting your turn) Honesty (no cheating) Persistence (finishing the game) Cooperation Team building Sharing Making friends Ac<vi<es: Games Use core to build expressive language skills Vocabulary development (e.g., colors, sizes, pronouns) Commen>ng (his turn; he sad; I get one!) Reques>ng (Do you have red?; You have fish?) Answering ques>ons (I do!; I don t) Increasing MLU (want/ want that/ I want that/ I want that please) Ac<vi<es: Games Bingo CORE: I have that; I do; Need help; Go/ Ready FRINGE: Squares can be specific vocab (recep>ve) Core bingo (squares are core words) Go Fish CORE: Do you have; I do; I don t; get one; FRINGE: specific vocab (use low- tech pictures ) Candy Land CORE: I get pink; I get one/ two; want that; don t want that; no!; awesome; like you FRINGE: lollipop, gumdrop, ice cream Ac<vi<es: Role Play Store (what do you want; do you have; where is; I need that/ this; I am ready! Put it in; put it on). HINT: have photos of specific items instead of programmed in AAC device Restaurant (want to eat; want to drink; what you want; I want; hello!; do you have; I like that; I don t like it; thank you). HINT: use photo menus Beth Saunders, MS CCC/SLP/ATP 7
Ac<vi<es: Toys Let s Communicate!!! Any off- the- shelf toy; use core language instead of specific vocabulary Mr. Potato Head: want nose; need hat Blocks: put on; put two on; I do it; you do it; make it go down Farm: make it eat; make it sleep; it go in; put on Request Object Gree<ng Social remark Request Ac<on Sharing Informa<on Ask for informa<on Geang aben<on Protest Ac<vi<es: SLP s bag of tricks Use the materials you already have Pronoun cards Descriptor cards/ sequencing cards Barrier games Ques>on decks Pragma>c decks Listening Skills Verb cards Ac<vi<es: Classroom Rou<nes Ø Change your thinking about target words Ø Line leader: Announce des>na>on (Go art/ PE) Give direc>ons to classmate (turn light on/ off) Ø Calendar >me: Direct classmates to: Say day; say month; say weather Say which pictures stay on board, and which come off: on/ off What feel like? (hot/ cold) What look like? (sun/ cloud) Lunches: eat hot/ eat cold Ø Build core into rou>nes by modeling language Re- examining AAC success Some reasons AAC Devices (high/ low tech) fail: Ø The device doesn t say what the student wants it to say. v Teach core! DON T MESS WITH THE CORE!! Ø The student doesn t understand what s expected v Be clear with expecta>ons and MODEL! Ø The student has been given the message that it s not important. v Use a device/ board consistently Ø The student gets what they want/ need without it. v Change ac>ons/ vocaliza>ons to words Ø Programming leads to burn- out v Reduce programming by focusing on CORE! Beth Saunders, MS CCC/SLP/ATP 8
Resources AAC Ins<tute Ø h^p://www.aacins>tute.org/ Common Core State Standards Ø h^p://www.corestandards.org/ AAC Language Lab (PRC) Ø h^p://www.aaclanguagelab.com/ Center for AAC and Au<sm Ø h^p://www.aacandau>sm.com/common- words Resources PrAAC<cal AAC Supports for language learning Ø h^p://praac>calaac.org/?s=teaching+core Sal<llo Corpora<on Ø h^p://sal>llo.com/training/tutorials/novachat www.sal>llo.com Beth Saunders, MS CCC/SLP/ATP 9