Core Vocabulary Learning

Here is a new project: Core Vocabulary Curriculum.  It will focus on learning 30 or more core vocabulary words through symbols and auditory language.  It will focus on one to two words a week.  The idea is to embed this into normal routines with one or two lessons about the word/symbol meaning as well.  Here is a sample of what is coming, The Core Vocabulary Learning Book which I am posting below.  Please share your thoughts and ideas!

Core vocabulary learning book

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If you have trouble with SlideShare here it is in Google Docs.

In case you don't have Boardmaker, Communicator or some other program here are Core Vocab Cards in PCS and SymbolStix.  Email for the Communicator file (.cdd).

Core vocab cards pcs and ss

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Finally here are core word communication boards in Arasaac, PCS and Symbolstix.  Email for the Tobii Communicator file (.cdd).

Core words in three symbol sets

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Things to Do with Extra Picture Symbols

What do you do with those left over communication symbols that seem to multiple everyday?  (They are especially prolific if you use the Unique Learning Program.)  Do you throw them away?  Hold on to them for some other purpose?

Here is a multiple part activity you can do that includes sorting by part of speech and then using the symbols for MadLibs style activities.

Part One: Teach your students the three basic parts of speech: noun, verb, adjective.  Although you may want to teach the parts of speech using the words that the student's AAC system uses/will use i.e. action words, describers, people/places/things.  (If you students are able to learn more then go for it!).

Then do a class or group art project.  Decorate a cool container that will be used to hold each part of speech you teach.  You could use some of the left over symbols and magazine pictures to illustrate the type of word the container will hold.  Be sure to include a picture symbol label that matches the category in the AAC books/devices.

Now you can set aside the symbols left over each day until you have a tidy pile of them and then allow a student to sort them into the correct containers.  This is a great way for emerging AAC users to work on catagories.  You can hold up a symbol and ask the student to show you in his book or device where they would find that word. (I would consider printing out a few sets of core vocabulary word symbols and adding them to the pile to be sorted on a regular basis.)

Now you have containers of words to use for activities.  Some ideas include:

• MadLib Style Activities - print out free, "easy" MadLib style activites and then allow student to pick from a field of two or three (or more) words from the correct container to fill in the blanks (we did this with some free Halloween MadLib's last week - so fun!) or you can go through a theme related paragraph or book you have already read to the students and turn it into a MadLib
• Silly Sentences - have students pick one word from each jar and make a sentence 
• Charades or Pictionary -play with peer tutors using words pulled from the containers
• Art - use the symbols in art projects and collages related
• Play Clap/Slap (adapt the movement as needed)
• Sort the words even more - by topic or other criteria
• Use spare symbols as "foils" when asking questions

Free MadLib Style Activities

• Printable MadLibs from Classroom Jr.
• Teachnology MadLibs
• Playsational MadLibs
• Wacky Web Tales

From Phrase Based to Core Words

Most of the AAC users I have had in my classroom over the years have used programming on their devices that is phrase based.  Entire sentences or at least independent clauses are programmed on each button.  This is usually the chosen method of programming by the SLP and TEAM because of significant cognitive and/or access issues.  The low-tech version of this is topic boards. 

Let's face it chaining a sentence or linking multiple meaning symbols together to form a thought is generally more complex intellectually and requires more activations (by they direct selection, switch or eye gaze) per sentence than phrase based programming.  Yet, it is widely understood that core vocabulary programming using the top 100 words in the language plus fringe vocabulary is best practice for AAC users.  Core vocabulary allows a wider array of messages to be displayed, reduces AAC user reliance on the person programming their device to have the correct message and has limited means of growth in communication competency for the user. 

So how do we begin to move our early or emerging communicators using phrased based AAC towards core vocabulary AAC design?

That is a complex question and the answer will be different for every AAC user.  Here are some ideas we have been trying:

• direct instruction of core vocabulary - i.e. word of the week, highlighting core words in other curriculum activities, core word bingo, etc
• static core words on every page or in every page set (top left buttons are always, "I", "want" and "don't", bottom left are always, "more" and "done", etc.)
• move away from "topic boards" towards "core vocabulary" plus fringe vocabulary even on manual boards and lower tech devices (this has the bonus of saving hours of time and programming on devices like Go Talks, Cheap Talks and TechTalks), thus a cooking overlay with core vocabulary for cooking (I, you, want, don't, come, go, more, all done, plus certain fringe words like stir, cook, pour, measure) rather than a new overlay for every recipe
• for high tech AAC users currently using phrased based communication provide a link to a core vocabulary based system which allows the user to begin to supplement phrase based communication with core vocabulary, teach the student how to go to that page set and how to use it
• teach communicator partners to respect "good tries" and look for the essence of a message, thus, "I go store" can mean, "I went to the store", "I want to go to the store", "I am going to go to the store", "I want to play store", etc.  (This is important in phrase based communication too, where, "I miss my brother" can mean, "My brother is coming home from college this weekend" or "I am thinking about my brother because he likes this recipe we are making".)
• WAIT - learning and using AAC takes time, learning to compose thoughts with AAC takes time, we need to be patient