Using Core Vocabulary in the Classroom With Focus

Using Core Vocabulary in the Classroom With Focus of Augmentative and Alternative Communication Devices Kentucky Conference for Exceptional Children, November 2017 Kaylyn Johnson, Laura Stone, Emily Kennedy

Meet the Presenters Kaylyn Johnson M. A. , CCC-SLP Laura Stone M. S. , CCC-SLP Emily Kennedy M. A.

Objectives 1. Define and identify Core Vocabulary and Aided Language Stimulation 2. Discuss benefits/challenges and strategies for teaching Core Vocabulary using Aided Language Stimulation 3. Discuss use of AAC tools to develop communication skills for life 4. Highlight activities and ways to target communication throughout the student’s day

Communication Bill of Rights EVERYONE has the right … - To be treated with respect To be spoken to NOT about To be taught how to communicate To have speech system with them at all times To be heard and responded to EVEN if the answer is no. To have clear, meaningful culturally and linguistically appropriate communications https: //www. asha. org/uploaded. Files/NJC-Communication-Bill-Rights. pdf

Communication Bill of Rights cont. - To be given real choices To say no To ask for what they want To share feelings To gain attention To have my speech system in working order and have back up To be a full and EQUAL member of his/her community

Core and Fringe Vocabulary are used to give an individual the opportunity to use a variety of communicative functions Purpose or desired outcome - Social Example of Social Interaction/Shared attention Calling (gaining attention) “Mom”, “Ms. ____” “Help” Greeting “Hi”, “How are you today” Requesting (object or action) “I want…” “more”, “stop” Comment/Statement “It’s hot”, “I don’t like it” Agreeing “OK”, “Yes”, “I like it, too” Protesting “No”, “Leave me alone” Social Routines “You’re welcome”, “See you later”, “Thank you”, Asking/Answering questions “Wh” question words, ‘yes/no’ “I don’t know” Exclamation “Uh Oh”, “Oh No!” “OMG” “Awesome!” Vicker, B. (2008). Communicative functions or purposes of communication. The Reporter, 14(1), 13 -17.

Vocabulary: What is Core Vocabulary? ● Core Vocabulary are words used most frequently in any given language. ● Core Vocabulary typically make up 80% of what we say from toddlers to seniors. The remaining words are known as “fringe” vocabulary or “extended” vocabulary. They are specific and can often be found in the “folders” of the application. They are still important, just used less and vary from person to person.

Core Vocabulary Words ●Pronouns – I, you, we, she, he ●Verbs – (actions) want, like, need, go, eat ○ (linking) is, was, are ●Adjectives – good, bad, different, same, big, little, more ●Adverbs – now, there, some, all, one, not ●Question words – what, where, who, why, how, when

Why is Core Vocabulary important? -Used across ages -Any activity -Topic -Place

Language Sample from 3 year old What’s that? I want purple Unintelligible Yay I wanna make a purple tower I wanna make for Molly No Find another one You want the yellow one Ya you make a yellow tower I make a purple, ya you can make it I’m gonna make a purple tower I found another one Ya It’s go on the purple This one I can’t find another purple I make a *unintelligible What making I want to use blue Look this one is good That one is green too I want one One, that and this *Out of a 100 word Language Sample, 78% was using core words.

Language Sample from typical 5 year old Oh ok I know how to do this More headbands, more! He doesn’t need one Look these cards Let’s look over unintelligible By sticking it together There’s more That’s all And what are these And we gotta figure it out What is this? *Out of a 40 word Language Sample, 81% was using core words.

How do we teach Core Vocabulary ? Why do we teach Core Vocabulary?

How? ● Very few, teachers/therapist focus on core vocabulary ● We typically focus on fringe vocabulary Why? ● ● Core is difficult to represent by pictures (I, want, more, have) Nouns are easier to target (turkey, pie, pilgrim) The curriculum is academic based (shapes, colors, months of the year) We present most of our material to see what kids know in Q/A format (What month is it? )

Example: Go How do you teach this word in class and/or therapy?

Example: Go Typically a sight word Or a directional concept (“go put your papers away”) However. . . there are many other uses *Go away *Let’s go *Go! Your turn *I want to go

Implementing

Example - Whole Group Instruction on the Life Cycle of a Butterfly Asking a closed ended question Teacher asks: “What is the third stage in the life cycle of a butterfly? ” To answer, the student has to have chrysalis programmed into his system, or at least have a low-tech choice board with the stages represented. Using the descriptive teaching model Teacher asks: “What happens during the chrysalis stage? ” The student could answer using core words: “It sleeps. ” “It changes. ” “It turns pretty. ”

Example 2 Instead of “What landform is surrounded by water? ” ask, “Where is the water around an island? ” (answer could be “all around” or “everywhere”)

Pros: Cons: ● It gives the student more practice retrieving core words and combining them into meaningful sentences ● It requires the student to think more deeply and creatively about a concept in order to describe it his own words ● It saves time spent programming and learning how to retrieve infrequently used words ● Words are more abstract. They are harder to teach.

Core Word Programs

Manual Boards

Grid Size Choose as large of grid size as their fine motor and vision allow The larger the grid size- the more words on each page and the LESS navigation you have to do to find the words you need.

Banajee List of 26 Toddler Core Words Frequency I No Yes/yea my the want is it that a go 9. 5 8. 5 7. 6 5. 8 5. 2 5. 0 4. 9 4. 6 4. 4 mine you what on in 3. 8 3. 2 3. 1 2. 8 2. 7 here 2. 7 more 2. 6 out 2. 4 off 2. 3 some 2. 3 help 2. 1 all done/finished 1. 0

Other resources are just a click away Dynavox http: //www. mytobiidynavox. com/#/ Pr. AACtical. AAC http: //praacticalaac. org Teachers Pay Teachers

Model! Aided Language Stimulation ● Typically developing children learn language from the moment they are born. ● We bombard infants with language all day for the first 12 to 18 months. ● During that time we do not expect that they will utter a single understandable word.

What is Aided Language Stimulation? (ALS) ● (ALS) is a communication strategy, where a communication partner teaches symbol meaning and models language by combining his or her own verbal input with selection of vocabulary on the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system.

Aided Language Stimulation(ALg. S) has been shown to be a more effective teaching strategy than prompting. Sailers and Padilla, (2016)

Setting goals for using ALg. S helps to determine progress made by the student and to know where to go next. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Start with one page Use core words first Pragmatic (social use) of language Model verbally along with touching the picture each time. Pause and give the child time to respond. Model again Shape language using expansions/recasts Praise and reinforce communicative attempts!!!

Communication Coaching for use of ALg. S with students at school and home. Parents and Staff are with the student for approximately 85% of the student’s week. Coaching the people closest to the student is imperative. The peers that the student goes to school with and is in contact with during the day should be coached as well. Sailers and Padilla, (2016)

Communication Matrix

Do’s and Don’ts for Aided Language Stimulation Do This Not That Teach with Statements Test with Questions Model without Expectations Model with Demands Use Expansions/Recasts Use Prompt Hierarchy Expansions – Adds more to the language structure using AAC (e. g. Child touches ‘juice’. Partner touches “I want juice”. ) Recasts – Redirects or corrects the child’s language structure e. g. Child says “I want read”. Partner says “You want to read? ”

A Few Tips 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. It takes time to get good at this. We’re learning a new language! So just keep at it. Give yourself permission to be halting at first. Keep at it and the fluency will come. It helps to start small. If the communication device complex, don’t try to tackle everything at once. Get comfortable with modeling using the main pages or screens first, then move onto other places where vocabulary is stored. Along those lines, it helps to start off by modeling only familiar concepts. This makes it a bit easier to develop a smooth motor pattern for saying those words so that you can move from hunt-and-peck to slide-and-glide. Visual cues can be very helpful in reminding us to use the strategy. A quick gesture from a colleague or a sticky note helped us get back on track when we started to say things without the AAC. We use visual reminders with folks who use AAC, so this was a good opportunity to practice what we preach. Using aided language input helped us pick up on flaws in the programming or design of the AAC system. It helps us to spot those errors in the color coding, typos in the text, a misplaced modifier, etc. It’s contagious! The more we used aided language input, the more we saw other people using it as well. In this case, more is better. Your students will not only learn better but will usually really like seeing you use it too. Sometimes they would happily shove us out of the way so that they could help us find a word. I am sure everyone would be pleased to take that kind of help.

Don’t Get Discouraged!! ● The average 18 old child has been exposed to 4, 380 hours of oral language at a rate of 8 hours/day from birth. ● A child who has a communication system and receives speech/language therapy two times per week for 20 -30 minutes sessions will reach this same amount of language exposure in 84 years. Remember, Everyone Needs Time!! MODEL < PRACTICE < FEEDBACK to be able to communicate in a new language!

Questions? Kaylyn Johnson, Kaylyn. Johnson@scott. kyschools. us Laura Stone, Laura. Stone@scott. kyschools. us Emily Kennedy, Emily. Kennedy@scott. kyschools. us