Getting Started with Core Vocabulary December 15 th , 2010

1. CDCI Assistive Technology Tryout Center, Communication Connection!The conference call in number for today isPhone number 1-888-850-4523Passcode is:859908

2. CDCI AT Tryout Center, The Vermont I Team & Vermont Assistive Technology Program Present:CDCI Communication Connections Webinar Series: Save the following dates:Jan 19th, March 16, April 20, & May 18, 2011

3. Getting Started with Core VocabularyDecember 15th, 2010 Communication Connection Series Presentation 1 Maureen Nevers, M.S. CCC-SLP Augmentative Communication Consultant Vermont Iteam, in collaboration with CDCI AT Try-out Center, & VT AT Program

4. Q: Do I need Core Vocabulary?A: Yes, if you’ve said… “How can I possibly include all the words she’ll need?” “How do I know what vocabulary to teach?” “We never seem to have the right words available” • “What words should I program into the device? • “What are the most important messages to include on the communication board?” • “He really only makes requests.”

5. Core Vocabulary • About Core Vocabulary • Types of supports • Symbol format • Quantity of Words • Types of words • Organization and layout • Application • Resources

6. Core Vocabulary Definition • A small set of commonly used words that support communication and language learning. • A format for defining the words that comprise a communication system.

7. Who Can Use Core Vocabulary? • Require supports to communicate • Any form of access • Any symbol forms * • Range of language abilities

8. Core Vocabulary Did you know? 85% of what we say is communicated with only 200 basic words. We call these our “core” words. “Core is consistent across place, topic, cognitive ability”

9. Core Vocabulary common high-frequency re-usable across language functions descriptive across contexts always available

10. Purpose / Goals • Gain true understanding of word meanings • Increase availability and use of messages • Increase diversity of application of words – more purposes, more contexts • Achieve active and independent communication • Priority is on language learning and output, not working on access

11. Benefits • Vocabulary, concepts, symbols or locations are known, familiar • Focus is on learning new information, content • With good vocabulary, can say what they want to say on a variety of topics in a variety of settings.

12. Sample: 112 Target Board

13. Typical Topic Board

14. Typical Topic Board

15. Typical Problems • Lack of range of parts of speech, heavy use of nouns • Restricted communicative functions • Commonly interpret function as labeling or requesting objects • Nouns often present in context • Higher quantity of nouns to learn

16. Communication System Tool (device, book, board) Symbols (line drawings, photos, text) Access (point, switch, look) Content (vocabulary, messages, organization)

17. Getting Started • Types of supports • Symbol format • Quantity of Words • Types of words • Organization and layout

18. 1 – What Supports? • Low-tech (paper-based) • High-tech (electronic) • Paper-based version of device

19. 2 – Symbol Format? • Line drawings: • Pixons • BoardMaker • Unity Pixsyms • Text

20. Color Coding • people/pronouns (yellow) – he, she • verbs/action words (green) – go, want • adjectives (dark blue) - big, little • adverbs (light blue) - slow, fast • prepositions (purple) - in, out • determiners (orange) - this, that • interjections (pink) – please, thank you • nouns (orange) pretzel, mom • wh words (red/bright pink) -who, what, where • conjunctions (white) - and, but, or

21. 3 – How Many Words? • 20 • 50 • 100 • 150 • 400

22. 4 – What Layout? • Page • single page • multi-page repeated core • Symbol Location: • consistent location on page • SVO sentence sequences • Access: • physical • visual • portability and availability

23. Motor Automaticity • “location learning” vs. symbol discrimination • Developing motor patterns associated with specific symbols • Makes communication faster, easier • Requires consistent layout, symbols don’t move

24. 5 – What Words? • Core words • Extended Vocabulary: • Personal core • Generic school core • Grammatical markers • Binders • Word altering strategies • Fringe vocabulary

25. Core Words Selected based on frequency of use (lists), and include range of parts of speech: • pronouns • verbs • adjectives • adverbs • prepositions • social / interjections

26. Functions/Purposes of Communication

27. Extended Vocabulary: Generic School Core • letters • numbers • colors • shapes • calendar

28. Core 112 List afraid-scary Aide (name) boy-man child-children dry empty father full fun-funny girl-woman have-has he-him-his hungry know mother over place play problem she-her-hers sing sleep stuff talk-call Teacher/ (name) they-people thirsty tired try under we-friend wet why win-lose wrong again all done/ finished all gone-gone bad different do-did good help I – (name) it look-see more not-don’t ready stop that this want what you-your away big come drink eat get give go like little happy hear-listen here how make me-myself my-mine now put sad say-tell sick silly take there trouble turn when where who all am-is-are-be be careful clean cold dirty-messy down fast feel hot how much/ much in late-later off on open-close out read same sit slow some stand up wait watch work

29. Extended Vocabulary: Personal Core • key people • key places • key things

30. Extended Vocabulary: Binders • “of” • “with” • “by” • “for”

31. Extended Vocabulary: Word Altering Strategies • “same as” • “opposite of” • “add to front” • “part of” • “join words” • “starts with” • “same group/family” • “add to end” • “sounds like”

32. Extended Vocabulary: Grammatical Markers • add –ing to a verb • prepositions (e.g. ‘on’, 'in’) • add 's' to form plurals • irregular past tenses • possessives (e.g. + ‘s) • articles (e.g. 'the’, 'a’) • add 's' to 3rd person verbs (e.g. 'he drinks’) • regular past tenses • auxiliary verbs (e.g. 'am reading’)

33. Extended Vocabulary: Fringe Vocabulary

34. Sample: 20 Target Core

35. Sample: Multi-Page Repeated Core

36. Sample: 50 Target Core

37. Sample: Talk to Me 100

38. Sample: 150 Target Board

39. Masking

40. Sample: 400 Word Core Board

41. Application • Natural contexts • Aided language stimulation • Direct instruction in symbol/concept meaning • Expansion, connection, correction

42. Descriptive Style • Talk “about” • Tell “how”, “where”, etc., not “what” • Longer sequences of symbols

43. Examples of Descriptive Style “frog”  “small” “green” “wet” “up” “down” “run”  “fast” “walk” “grandfather”  “old” “man” “family” “tree”  “tall” “green” “out”

44. You Try…

45. Resources • Gail VanTatenhove • AT 4 Kids Wiki Space • A Few Good Words • UNL Vocabulary lists • Talk to Me 100

46. Gail VanTatenhove’s Website • http://www.vantatenhove.com/materials.php • Free downloads of vocabulary lists, .pdf boards, presentations, etc.

47. Core Vocabulary Wiki • http://at4kids.wikispaces.com/ • Core vocabulary supporting documents, including articles and presentations on Core vocabulary • Sets of BoardMaker files for making low tech core books

48. “A Few Good Words” • http://www.asha.org/Publications/leader/2009/090414/f090414c.htm • Article on using core vocabulary to support nonverbal students • Written by Barbara Cannon & Grace Edmond

49. UNL AAC Vocabulary Lists • http://aac.unl.edu/VLN1.html • vocabulary lists sorted by age and other criteria

50. Talk to Me 100 • http://www.sydspeak.com/symbols.html • Free printable board of 100 core word symbols • Larger sizes of symbols also available • Digitized device (Talk to Me 100) using core words for purchase