School Year of Core Vocabulary Words – Older Student Lessons: AAC Resources for November
It’s prAACtically November, which means we’re ready for some fun ideas for supporting core vocabulary learning in older students. Guest authors Michaela Sullivan and Lindsay Dougherty put together some helpful resources for you to use with your AAC learners. Don’t miss the great information they share on customizing AAC devices/apps.
Enjoy!
SCHOOL YEAR OF CORE – Older Student Lessons
Access & Copy below:
INTRODUCTION- NOVEMBER 2024
We hope that the School Year of Core (SYOC-OSL) resource can provide you and your students with support in learning about core vocabulary through thematic activities and icebreakers.
This crisp and magical time of year provides opportunities for learning core vocabulary. In November, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving and reflecting on Native American History. We will also be diving into themes including art, cooking, weather, clothing, household items and discuss why we turn back our clocks for daylight savings.
We hope you find our resources engaging, fun and easy to access across various contexts (at home, school, adult day programs, or wherever you have a moment to have fun engaging your AAC Learner in theme-based activities).
If you haven’t already, we invite you to review our materials to find some activities that are engaging for your students and AAC learners. Please find the links to our slide decks at the top of this post. Make a copy of the slide deck and modify/adapt the lessons to meet your needs.
Although these resources were created for AAC users, they can be utilized effectively with a variety of learners. Explore our collection with your older students/individuals, making sure to keep fun and the joy of learning in the forefront!
We would love your honest feedback! Let us know what has been helpful and what could be improved, so our project can continue to grow and change. If you have adapted the SYOC-OSLs to meet your unique needs, please share your ideas with us!
Email us at schoolyearofcore@gmail.com
To further enrich your experience, download the corresponding Symbol Charts containing September Level 1 and Level 2 words. They can be used as hands-on low-tech visuals, to keep your lessons on track. Also, please download the accountability/data sheets to document progress.
We have provided over 200 slides for the month of November. Our motto is, “Take what you want and leave the rest.” Choose lessons and activities to meet your needs, and save the rest for the next school year.
All Slide Decks contain:
- Icebreaker Activities, (e.g. Jokes, Would You Rather, National days)
- Monthly Language Resources Include:
- “Tell us a Story” slides: to support students to co-construct narratives about past experiences using meaningful photos given WH question scaffolds.
- “Get Off the Computer” suggestions for Shared Reading and Share a Word to Describe your Day: We added a few slides with Shared Reading suggestions and a topic/interest inventory where students/adults can share the topics they are most interested in.
- Self-Care: We will review different topics through the lens of self-care.
- Student Reflection Time: students can use a visual rating scale to share whether or not they enjoyed an activity.
- Symbol charts: include icons from a wide array of communication systems.
- Feelings Check-In: Including sentence frames and visuals
- Weekend reflection: Including visual icons and options.
- Music Choices: Listen to music corresponding to themes and core words
- Media: animated shorts and short, educational video clips
- Predictable chart writing
- Reading
- The Strategy of the Month is Personalizing and customizing a student’s AAC system.
We hope you enjoy the School Year of Core-Older Student Lessons for November.
THE WORDS
Weeks 1-2:
- Level 1 Words: your, get, look, stand, sing, need, work, make
- Level 2 Words: thankful, fine, cool, taste, dry, wet, copy, pour
Weeks 3-4:
- Level 1 Words: hurt, not, walk, cut, today, day, color, where
- Level 2 Words: mix, stir, cook, bake, bored, smell, safe, How’s it going?
Level 1 Words
Level 2 Words
THE SYMBOLS
You can download grids with the symbols for this month’s words from the lists below. These handy visual tools can help us remember what words to focus on and be useful in our intervention and instruction.
Level 1 Words
- Avaz
- CoughDrop
- LAMP Words for Life
- Wordpower 60 Basic
- Unity 45 Sequenced
- Unity 60 Sequenced
- Unity 84 Sequenced
- Blank Grid (add your own symbols)
Level 2 Words
- Avaz
- CoughDrop
- LAMP Words for Life
- Wordpower 60 Basic
- Unity 45 Sequenced
- Unity 60 Sequenced
- Unity 84 Sequenced
- Blank Grid (add your own symbols)
AAC STRATEGY OF THE MONTH: PERSONALIZING & CUSTOMIZING AN INDIVIDUAL’S AAC SYSTEM
In addition to individuals with Complex Communication Needs having access to a robust vocabulary on their AAC system to potentially say almost anything they want, when they want and how they want, individualizing this robust system is paramount. Devices need to be individualized given the unique needs of the student in the areas of: manner of access; appearance, (which includes symbol types and size, field size, color coding, and considerations for high contrast if individuals have visual impairments); selection of a voice that represents the individual’s personality and finally; individualizing the vocabulary so that persons can express biographical, personal information and make key requests and express phrases that are representative of who they are. This process is ongoing as people’s needs, interests and information changes over time.
Resources
- The importance of customization http://www.discoveraac.org/practicing-aac/customizing-how-tos/ from Discover AAC website courtesy of By Ajit Narayanan
- Courtesy of PrAACtical AAC: Video of the Week: Personalizing Core Vocabulary Systems https://praacticalaac.org/tag/individualize/ (handouts are available here)
- Courtesy of PrAACtical AAC by Kelly Key and Deidre Dobbels (AAC in the Cloud 2019) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtPIjFiSK8c
- Personalizing your AAC system and vocabulary by AssistiveWare https://www.assistiveware.com/learn-aac/personalize-vocabulary-and-system
- Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDPkK5w4M_8 Courtesy of Vicki Clarke & AAC Chicks at DTA Schools
DATA COLLECTION & ACCOUNTABILITY FORMS
Taking data to measure performance and keeping track of our own modeling behavior are two things we can do to strengthen our AAC teaching. Here are some forms that you can use to support those efforts.
This posting is dedicated to all of the amazing Educators, SLP’s, parents, therapists and friends who are making a difference every day!
About the School Year of Core-Older Student Lessons Series Authors
Michaela Sullivan is an SLP who specializes in the fields of AAC and AT. She currently works within the San Francisco Unified School District on the AAC Support Team where she works in a transition program and on special projects. Ms. Sullivan also has a private practice, Hands-On AAC. She has presented in the field of Speech-Language Pathology and AAC at state and national conventions. She was one of the creators of the Original School Year of Core first released in 2020 on the websites: PrAACtical AAC and AAC Language Lab. Ms. Sullivan works closely with San Francisco State with Project AAC for ALL, SYOC Bilingue and the TRAAC Project. Ms. Sullivan serves as a Board member, Treasurer and Volunteer for the Nika Project, providing services, supports, resources, training, and repurposed equipment to help meet the needs of individuals who use AAC systems both locally and internationally.
Lindsay Dougherty is a Speech & Language Pathologist, with specializations in Autism and AAC. She currently works for San Francisco Unified School district, providing direct services to students with complex communication needs and supporting her fellow SLPs on the AAC Support Team. Lindsay works on a team of professionals, implementing a Language Systems First curriculum for Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms across the school district. The team provides a universal language system, staff and parent training and AAC support to teachers and SLPs. She is also the faculty advisor of her middle school’s Best Buddies Club, where she supports students with disabilities in building meaningful friendships with peers.
Our Featured Core Contributors for the Month of November include:
Jadine Veluya, Christelle Marcelo and Joseph Cachapero
Filed under: Featured Posts
This post was written by Carole Zangari