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July 29, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Here in Florida, we’re preparing to head back to school and that means thinking about support students who use AAC. Teachers, therapists, and aides play a pivotal role in helping AAC learners develop skills with core vocabulary so that they have a body of words that can be used across activities, environments, and communication partners. There are lots of ‘right’ ways to support these students. Among them is an instructional approach in which a new set of core words is introduced every few weeks in order to build their experiences with AAC. Our Year of Core Words materials has two versions, Set 1 (12 words/month) and Set 2 (16 words/month; Different than the previous year’s core words). If you’ve been following along, or are just getting started, these resources may be of interest. Set 1 Words: any, bring, day, fall, give, hot, job, know, other, sick, sorry, together Set 2 Words: aide, animal, clothes,... [Read More...]
May 24, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
It’s just about time to flip the calendar to a new page. That means it’s time to prepare to highlight a new set of core words to keep our AAC learners moving forward and expanding their use of AAC throughout the day. We have some learn-at-home ideas that can help you incorporate our June core words into some easy activities and resources to help you have some prAACtical fun with the AAC learners in your life. If you’re helping an AAC learner become more capable in using high-frequency words to express themselves, we hope you join us in highlighting the June words and creating opportunities for our AAC learners to use them throughout the day. Whether you are following along with the 2013 Year of Core (Set 1-12 words/month) or the 2014 A(nother) Year of Core: (Set 2-16 words/month; Different than the previous year’s core words), or just getting started,... [Read More...]
April 25, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends! We have some posts that may be of interest. Monday – AAC & CVI: Can We Chat? Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Getting Started with the Communication Matrix Thursday – Throwback Thursday: Activities for AAC Learning ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: While you’re here, check out some of these past posts. PrAACtically Reading: Over in the Garden with Karen Natoci Talking Mats: A PrAACtical Tool Using Metaphors to Support Vocabulary Teaching AACtual Therapy: “At first I was afraid, I was petrified…” AACtual Therapy: Running AAC Groups
March 29, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Whether you are a parent trying to keep your child’s AAC skills up or a professional who is providing AAC support, we hope that our monthly Year of Core Vocabulary posts help you stay focused and keep your learners using their AAC skills. In today’s post, we share some ideas for boosting core word learning throughout the week, focusing on a small set of words. Whether you are following along with the Set 1 (12 words/month) or the Set 2 words (16 words/month; Different than the previous core words), or are just getting started, this post has some helpful resources. Our words for this month are as follows. Set 1 List: big, busy, do, drink, feel, he, in, make, out, some, tell, who Set 2 List: blue, brother, close, family, head, last, long, no, old, right, scared, soft, thing, top, wash, whole We have some specific ideas for how to build a learning... [Read More...]
March 7, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts that you may have missed. Monday – A PrAACtical March: Resources for A Year of Core Vocabulary Words Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Feature Matching in AAC Thursday – School-based SLPs: Confidence in AAC Assessment Friday – PráctiCAAmente Conectados Con Links – Marzo 2021 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Still in the mood for some more AAC? Here are a handful of previous posts to explore. Video of the Week: On Using Symbols with Beginning Communicators Video of the Week: Object Symbols and Core Vocabulary A PrAACtical Look at Getting Started with AAC Symbols Fast FAACt Friday: On Symbols and Reading Core Vocabulary: Making Sense of Symbols
August 27, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
As online instruction and therapy continue to be an important service delivery option, practitioners are growing their skills and expanding their toolboxes. Today, we welcome back PrAACtical AAC contributor Sarah Gregory with more tips and suggestions for how to make these virtual sessions more engaging and productive. Sarah is an AAC SLP and AT Specialist in Ithaca NY where she supports students in public school settings. In this post, she shares tips, videos, and activity downloads for AAC telepractice. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: A new and uncertain school year has arrived and many of us will be continuing with some form of remote AAC support. In my last blog post (click here), I shared tips for getting started with AAC teletherapy and now we will look at structuring virtual sessions, creating and using digital materials, and providing Aided Language Input. And although I am sharing many digital activities and tricks, the most important... [Read More...]
August 24, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
As we prepare to say goodbye to August and flip the page on the calendar, we turn our attention to a fresh set of core words. Are you supporting AAC learners who have SGDs or communication boards/books with high-frequency words? If so, join us as we work to model, practice, and teach these words throughout the day. It can feel overwhelming, so we tend to focus on a subset of words each month. The Year of Core Vocabulary Words approach isn’t a developmental list of words to be introduced in a specific order, but rather a way of gradually exposing learners to more and more words over time. We do that by modeling them on their device or communication aid when we talk and plan specific instructional activities to teach word meanings, play games to help them better recognize and understand the symbols for those words, and, elicit them frequently... [Read More...]
July 27, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Well this is certainly shaping up to be a strange summer. Here in Florida, lots of professionals and families are starting to think about heading back to school whether it is virtual learning or going back into the classroom. Teachers, therapists, and aides play a pivotal role in helping AAC learners develop skills with core vocabulary so that they have a body of words that can be used across activities, environments, and communication partners. There are lots of ‘right’ ways to support these students. Among them is an instructional approach in which a new set of core words is introduced every few weeks in order to build their experiences with AAC. Our Year of Core Words materials has two versions, Set 1 (12 words/month) and Set 2 (16 words/month; Different than the previous year’s core words). If you’ve been following along, or are just getting started, these resources may be of interest. Set 1... [Read More...]
June 29, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Looking for comprehensive information on effective literacy instruction and research-based strategies to support students with significant cognitive disabilities and complex communication needs? Today, we highlight the Literacy Instruction for Students with Significant Disabilities website, a resource developed by the Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium (ERLC) that can be used in planning a new literacy program or enhancing one already in existence. The site is broken down into 6 main areas. Getting Started provides a framework for this instruction and offers guidance for determining whether instruction for individual learners should focus on emergent or conventional literacy. The Access to Communication section offers a number of resources to support access to and early development of skills in the areas of linguistic, social, operational, and strategic competence. Access to appropriate reading material and to effective writing supports both contain important foundational information and practical resource suggestions. More in-depth information is also provided for emergent literacy... [Read More...]
May 25, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
It’s just about time to flip the calendar to a new page. That means it’s time to prepare to highlight a new set of core words to keep our AAC learners moving forward and expanding their use of AAC throughout the day. We have some learn-at-home ideas that can help you incorporate our June core words into some easy activities and resources to help you have some prAACtical fun with the AAC learners in your life. If you’re helping an AAC learner become more capable in using high-frequency words to express themselves, we hope you join us in highlighting the June words and creating opportunities for our AAC learners to use them throughout the day. Whether you are following along with the 2013 Year of Core (Set 1-12 words/month) or the 2014 A(nother) Year of Core: (Set 2-16 words/month; Different than the previous year’s core words), or just getting started,... [Read More...]