School Year of Core Vocabulary Words: AAC Resources for Month 1 (August) by Michaela Sullivan, Alisa Lego, & Beth Lytle

August 31, 2020 by - 9 Comments

School Year of Core Vocabulary Words: AAC Resources for Month 1 (August) by Michaela Sullivan, Alisa Lego, & Beth Lytle
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August may be on the way out but the words for this month are useful all throughout the year. The new Year of Core Words School Edition is in development and the plan is to get these monthly to you prior to the start of each month so that you can plan and prepare. Please bear with us for the first few posts as we get up to speed. Each of the monthly posts will highlight a selected set of words and a suggested order in which to teach them. You’ll also find resources, such as Activity Sheets for each word and data collection forms, and information on a key intervention strategy.

The series authors, Michaela Sullivan, Beth Lytle, and Alisa Lego, created an introduction that you may want to review before digging into this month’s target words. You can see that here.

Enjoy Month 1 of the School Year of Core Words!

A SCHOOL YEAR OF CORE WORDS

by Michaela Sullivan, Beth Lytle, & Alisa Lego

 

THE WORDSSchool Year of Core Vocabulary Words: AAC Resources for Month 1 (August) by Michaela Sullivan, Alisa Lego, & Beth Lytle

Level 1 words for August: I/me, hi/hello, bye/goodbye, help, stop, go, want, play, that, out, in, more, all done, bathroom, take a break, wash

The suggested sequence for implementation is listed below.

  • Week 1: bye/goodbye, help, hi/hello, I/me
  • Week 2: go, play, stop, want
  • Week 3: in, more, out, that
  • Week 4: all done, take a break

School Year of Core Vocabulary Words: AAC Resources for Month 1 (August) by Michaela Sullivan, Alisa Lego, & Beth Lytle

Level 2 words for August: us, had, meet, went, funny, outside, inside, better, beside, next to, run, hear, hang, okay, awesome, How are you?

The suggested order for these words is listed below.

  • Week 1: had, meet, us, went
  • Week 2: better, funny, inside, outside
  • Week 3: beside, hear, next to, run
  • Week 4: awesome, hang, how are you, okay

THE SYMBOLS

You can download grids with the symbols for this month’s words from the lists below. These handy tools can help us remember what words to focus on and be useful in our intervention and instruction. For aided language input, though, it’s best to model on the AAC system that the student uses. Watching us navigate those systems to use these words in context gives AAC learners valuable information about where symbols are located and how they can be combined with other symbols, among other things.

Level 1 WordsSchool Year of Core Words

Level 2 Words

THE ACTIVITIES

These sets of Activity Sheets are divided into weeks and can be downloaded for easy access.

Activity Sheets for Level 1 Words

Activity Sheets for Level 2 Words

School Year of Core Vocabulary Words: AAC Resources for Month 1 (August) by Michaela Sullivan, Alisa Lego, & Beth Lytle

THE STRATEGY OF THE MONTH

This month’s key strategy is Aided Language Stimulation (ALS).

ALS is a researched-based approach to implementing and teaching individuals how to use their AAC systems by having the communication partner both speak and simultaneously point to the word or words they are expressing on the individual’s communication system. It is important to note that the communication partner does not have to find EVERY word expressed on the AAC device, in fact, start modeling 1-2 words beyond the level the individual is communicating. For example,  if an individual is at the single word level, when targeting ‘more’, say ‘you want more’ and point to that same phrase on the individual’s communication system.  This will assist in modeling the expansion of language and acquisition of vocabulary in natural or more instructional contexts.

We incorporated this strategy in all of our Activity Sheets surrounding the targeted core words. Until it becomes a habit, create intentional opportunities to practice this skill.

Please find the following additional resources on Aided Language Stimulation below. These resources will be helpful for individual learning and/or for team training.

Resources:

 

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.

About the School Year of Core Vocabulary Series Authors

PrAACtical Introductions: A School Year of Core Vocabulary WordsMichaela 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 supervises graduate students, works in a transition program and on special projects. Ms. Sullivan is also an AAC and AT Team member within the San Mateo Unified School District where she developed an AAC Mentorship program. Ms. Sullivan also has a private practice. She has been a presenter in the field of SLP and AAC at state and national conventions.   She serves as a board member and volunteer for the Nika Project, providing services, supports, resources, training, and repurposed equipment for individuals with complex communication needs both locally and internationally. 

PrAACtical Introductions: A School Year of Core Vocabulary WordsAlisa Lego is a second-year graduate student and candidate for Master’s of Science in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences at San Francisco State University.  Alisa is specializing in AAC through San Francisco State University’s federally funded Project Building Bridges.  Alisa is also a candidate for the Autism Spectrum Graduate Certificate.  Through Project Building Bridges, she has joined the Nika project and is providing resources for individuals with complex communication needs both locally and across the globe. You can follow Alisa on Instagram at @newfriendscollective.

PrAACtical Introductions: A School Year of Core Vocabulary WordsBeth Lytle is a second-year graduate student and candidate for Master’s of Science in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences at San Francisco State University.  Beth is specializing in AAC through San Francisco State University’s federally funded Project Building Bridges.  Through Project Building Bridges, she has joined the Nika project and is providing resources for individuals with complex communication needs both locally and across the globe.

 

 

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This post was written by Carole Zangari

9 Comments

  • Kim Hurley says:

    WOW! Thank you for all the hard work putting this together.

  • Beth Kenney says:

    Oh my gosh! I am so excited for this! I teach 2nd-5th special education, focusing on kiddos with autism and ID. I just shared this page with a few others in my school who I think could use it. The fact that everything is all laid out, with engaging videos and stories and ideas for implementation is like a JACKPOT and saves me so much time! I am so grateful for this meaningful work, and have no doubt that the impact it will have on so many children will be immeasurable!

    • Avatar photo Carole Zangari says:

      Beth, nothing could make us happier than to know that people like you find these resources useful. Teachers and clinicians are stretched so thin these days that having someone put together a thoughtful set of resources can make all the difference! Thanks for taking the time to comment and share your enthusiasm. I’d love it if you would reach out at some point in the future and let us know how it is going. 🙂

  • Sharon Blake says:

    These are amazing! Thank you for all the fabuolous ideas!

  • Katy says:

    This is an amazing resource. Thank you so much for sharing it with us for FREE! I am using many many of the ideas with my preschoolers, but I think they would be useful for any age.

  • Michaela Sullivan says:

    We are so thrilled that people continue to find these resources helpful. Happy New Year! Michaela

  • Rebecca says:

    I’m so excited to have these resources available. I’m getting ready for my new class next year, UTK-5th with multiple students using AAC. Thank you!

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