Tag Archive: language
December 6, 2012
by Robin Parker -
The holidays are prAACtically here and depending upon the holiday traditions you celebrate they may be closer than you realize. Time seems to fly after Thanksgiving and before you know it, social norms seem to dictate gift exchanges, lots of invitations to people’s houses, and of course many gifts for friends and family. An easy way to accomplish gift giving is to ‘gift an app’. You can give apps that are pure fun, educational or a combination of both. To top it off, it is easy to stay within budget, avoid traffic, avoid crowds, and save tons of time (no need to wait for it to arrive). Before you think it’s too complicated, check out these ‘Gifting an App’ instructions by Cult of Mac. The process could not be simpler and you can email the recipient(s) or print out a gift certificate (if necessary right before the gift is needed).... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: Apps, gifts, holiday, language, Learning, literacy
November 24, 2012
by Robin Parker -
We love incorporating new vocabulary into fun motivating activities even when we are doing direct vocabulary instruction. We embed new vocabulary in activities using all of the language modalities- reading, writing, talking, and listening. We use planned vocabulary instruction activities as well as unexpected opportunities to embed new vocabulary. We like to stay within the theme of vocabulary learning but try and stay flexible in case a perfect opportunity arises that allows us to reflect back on an old vocabulary theme or mention a future planned theme. The main goal of direct vocabulary instruction is more than learning a new list of words, it is learning robust word knowledge so that language skills can be broadened. Consider these vocabulary instruction steps by Robert Marzano. These steps were not specifically developed for AAC users but if we add a language focus and a little more fun and active participation, they... [Read More...]
Filed under: Strategy of the Month
Tagged With: language, vocabulary instruction
November 10, 2012
by Robin Parker -
Vocabulary instruction is a topic not often discussed for beginning communicators. As we work with beginning communicators the primary focus is often vocabulary selection for communication displays. This is understandable as the beginning communicator has many needs, but that is no excuse for leaving out vocabulary instruction. Direct vocabulary instruction helps expand broader vocabulary selection options, literacy skills, and world knowledge. With that in mind, see below for vocabulary instruction philosophies, notes, and activities for the beginning communicator. Please let us know about your favorite vocabulary instruction activities. Vocabulary Instruction for the Beginning Communicator: 5 Philosophies Vocabulary instruction involves a systematic TEACHING process. Add vocabulary as an activity on the daily schedule and then have a mini-schedule for the specific vocabulary instruction activities for that day. Carole introduced general steps for vocabulary instruction last week. For the beginning communicator, also apply an errorless learning paradigm. Gradually, add comprehension checks, but... [Read More...]
Filed under: Strategy of the Month
Tagged With: beginning communicator, communication, language, language facilitation activities, teaching, vocabulary
September 23, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
We love this video that reminds us that technology is a beautiful thing, but the real power is in communication. Kudos to the AAC team at Thames Valley Children’s Centre for this wonderful reminder of three important things. Language learning happens through good teaching, not the mere provision of equipment. Verbal expression without technology is not only powerful but awesome. Literacy is something we should prioritize for all learners. As we prepare for AAC awareness month, enjoy this lovely conversation.
Filed under: Video of the Week
Tagged With: intervention, language
July 18, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
This post was inspired by a budding young professional who loves AAC and is DETERMINED to provide best practice services for the young students she serves. (See?? This is why we love being clinical educators!) We were chatting about a youngster on her caseload who uses an eyegaze SGD and is making some good progress with the technical aspects of it. Our conversation turned to goal setting. – First, a word about how to talk about AAC in the goals and objectives. For people who use SGDs, there are pros and cons to naming the actual device in the goal. Some SLPs favor that, while others prefer a more flexible approach and describe the device features. More about that another time. A more general concern about writing AAC goals is the tendency to focus more on operating equipment than on becoming an effective communicator. Clearly, we advocate the latter: AAC... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: AAC system, communicative competence, goals, intervention, language, linguistic competence, objectives, operational competence, social skills, strategic competence
June 16, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
This month we’ve been talking about ways to use traditional language facilitation strategies with people who use AAC. So far, we’ve covered expansion and extensions and recasts. This week we talk about feedback. Feedback is a critical component of any learning experience. It functions as a signpost and let’s us know where we are relative to our destination. Let’s think about how we can use it to improve the language of people who use AAC. – Contingent Responses What we do and say after the AAC learner communicates can be a powerful way to impact patterns of language use. The cardinal rule in AAC intervention is to provide consequences that are contingent on what was communicated. So, if the beginning AAC learner requested a something they don’t really like by mistake, we’d still provide that item and have them interact with it briefly before giving them a chance to make a different choice.... [Read More...]
Filed under: Strategy of the Month
Tagged With: intervention, language
June 13, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
There’s so much to love about BrainPOP. Geared for students in 4th-12th grades. Solid curricular content. Engaging animation and really fun educational games. Aligned with Common Core. Searchable by learning standard, subject, or grade level. Built-in assessment. Evidence-based. Web-based and app versions. Closed captioned videos. English and Spanish editions. Additional resources for educators. A simplified version for younger learners. And lots of it for free! – I’ve just scratched the surface of this wonderful site, which has been around since 1999, and is growing in depth and breadth. It’s perfect for some of the older students with whom we work and has a lot of potential for AAC learning. – Magic Moments: Ideas for AAC Intervention with BrainPOP 1. Navigation: Even some of our older students are still learning to find their way around complex AAC systems. The engaging content in the BrainPop videos create a fun context for activities... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: intervention, language, Magic Moments
June 9, 2012
by Robin Parker -
“Strategies Are The Secret To Learning” Tony Robbins There are many ways to teach speech and language but we think it is important to remember that the goal should be to teach spontaneous language. So all the strategies we discuss will be part of a responsive conversational style and be real or authentic to conversation. They will be for the facilitator (most often the adult) to use. There should be a purpose or strategy applied to each and every thing we communicate or ‘say’ when teaching language. This extra ‘dose’ of language facilitation is what transitions ordinary talking or language stimulation to specific language teaching/ or speech-language intervention. At the beginning of the month, we introduced language facilitation strategies by talking about aided language input, which is an authentic way of adding visual language and AAC modeling to the conversation. This week we are talking about RECASTS. Recasts serve to add or... [Read More...]
Filed under: Strategy of the Month
Tagged With: communication, language, language facilitation strategy, recasts
June 2, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
Well, it’s Week 4 of the new semester, and in our AAC classes, we’ve been talking a lot about how language is represented and organized in communication boards/books, SGDs, and AAC apps. We’ve talked about the pros and cons of representing language in various ways and discussed the options for setting up displays so that people can easily access the words they need. At this point, we know how to choose appropriate symbols, select appropriate vocabulary, and arrange it in an appropriate format. In short, we know how to put language ‘in.’ Now comes the hard part: Getting it out. How do we get people to actually use the language that’s been so carefully stored in the no-tech, low-tech, and high-tech AAC tools? Our June Strategy of the Month is about techniques for language facilitation. If you’re an SLP well-versed in language therapy with speaking children, these posts will cover... [Read More...]
Filed under: Strategy of the Month
Tagged With: aided language input, expansion, extension, intervention, language
March 3, 2012
by Robin Parker -
Did you know that March 17, 2012 was National Quilting Day? We didn’t know either until we found out about a great business called Keepsake Quilts. Keepsake Quilts takes your old tee-shirts, those tee-shirts that may have been around for years and are more about the memories then the article of clothing and sews them into a beautiful quilt. And if that isn’t enough to make you love them, it gets even better. This is a nonprofit business with a social mission. The mission is to promote an environment that supports and enhances work skills, interpersonal communication and self-esteem among people who are deaf or hard of hearing. ALl of the employees are deaf or hard of hearing they donate profits to deaf initiatives and deaf youth programs. As we read about the employees, it was interesting to note that a favorite reason for working at Keepsake was that there... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: american sign language, communication, disability, employment, language, quilts