Tag Archive: Thematic Language Therapy

Using Metaphors to Support Vocabulary Teaching

March 20, 2017 by - Leave your thoughts

Using Metaphors to Support Vocabulary Teaching

One of the really fun things about writing posts about vocabulary is that it gives us a great excuse to browse some teacher and SLP blogs. Sometimes their creativity blows me away, not to mention how incredibly engaging and cute they are! I especially love the creative themes that they use to go way beyond the ‘Vivid Verbs’ concept. Metaphors and visual imagery are both research-backed strategies for retaining new information. That’s important, especially as we move beyond core vocabulary and expose our AAC learners to a richer lexicon. Both can be used in a variety of games and activities and go a long way toward build engagement about new word learning. In the hands of an enthusiastic instructor, a metaphor can be developed into a theme that boosts the ‘fun factor,’ which is important when we’re trying to build the buzz around new word learning.  Here are some of... [Read More...]

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PrAACtical Thoughts on Thematic Language Therapy: Part 2

January 16, 2013 by - Leave your thoughts

PrAACtical Thoughts on Thematic Language Therapy

Thematic language therapy can be part of a meaningful language experience.  This is true for everyone but especially helpful for learners with social communication/language difficulties.  The theme of a session or theme of a month (or semester) can help a learner understand the relationship of individual activities to a larger main idea. For some learners it is easier to understand the details than to understand the ‘big picture’. By adding well thought out thematic features in intervention, the learner can then have many opportunities to relate the component parts of a theme to a main topic. Another aspect and benefit of thematic language learning has to do with word, concept, & vocabulary access. If a theme is used in a variety (or ALL) activities, there is a greater chance that the learner will be using similar words and concepts in talking, listening, reading and writing. By using all language modalities,  vocabulary, word... [Read More...]

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