AAC: THE POWER OF CORE VOCABULARY IN THE CLASSROOM
Presenter(s)
Annalee
Anderson
Prentke
Romich Company
Email: aaprc@wtp.net
Everyone
tends to use the same spoken words with the greatest frequency, resulting in
the concept of “core vocabulary.” Providing core vocabulary for the
augmented communicator is critical. This session will address what core
vocabulary is, and will provide examples of its power in the classroom.
Everyone tends to use the same spoken words with
the greatest frequency, resulting in the concept of “core vocabulary.”
For example, in the sentence, “I need you to help me,” all six words are
core vocabulary. In the sentence, “I want to go to Starbucks to get a latte,”
only “Starbucks” and “latte” are fringe vocabulary. The remaining 8
words, or 80% of the total number of words in the sentence, are core
vocabulary. The inclusion of these high frequency words is often
overlooked when planning vocabulary for an augmented communicator, and when it
is addressed, representation of core vocabulary is challenging. Because
these words comprise the vast majority of our spoken messages, providing them
for an augmented communicator is critical.
This session will address what core vocabulary
is, and will provide resources for core vocabulary, including a variety of
articles and support materials. References for core vocabulary
information for toddlers, preschoolers, school age children, young adults, older
adults, and augmented communicators will be provided. Core vocabulary
across different ages, topics, and environments will be addressed. Some
major core vocabulary lists will be compared.
Fringe vocabulary, also known as extended
vocabulary, will be discussed. Fringe vocabulary is usually much easier
to picture, so many communication devices provide extensive fringe vocabulary
while they neglect core vocabulary. The need to provide simultaneous
access to both core and fringe vocabulary creates an even bigger challenge.
A variety of classroom scenarios will be
provided, with attention to typical communication. The scenarios will be
informally analyzed for core vocabulary and fringe vocabulary, and percentages
will be calculated. We will then look at how core vocabulary can be
provided on an AAC device, as well as strategies for providing fringe
vocabulary.
We have all experienced communication breakdown
as the interactive partner with an augmented communicator in a classroom.
A number of functional strategies for clarifying communication when this
occurs will be addressed, including consideration of customizations to the
vocabulary in the device, as well as interactive strategies.
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