Core vocabulary activities

Two years ago I was feeling a little bored and dare I say it... burned out. I went to a conference that Karen Erickson presented at and I discovered core vocabulary! Implementing core vocabulary instruction has made me so excited about teaching again and has sparked my creativity in the classroom. Like most kids, my students with disabilities benefit from learning through a multisensory approach. My students love to learn through songs, games, hands-on activities, acting things out, visuals…

A few weeks ago I got a few questions about what I store in my core vocabulary tubs. I have been meaning to work on this post since then, but I was busy finishing grad. school (YAY!) and then I got sick. So better late than never, right?! Go/ Stop- Material ideas: wind up toys (animals or vehicles are easy to find at the dollar store) cars, trains, books about transportation/ vehicles, things that go, etc. Get a books for free here, here, and here. Activity ideas: Talk about how vehicles go…

Over the past 2 months I’ve been talking a lot about beginning with augmentative communication; including what it is and who needs it. The ...

Don’t know where to start with core vocabulary? Get a FREE starter board, tips and tricks to teach with, and even the first 5 words to start with!

The new word of the week is GO! We will be focusing on this word for the next couple of weeks. I sent home a handout with ways to incorporate GO naturally into your daily activities and with some additional activities. See the picture of the handout below if you want to take another look. Also, I made a simple reader with pictures your child can color. This reader includes the same picture cues that we use in speech for great practice and exposure to the word GO and different contexts that…

Learn all about how to use a put in task as an AAC or core vocabulary communication lesson, that can be implemented as a full lesson or a transition lesson.

Our new core vocabulary word is ON. We have found this to be a very functional vocabulary word to target. Here is a handout that gives more ideas on how this word can be used naturally and a home activity. Both of these will be sent home with your student. I also wanted to share a fun song that our kids have enjoyed that targets the core word - ON.

Targeting core words in speech therapy can be easy! Here are some practical ways to implement core words into your speech sessions.

Core vocabulary has proven to be a very useful tool in my therapy room for my low/non-verbal students. It allows them to expand utterances in a way that other AAC methods simply fall short. In typical language therapy with my preschoolers, I love using books. It's age-appropriate, motivating, language-rich, and enjoyable. Why should my minimally

A free, downloadable list of words to start with when you begin teaching core vocabulary in your classroom or at home. Read more here.