Strategies to improve core vocabulary in children
Core vocabulary therapy activities refers to simple words that we use frequently on a daily basis. These words can have many meanings and are relevant across context. Examples of core vocabulary words are stop, go, get, more, on, off, up and down etc. By using these words, an emergent communicator can take control of their environment, have their needs met and interact socially with their friends and family. Eventually, these words will guide them to make phrases such as – get that, go up, turn that off, go more and get down.
Read a detailed blog on Myths about children learning to talk
Here are the fun filled home activities to work on developing core vocabulary for emergent communicators.
Playing with toy cars
It’s a favorite activity for many children. This activity creates opportunity for your child to learn the following core vocabulary words.
At 1-word level:
Go – Model and teach this word while making the cars move or to initiate a race.
Stop – Allow your child to direct you to make the cars “stop.”
Up – Have your child use this word while pushing a car “up” a ramp or move up in a toy garage.
Down – Use this word while allowing cars to race “down” ramps or racetracks.
Come – Teach this word to encourage your child to ask you to “come” and follow him/her when pushing toy cars.
At 2-word level:
Core vocabulary therapy activities
Go up/down
Go in/under/next to, etc – Teach prepositions when making cars go in/under/next to tunnels, furniture or toys.
Push it – Model this word when initiating movement with the cars.
Go fast/slow – Allow your child to direct the speed of movement of the cars by using these simple adverbs
Phrases:
Push the blue car
Make it go fast
You push that
Go under that
Go down fast
Coloring
It’s a part of many children’s routine that can be used to develop the following core vocabulary words.
At 1-word level:
Open/Close – Use these words when accessing art supplies from cabinets or drawers, getting crayons or markers out of their boxes and taking off or putting on marker tops.
Stop/Go – Model these words when drawing on the page; make it a game and allow your child to direct you draw and stop drawing on a page.
Up/Down – Teach these concepts while drawing in different directions. Placing the paper on a vertical
At 2-word level:
Open blue/red/yellow/etc. – when taking off a marker top, or opening paint colors
Color that
On paper/wall/body parts – Teach the preposition “on” while allowing your child to direct where to color, paint or stamp. For a messy, silly game, let your child ask to have his/her (or your) body parts drawn on!
Color more
Phrases:
Color that red
Open the blue one
That’s mine
Color on my arm
Get more (colors, paper, markers)
Snack
Utilize this opportunity to model/use/teach the following core vocabulary words.
At 1-word level:
Open – Have your child direct you to open cupboards in the kitchen or his/her lunchbox to access a snack and to open bags or containers holding the food.
Eat – Model and teach this word while taking bites of a snack.
Drink – Model and teach this word while taking a drink.
At 2-word level:
Get that – Allow your child to request access to different foods from the cupboard
Eat/drink more
Open that
You eat/drink
My drink
Phrases:
It’s time to eat
I am hungry
I like/don’t like it – Model comments like this while eating.
I need (that, more, spoon, plate) – gently sabotage your child’s routine by “forgetting” to give him/her a necessary utensil or item for his/her snack routine.
Dress-up
Many children enjoy playing dress-up with fun clothes and accessories. This activity allows you to interact with the child and facilitate the following core vocabulary words.
At 1-word level:
On/off – Let your child direct you to put on/take off hats, gloves, etc.
Open– Use this word while opening boxes, drawers or closets with clothes inside
Close – Teach this word when closing zippers or buttons on clothes
Turn – Model and teach this word while turning around to show off silly outfits
Look – Teach your child to use this word to draw attention to him/herself
At 2-word level:
Open it
You turn
Get more
Phrases:
Put it on
Take it off
Look at me
Reading
Use this opportunity to teach the following core vocabulary words for children who enjoy reading and looking at books/magazines.
At 1-word level:
Read – Your child can use this word to request to read a book, or direct you to read a line of text
Open – Use this word when opening a book or a magazine
Close – Model and teach this word when closing the book
Turn – Let your child direct you to turn pages in a book or magazine using this word
Look – Use this word when pointing and directing your child’s attention to pictures in the book or magazine.
At 2-word level:
Open it
Close it
Read it
Read more
Turn it
Look here
Phrases
Turn the page
Read it again
Read to me
Look at that
What is that?
Core vocabulary therapy activities
Silly Social Play
Since children get fascinated by silly social play and directing other people’s behavior, you can use this opportunity to facilitate the following core vocabulary words in your child’s repertoire.
At 1-word level:
Sleep – Pretend to fall asleep when your child uses this word
Turn – Let your child tell you to turn around in a circle
Sick, sad, angry, happy, scared – Let your child direct you to act out these emotions/feelings. The more exaggerated you are, the more fun your child might have.
Fall – Let your child direct you to fall down
Silly – Make wacky facial expressions and noises if your child directs you using this word.
Stop – Your child can use this word to make you stop turning, sleeping or acting in different ways
Come/Go – Your child can use these words to direct you to come to them or go away
At 2-word level:
Get up – Let your child use this phrase to get you up after you have “fallen asleep” or “fallen down”
Be sick/Get scared
Fall down
Turn around
Be silly
Stop it
Come here
Go away
Phrases
Go to sleep
You be sick
You get scared
Make a silly face
Once you are aware of more core vocabulary words, you can support the learning of these words in any play situation. Check out this link for more core vocabulary words. There are endless opportunities for you to incorporate the core language into your child’s daily routine.
Comments