Common Core vs. Core

Vocabulary

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Created by Christine Kramlich, M.Ed and Kimberly Thompson, M.S./OTR-L

Cyk.cons@prentrom.com 770-871-8434

Who Am I?

How to Discover Core Words

• 3 activities

• 20 words in each category

• Any common words?

• What words for all 3 activities?

Can you

pick the core?

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These are

CORE

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These are

FRINGE

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Core Words

• High frequency

• Versatile

• Universal

• Apply across environments

• Include a variety of parts of speech

• Non-picture producing

• Ex. Sight words, I, like, more

Fringe Words

• Low frequency

• Apply to limited environments

• Mostly names/nouns

• Picture producing

• Ex. Test tube, movie, line,

Bubbles

Why Core?

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300 words make up 75-85% of the words we say.

Same words across Gender

Age

Topic

Setting

Disability

Bruce Baker

The Vocabulary of Toddlers

Banajee, DiCarlo & Stricklin, (AAC 2003)

50 toddlers between the ages of 2 & 3 years

Toddler Vocabulary Arranged by Frequency Words Percentage I 9.5 No 8.5 Yes/yea 7.6 my 5.8 the 5.2 want 5.0 is 4.9 it 4.9 that 4.9 a 4.6 go 4.4 mine 3.8 you 3.2 what 3.1 on 2.8 in 2.7 here 2.7 more 2.6 out 2.4 off 2.3 some 2.3 help 2.1 all done/finished 1.0

96.3% Banajee et al.

26 core words

shown at left

comprise 96.3

percent of the total

words used by

toddlers in this

study.

Your Turn

Create sentences using 100 most frequently

used word list.

Challenge yourself with longer sentences.

Share.

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Introducing Core Vocabulary

• High interest activities

• Generalize words

• Multiple meanings of words

• Caution with academics initially

• Balloons! How can these same words

transfer to more academic activities?

Natural Language Development

• AAC Language Lab

• Apps

• Ibooks

• www.hubbardscupboard.org

• www.rigby.com

• Speech therapist

Life is about the Nouns, right?

• Curriculum

• Flash cards

• Board books

• Target vocabulary

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Strategies

• Referential vs. descriptive teaching

• Engaging Activities

• Simplify definitions

• Alternate Ways to Assess

• Modeling

What is Referential Teaching?

• Questioning with an expected response of

noun, date, or place.

• Generally requires only one word answer

• Often used with AAC users

• Often used with those who have limited

language exposure/experience

• Lots of temporary word programming

What is Descriptive Teaching?

• Emphasizes use of core vocabulary

• Uses permanent words

• Words cross curriculum

• Words generalize to a variety of

environments

• Teach concepts in vocabulary words

• Use core words to describe these

concepts

Shifting Mindset: Core vs. Target

• Referential vs. descriptive questions

Common Core: S4P3. Students will demonstrate the relationship between

the application of a force and the resulting change in position and motion on

an object.

Ref: What is the force that slows or stops motion?

Answer: Friction

Desc: What did you learn about friction?

Answer: It stops things. It slows things.

Reframe this one: What is the measure of speed in

a certain direction? Answer: Velocity

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Engaging Activities

• Friction: Where does the car go fastest?

– Vinyl, wood, carpet, ice, pavement

– Core words: fast, slow, go, stop, my, turn, I,

want, get, it, big, little, you, more, like, don’t,

work, make, need, come, put, help (look at 60

1-hit)

Simplify Definitions with Core

Words

• Identify key vocabulary

• Simplify key vocabulary

• Model core words to describe key words

Simplify Definitions

• Civil Rights Movement

SS8H11 The student will evaluate the role of Georgia in the modern civil

rights movement.

• Identify key vocabulary: Jim Crow Laws,

Ku Klux Klan, Rosa Parks, segregation,

Plessy v. Ferguson, etc.

• Simplify Key vocabulary: segregation,

Rosa Parks, Jim Crow Laws

Simplify Key Vocabulary

• Segregation: enforced separation of

whites/blacks (whites sit there, blacks sit here)

• Ku Klux Klan: secret organization in the south

which aimed to suppress the newly acquired

powers of blacks (bad people, mean to black

people, don’t like black people)

• Rosa Parks: African American woman whose

arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott

(good lady, sat on bus with white people)

Middle School Science

Emerging Communicator

(1, 2, 3 words)

More Proficient Communicator (3-6

words)

Mars First one; hottest It is the first one. It is the hottest.

Venus Second one; like Earth It is the second one. It is like Earth.

Orbit Go around something Go around something in a circle.

Tide Water up down Water goes up and down (because

earth pulls on the moon)

Crater Big opening (in ground) Big opening in the ground made by

something big falling

Earth We live; third one We live here. It is the third one.

Eclipse Hides another One thing in the sky hides another

Model Core Vocabulary

• Need to know the device

• Be familiar with the words

• Use the same words across curriculum

• Make cheat sheets

• Touch the device!

• Laser pointer

• Flashlight

Alternate Ways to Assess

• ELACC1RL1 Ask and answer questions

about key details in a text

• Want to assess whether a student can

name a concept, try this:

More Alternate Ways to Assess

• Post Its

• A, B, C, D

• 1, 2, 3, 4

• True/False

• Spelling/What does it start with?

Elementary Language Arts

• Compare: What same

• Contrast: What different

• Character: Person

• Plot: Story about

• Setting: Where

• Conflict: Problem in story

• Author: Person who writes

Math examples

• Comparing decimals (more, less, big,

small, first, next, last)

• Reading graphs (high, low, more than,

less than, most, least, up, down, hot, cold)

• Math games (have, can, I, you, do)

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Teaching Core and Having Fun

• Pretend Play or Academic Activity

– Cooking: What words would you typically

associate with the activity?

– What are some better words?

• Turn on/off

• Get that

• Put in

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Labeling Classroom

• Traditional vs. Core

• Door = go, out, in

• Light = turn, on, off

• Chair = sit

• Desk = I sit here or you, he, she sits here

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What do the standards say?

• Core Curriculum Standards: Emphasize ability to

answer open-ended questions

• National Core Curriculum Standards: Expect

students to explain, make connections,

compare/contrast, analyze, etc.

• There is no need to “say” a particular word, but

rather “tell about and talk about” a topic

Summary

• Vocabulary of life dominated by core

• Flexible words, express any idea

• State Standard Curriculum can be

addressed using core words

• Time and energy saved by avoiding

adding unnecessary words to device

Why I do what I do

• Wants/needs became communication

• Power of a voice

• “My name is Kyleigh. I am nine years old. I am in 3rd grade. This is my

talker. It helps me speak. I like when my friends play with me. I feel happy.

We play tic tac toe and cards at school. We listen to my MP3 player at

home. I like Girl Scouts. The girls say hi to me and talk to me. They know I

am observant. I work hard at math. My teachers don’t know how hard it is.

That makes me mad. Sometimes people ask me why I am disabled. I don’t

know what to say. I wish they would laugh and joke with me. I would like

you if you would like me. Thank you for listening.

Questions/Comments

• Cyk.cons@prentrom.com

• 770-871-8434

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