Core Vocabulary with Booklets

I don't have time to write a big post about this, so here are the main points:

I'm focusing on doing more modeling at home, because modeling is the most important thing that I can do to help Maya become a proficient, active AAC user.

I'm focusing on core words, because core words work across many environments, build many sentences, and make up 80% of what we all say everyday. (80%!)  

I'm focusing on putting phrases and sentences together, because Maya knows the location of a ton of words in her talker, but doesn't often spontaneously make the leap to string them together.

I've decided to create some little booklets, pulling the bulk of the words from core word lists that I've found and dissected online (like here and here). This book is not to teach any concepts, but rather to practice, practice, practice using core words. The more I model them, and the more we use them together, the more likely she will be to use them on her own. Tonight I made the first booklet, about Parker and things that he likes to do. Here are some sample pages:

Core words. Motivating booklet. Done quickly, without getting hung up on graphics or art or perfect margins. 

Here's the booklet file  (as a word doc, which can be totally customized)---if you print and use it, you need to draw a picture for the bugs-under-a-car page. This will print two book pages per sheet of paper (cut and staple to make the book). I put the title & ending pages first so that I could print that sheet on cardstock (for a heavier "cover") and then print the rest on paper.

(If you start making core word booklets, please come share them!)

I'm looking forward to seeing what she thinks tomorrow, and to making more of these. (And I'm selfishly hoping that you guys will create some fun ones and share them here or in the Speak for Yourself Users Group!)

VIDEO UPDATE:

Here's what she thought. So many fun things here :)



1. This is our first time exploring the plural +s.

2. This highlights the need to have interesting, appropriate vocabulary available to the AAC user. Kids like potty words. All children should be able to say whatever they want to say, whenever they want to say it :)

3. She wants to open the book, I want her to communicate something. I use a combination of waiting and prompting. We are working on phrase building (which is why I push for more after she says "open").