Teaching Core Words

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Teaching core words is an important and essential part of the AAC process. To learn more about core words you can read my previous blog post. 

Recently, I discovered a free app that I love using when teaching core words, it's called Sight Words for Reading HD by Rock n Learn. This free app is available on both the iTunes and Android markets which is great because more people can access and use it. 

Here are the words it teaches:

• up
• down
• come
• go
• in
• out

One of my favorite things about this app is that it teaches the words using videos and it includes two videos along with a flashcard section. The first video teaches the words separately and the second video combines the words (e.g., "Go down", "Come up" etc.). After you have had spent time learning the words you can u se the flashcard portion of the app. 

Here's how I use it:

I first start by playing the video to teach each of the words.  I like how you can pause the video as I do this frequently to practice teaching the concepts.

After the video, I bring in objects to generalize the learning outside of the app with three fun activities.

1.  For up and down I use a big balloon and my students tell me to put it "up" or "down". I also do this with bubbles and provide choices on which way to blow the bubbles. 

2. Using a tunnel my students practice going "in" and coming "out". We also had fun putting items in and watching them come out.

3. We take turns telling each other to "come" and "go" to different locations.

I encourage you to install this app and share the ways you are using it in therapy to teach core words. 

Find it for the Android, here; and in the iTunes store, here.