Our news this month features lesson plans targeting language activities for AAC users.  With a little planning, there are many ways to adapt everyday language activities and materials for use with all students.  The lesson plans presented this month are offered as ideas to show how you can incorporate language objectives for an AAC user into activities that can be used with other students as well.  Each lesson plan includes targeted objectives and examples of vocabulary that can be addressed during the activity.  The lesson plans presented are for preschool to early elementary students.  Activity materials used in the lesson plans are available from the PVUSD AT Center for staff checkout.
 

Other great resources for activity ideas for AAC users include:

AAC Intervention (www.aacintervention.com) offers a monthly tip and includes a section on activites for AAC users.

Prentke Romich Company (www.prentrom.com) has a portion of their website devoted to therapy matierals and teaching ideas.  Activity ideas are organized by educational level and are a great resource.
 
 

Blue’s Clues Kitchen Play Set
Go Fish
Weather
 

Lesson Plan:      Blue’s Clues Kitchen Play Set

Age:         preschool to early elementary

Objectives:  To identify and label common foods and kitchen items.
                  To request materials and assistance.
 

Description of Activity
 

• Role play going grocery shopping and putting groceries away.  Have the student tell you where the groceries go.
• Have the student tell you what ingredients you need to make a certain meal.  (e.g., Peanut Butter and Jelly)

Blue’s Clues Kitchen Play Set  Colorforms (available from the PVUSD AT Center for check-out)
 

Targeted Vocabulary

PRONOUNS: I, you

VERBS: help, want, need, goes, put

NOUNS: cheese, banana, lemon, cookie, cupcake, pie, bag, apple, straw, cup, strawberries, Blue, cherries, blueberries, croissant, bagel, bread, grapes, peanut butter, sandwich, milk, measuring cup, measuring spoons, whisk, pepper, refrigerator, cupboard, counter

PHRASES: I want ____, It goes in _____ (cupboard or refrigerator), I need
 

Adaptations

•  use low-tech boards and symbols for vocabulary not stored in the student’s communication device.
•  put Velcro on game pieces to make it easier for the student to manipulate the pieces.

Related Activities

•  Set up a grocery store and go shopping.  Create a social script for being the customer and the   cashier. Have the student’s practice role playing and using different social vocabulary for each role.
•  Vocabulary Bingo with kitchen and food items
•  Write a grocery list.
•  Do a cooking activity

Lesson Plan:    Go Fish

Objectives:              Ask questions
                              Answer yes/no questions
                              Turn Taking
                              Request assistance and items

Targeted Vocabulary and Phrases

ADJECTIVES:          colors, size
INTERJECTIONS:    Oh no!, please, thank you
PRONOUNS:            I, you, it, my, your
VERBS:                    go, get, help, do, have
NOUNS:                   use different category words, labels for objects on cards

Sample words and phrases:

• My turn.
• Your turn.
• I need help.
• Thank you.
• Go fish.
• Go get it. (alternative if Go fish is not available)
• Yes.
• No.
• Do you have ___?
• I have it.
• You have it.
• I want ____.
• I need ____.

Items Needed

Go Fish Cards (may be commercially bought or created with a program like Boardmaker to target specific vocabulary)

Language Activities
 

• Start the activity by reviewing the vocabulary that will be targeted during Go Fish  Show the student where vocabulary is located on his/her communication device.
• Review how to form a yes/no question.
• Depending on the vocabulary available on the device and the student’s ability to generate sentences, you can modify the activity.  If the student isn’t able to construct the sentence Do you have ___?  You could have the student use the phrase I want or I need ___ to request cards.  Some students might say single words, while other students will have the ability to combine words.  Phrases can be pre-stored for students who are not able to combine words to form a sentence.
• Play Go Fish.

Related Activities
 

• Try playing Go Fish with different categories of cards to target different vocabulary.  For example, you can play Go Fish using clothing words or body parts to learn where vocabulary is stored on a communication device.

Adaptations
 

• Card holder.  Can be made from phone books- cut the pages off of the binding, turn the binding so where you cut is facing the ceiling, and stick the cards in between.
• Use Boardmaker pictures for vocabulary not on the student’s device.  You can combine low-tech communication boards with a student’s communication device to optimize vocabulary use.

Lesson Plan:  Weather

Age:  Preschool to Early Elementary

Objectives: Students will be able to identify and label types of weather.
                  Students will be able to make comments about the weather.
                  Students will be able to label and identify different types of weather related clothing.
                  Students will be able to request items and assistance.
                  Students will be able to identify seasons and related items.
 

Description of Activity

Students can dress up Miss Weather using various clothing items.  Have students request items to put on Miss Weather.  Talk about what you might wear during different seasons.  Categorize game pieces by the type of weather they are related to.
 

Items Needed

Colorforms Miss Weather Dress Up Set (available from the PVUSD AT Center for check-out)
 

Targeted Vocabulary

ADJECTIVES:      cold, wet, hot, sunny, cloudy, rainy, dry, windy, snowy, warm
NOUNS:               sun, umbrella, swimsuit, cloud, hat, raincoat, shirt, dress, coat, shoes, leaves, shorts,
                            flower, ball, snowflake, summer, winter, spring, fall
PRONOUNS:        it
PREPOSITIONS:  on, off
VERBS:                rain, snow, is, dress
 

Adaptations

Velcro can be added to game pieces to make them easier to manipulate.
 

Related Activities
 

• Weather Calendar activities
• Books on weather
• All-Weather Friends by Udo Weigelt
• Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
• The Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane by Joanna Cole
• Clifford and the Big Storm by Norman Bridwell
• The Cloud Book by Tomie De Paola
• Rain by Manya Stojic
• Gilberto and the Wind by Marie Hall Ets
• Talk about the seasons