Why do we teach core words in Speech Therapy?

20 Sep Why do we teach core words in Speech Therapy?

Core Words: What are they and why do they matter? 

Here at the FUNctional Speech Therapy clinic located in Fox River Grove, IL 60021, we are selecting 4 core words each month to highlight in our speech therapy sessions! We are encouraging all families to join us in targeting these same words all month long. But first, what are core words and what makes them so special? 

What are Core Words?

When working with children who are not yet speaking, the first words targeted in speech therapy are often core words. These are words that all people use most frequently in our daily communication. They also serve many purposes in communication including requesting, protesting, asking/answering questions, commenting, and describing. Words that are not core are considered fringe vocabulary. These words may hold significant meaning for a specific child or be useful in a specific scenario, but will not be frequently used across all daily activities. Examples of fringe vocabulary include people’s names, types of toys, or names of food. While these words are very important, their use is restricted. Core words do not have the same limitations. 

Who uses Core Words?

The short answer is that everyone uses core words all of the time! That’s what makes them core. However, core words are targeted in speech therapy primarily with children with speech or language delays, late language emergence, later talkers, and children who use Alternative and Augmentative Communication, or AAC devices. Common medical diagnoses include Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Developmental Delay, Down Syndrome, and other congenital conditions that may affect language acquisition.  

What are some examples of Core Words? 

In English, the first core words targeted are commonly from the Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) “First 40” list. This list is backed by research about which words are most commonly used by English speakers. This list includes pronouns like ‘I’ and ‘you’, requesting words like ‘want’ and ‘help’, action words such as ‘go’ and ‘open’, and protesting words such as ‘not’ and ‘finished’. 

Why do they matter?

When a child may not have many words that they are saying, also called their expressive vocabulary, every word should matter. If you could only say 2 words, would you prefer the words to be “want” and “help” or “balloons” and “lasagna”? No brainer, the core words of want and help would be more useful. Core words can be used in a variety of ways in a wide range of contexts. For example, the word “go” can be used to tell someone to get away, ask to go to the park/store, commenting on a car that drove past, or telling a friend to take their turn in a game. 

When a child is using an AAC device, the words that are first introduced or most easily accessed have to be selected carefully. Core words are typically the home page in communication books and on high tech speech generating devices such as TD Snap, TouchChat, or Unity. When the child begins to familiarize themselves with their device, the core words are the first ones being used. This is for the same reason as the children without AAC devices. 

How do I target core words? 

There are endless, fun ways to target core words with your child. Listed below are a few examples of how to target our September core words of go, want, help, and my. Also, all of these activities can be completed with children who use speech or AAC devices! 

Go

• Go on a Scavenger Hunt around your house! Use the phrases “let’s go to ___”, “go find a ___”, and “we are going to _____”. Ask the questions “where did you go?” and  “where should we go next?”. 
• Play with cars, ball towers, or other things that spin! Use the phrases “ready, set, go”, “1, 2, 3, go” and “go again”.
• Hide and go seek with yourself or with toys! Ask the questions “where did you/it go?” and “where should I go?”. Use the phrase “You go hide” or have your child tell you to “go hide”.
• We Are Going on a Bear Hunt! A great way to incorporate go with a song or book. The child is commenting using the phrase “we are going on a bear hunt” and responding to question “Where?” by expressing “we go over/through/around it”

Want

• Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson. This book has want in it a bunch of times! If you do not own the book, there is a read aloud version of the book on YouTube here. This video also models simplifying phrases and uses AAC icons, so it is a great resource for children and parents alike!
• Boom Cards! Do you have a child who LOVES their tablet time? Turn it into a language activity! There are Boom Cards that are all about feeding animals like this one for zoo animals or this one with farm animals. Ask the questions “what does the ___ want to eat?” or “what do they want next?”. Use the phrases “want to eat ___” and “they want food!” For practice labeling items, get specific in labeling the animals and food. For example, “the elephant wants the tomato.”
• Getting Dressed! Make daily routines into language opportunities. When it is time for your child to get dressed (or changed into pjs), ask them questions. “What do you want to wear?”, “What shirt do you want?”. And model the answers “you want that shirt”, “I want the dino pjs”. 
• Learn to say no! Saying no is an important part of communicating. Modeling “I don’t want” or “no want” is another way to incorporate want into daily conversation. 

Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson

Help

• Stories about asking for help. Some children do not know when they should ask for help. Reading a social story like this one gives the child examples of when to ask for help. 
• Place items out of reach. If there is a toy you know your child loves, place it on a high shelf where they can see it but not reach it. When they want to play with it, they will have to ask for help. Model phrases like “help me”, “help get”, or “help toy”
• Who Helps Us? Read and talk about community helpers with your child. People like police officers, firefighters, mail carriers, teachers, and store workers are all people who help us. 
• Play with more complex toys. When you are playing with your child, bring out toys that they may not be ready to play with by themselves. For example, toys that are difficult to open or have smaller components that require fine motor skills that they do not have yet. Modeling phrases like “help open”, “help turn”, or “help close” could be appropriate when playing with a toy that has a lock/key system. Phrases like “help spin/turn” or “help go” could be used with wind up toys. This also works for placing toys in boxes/bags that are difficult for them to open.
• Have the kid help you! We all need help sometimes, including parents. Model for your child times when you need help. You could actually need help cleaning up (“help me pick up”) or you could pretend to need help opening something (“it’s stuck, I need your help”). 

My

• My turn/ your turn. Any turn taking games (e.g., Zingo, bingo, memory, Pop the Pirate) are great opportunities to model the phrase “my turn.” When you are first introducing the phrase “my turn,” model using my every time, regardless of who is going. After they understand the meaning of “my”, then you can also use “your turn” and reverse the pronoun. Fair warning! This might feel strange the first few times you model “my turn” for both yourself and your child.
• Talk about favorites! Your child has lots of things that they like. Have conversations talking about “my favorite” things like color, food, place, and toy. 
• Whose item is that? Your child has things that are theirs. Including toys, cups, clothes, or even rooms. When they are using things that are theirs, model it. “That’s my toy”, “in my room”, or “that’s mine”.

To learn more about how FST speech therapists use core words when working with our clients and their families contact us today by phone (224) 219-1924 or email: contact@functionalspeechtherapy.com.

916 IL-22, suite 216, Fox River Grove, IL 60021

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