I love shared reading! When children enjoy books, it is one of my favorite augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) activities. Don’t misunderstand…I love to jump up and down on command, push cars across the floor, and run back and forth across the room. I love messy sensory play and crafts that are truly done by the students.
However, when you can sit down with a child and a book, there is so much more that happens. Shared reading, even if it’s a short book, promotes joint attention and literacy. It also provides an opportunity for students using AAC to see their communication system as more than a requesting machine. When you can engage a child in shared reading, it gives you a chance to talk about something. It gives context to you and the student by providing a visible, tangible point of reference.
Project Core, Shared Reading, and AAC
This is the second post in a series about using Project Core with Speak for Yourself. The first post is linked here. It also applies if you’re using a different robust Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system. My goal in writing these posts is that you have something quick and “actionable” so that you can work on literacy this week!
In my last post, I mentioned that I attended several presentations at the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) Conference in Orlando. A presentation was given by the Project Core team and entitled: Using Core Vocabulary in Emergent Literacy Instructional Routines. One of the components that I really like about the Project Core resources is that they are “instructor” centered. If YOU are trying to incorporate literacy into your classroom, therapy room, or home, the evaluation and data keeping is on what YOU do, not the student. Here’s a link to the self-evaluation forms to download the PDF.
Making Comments
Most of us comment naturally when we’re reading to children. The focus of the shared reading module is to plan those comments ahead of time for our AAC users. If you plan some core vocabulary comments for yourself before you read to the child, it takes the pressure off in the moment. One of the suggestions made during the presentation was to follow the C-A-R approach (from Language is the Key) during shared reading. Essentially, you COMMENT and wait 10-15 seconds. Then ASK for or invite participation (i.e. “What do you think?”) and wait 10-15 seconds. Then RESPOND by repeating what they say or adding more to it. If they say nothing, that’s fine. Invite them every time. If they say something and it doesn’t make sense to you, try to relate it to what you’re reading or ask for more information. Everything they do is an opportunity for you to teach and engage.
An example with Go, Dog. Go!
I chose Go, Dog. Go! by P.D. Eastman because it’s pretty common and it has a good amount of core vocabulary. I also like it because it’s short and there are very few words on each page, but there is a lot happening in the pictures. Here are some photos with sample comments that could be used during shared reading with a young student. Even though the idea is to plan comments, take the child’s lead. If he points to something in the book, comment on that. Even if it’s just to model “Look!” and then ask him to tell you about it.
One last word of advice: If you have to choose between focusing your attention on your planned structure or engagement and social interaction, choose the interaction. Happy reading! We’d love to know how it goes!
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