Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
The Natural Aided Language Board (NALB) is a visual support tool for helping a student
learn to communicate high priority words and frequently needed extended vocabulary. It
is a tool to help parents, siblings, teachers, therapists, and assistants as they model and
prompt vocabulary for the student using sequenced versions of Unity45, Unity60, Unity84, and
Unity144. It is also available for LAMP Words for Life 84 Full. Plus there is a version
with words only to which you can had your own pictures for whatever AAC vocabulary program
you are using. On the CD, there are INSTRUCTIONS for making
the wall chart and constructing the booklet. Here are 10 tips for using a natural aided
language board. Use a Natural Aided Language Board as a vocabulary
reminder and dictionary. By placing copies in the home, classroom, and therapy room,
it reminds people to focus on the target vocabulary. As a visual dictionary, any teaching ?team
member can assist the student to say one of the high priority and frequently needed extended
vocabulary words. Use a Natural Aided Language Boards as a visual
reminder of the pattern for saying parts of speech and morphological variations. Team
members without formal training will feel more confident helping the student say words
by just copying the pattern, as shown on the board.
Use a Natural Aided Language Board as a tracking system for recording vocabulary used by the
student. Keep a black and white copy in the file of the WORDS ONLY board and tick off
vocabulary used by the student. Use a Natural Aided Language Board to document
customized words and vocabulary additions. Add changes to the board and e-file.
Use a Natural Aided Language Board for language modeling and aided language stimulation. Point
at words and word endings on the chart while verbally saying the words. Model slowly enough
for the student to visually follow the model. Use a Natural Aided Language Board during
classroom lessons. For example, a lesson on the human body needs words for body parts,
many which are on the board. Other words will not be on the board, but may be in the memory
of the vocabulary program. Define key concepts in the lesson with words
already on the board. When you use words from the board to define lesson concepts, you are
guaranteed that the student has a chance of being able to participate in the lesson and
give answers. Use a Natural Aided Language Board to create
a word bank. For the student working on science, this word bank has words to describe different
senses, plus some distractors. Use a Natural Aided Language Board as a sentence-building
tool. Have the student practice multiple word utterances using words from the different
colored word groups. Use a Natural Aided Language Board to prompt
morphology, such a verb endings. For example, select a verb like break, and model the endings
on the Natural Aided Language Board saying each word as you model it. Then say the words
with the device. The same thing can be done with adjectives and nouns.
English and language arts teachers have used the board with all students to help them with
grammar lessons. And teachers of English as a second language have used the board to help
students with syntax and morphology. Finally, Use a Natural Aided Language Board
as a back-up system to a device or app. Most people use the booklet format for this purpose
because of its portability. The Natural Aided Language Board CD is available
from Gail Van Tatenhove. Ordering information is at www.vantatenhove.com.