Tips for Targeting Curriculum-Based Language and Literacy

As a speech-language pathologist, I’m fascinated by the effect of language on literacy. I’m constantly learning, sharing ideas, and collaborating with other professionals on strategies for improving students’ phonemic awareness, morphology, syntax, comprehension, spelling or written expression.  I’m so interested in this topic, that a few years back, I initiated a Facebook group, “The Speech-Language Pathologist’s Role in Language and Literacy.” Below, I share strategies to target comprehension for expository text and vocabulary instruction. Two primary areas SLPs can target to improve comprehension for expository text include background knowledge and vocabulary (in the text as well as general academic vocabulary). To get a head start, I gather curriculum information from teachers, as well as a scope and sequence for each topic to be covered. Typically, the learning objectives I make include understanding vocabulary, contextual cues, inference, cause/effect, prediction, problem/solution, stating an opinion, persuasive argument and answering/asking questions. With topics and learning objectives at hand, I make a chart with students’ names and goals, learning objectives, and scope and sequence for each subject. Comprehension for expository text To make planning easier, I use several free websites with great ideas and tools for teaching and modeling various skills, providing practice activities, and offering resources for students needing modifications a...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Language Disorders literacy Source Type: blogs