All six interactive books to work on 2-word semantic relationships in one money-saving bundle!

Semantic relationships are a combination of vocabulary to enhance meaning and language. Signs of language delay or disorder may be indicated by children who are 24 months or younger and demonstrate a vocabulary of fewer than 50 words and no two-word combinations (ASHA, n.d.-a). Treatment to help remediate language disorders such as limited words may include drill, play, or child-based activities. A hybrid approach to drill and child-centered intervention includes using dialogic reading (Whitehurst et al., 1988) of simple books with structured and unstructured interactions.

Within the ASHA practice portal (n.d.-b), it is recommended that intervention for preschool-age children (or those functioning at that level) include increasing semantic skills. This may consist of increasing the size of vocabulary as well as increasing understanding a wider range of semantic relationships.

Some of the early semantic relationships cited by ASHA (n.d.-c), based on the work of Brown, include:

•Agent + action

•Action + object

•Action + locative

•Entity + locative

•Possessor + possession

•Attribute + entity

This product was designed to merge clinician and child-centered intervention strategies to directly teach a variety of semantic relationships. These books can be used for modeling, repeating, combining, understanding, and increasing mean length of utterance. They are appropriate to use with any individual who is functioning at the one to two-word utterance length suing verbal or augmentative communication means. By making the books interactive, students can focus on individual vocabulary words receptively and expressively, combining them tactilely and repeating them. The books can also be used as a means of letting the child lead the conversation.

Although the books were originally intended to be laminated and used with Velcro for repeated use, they can also be used a quick print and go activity. When using them as print and go, do no use the page with blank squares. Instead cut out the squares with symbols on the last page and glue them directly into the book. These books can be sent home for additional practice.

Resources

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (n.d.-a) Late Language Emergence [Practice Portal]. Retrieved from https://www.asha.org/PRPSpecificTopic.aspx?folderid=8589935380&section=Signs_and_Symptoms

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (n.d.-b) Spoken Language Disorders [Practice Portal]. Retrieved from https://www.asha.org/PRPSpecificTopic.aspx?folderid=8589935327&section=Treatment

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (n.d.-c) Semantic Relationships [Practice Portal]. Retrieved from https://www.asha.org/Practice-Portal/Clinical-Topics/Late-Language-Emergence/Semantic-Relationships/

Whitehurst, G. J., Falco, F. L., Lonigan, C. J., Fischel, J. E., DeBaryshe, B. D., Valdez-Menchaca, M. C., & Caulfield, M. (1988). Accelerating language development through picture book reading. Developmental psychology, 24(4), 552. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Hi! I'm Cheri, SLP and doctoral student. I'm an Ivy League graduate and creator of one of the first and longest-running speech therapy blogs in the world, Super Power Speech. Since graduating with my master's degree in 2000, I have worked in schools, clinics, hospitals, and private practice. I am a national presenter and have taught students around the world in my online courses. In my free time, you can find me playing soccer with my two teens or reading three books at the same time (in front of the fire, while crocheting).

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