Tag Archives: word retrieval

Semantic or Phonological Intervention??

Photo from pixy.org

I was very excited to see an article about word finding in children reviewed in The Informed SLP’s February 27 newsletter.* “Understanding differing outcomes from semantic and phonological interventions with children with word-finding difficulties: A group and case series study,” written by Best, W., Hughes, I., Masterson, J., Thomas, M., S. C., Howard, D., Kapikian,A., & Shobbrook, K.(2021). The reviewer, Mollee Sultani, provided an excellent summary of the research, and I encourage you to read it. The entire article appeared in the February, 2021 issue of the scientific journal Cortex.

The researchers addressed a question I have asked myself many times as I work with children: which intervention is most effective? The study compared the use of semantic word webs with the use of phonological word webs. This carefully designed, randomized control trial looked at 20 children aged 6 to 8 in a mainstream school. All the children were presented with both types of treatment.

Two rounds of treatment were presented. One asked the children to complete phonological word webs (e.g., “What does it rhyme with? What sound does it start with?”), the other asked the children to complete semantic word webs (“What does it look like? What do you do with it?”). Among treated words, the semantic intervention resulted in a gain of almost twice as many items as the phonological intervention. However, a closer look at individual children showed that children who had difficulty with either semantic or phonological abilities gained the most from the intervention that matched their area of weakness. In other words, the children with semantic weakness gained most from semantic word webs. The children with phonological weakness gained most from phonological word webs. The most effective intervention depended on the child’s own language profile.

An important point made in the conclusion of the Cortex article stated that “the approach involves encouraging active participation so that children produce or choose features of words and in later sessions reflect on what helps them retrieve words.” The authors noted that the children didn’t generalize their skills to words that had not been included in the treatment. That makes our choice of words presented in therapy even more important. We need to choose words that are meaningful to the individual – either academically or personally. I look forward to more research informing SLPs of best practice.

Sources:

“Understanding differing outcomes from semantic and phonological interventions with children with word-finding difficulties: A group and case series study,” written by Best, W., Hughes, I., Masterson, J., Thomas, M., S. C., Howard, D., Kapikian,A., & Shobbrook, K.(2021). Cortex, 2021

*The Informed SLP newsletter, available at TheInformedSLP.com, February 27, 2021, published by Dr. Meredith Poore Harold, PhD, CCC-SLP. Cortex article reviewed by Mollee Sultani, CCC-SLP.

A “shapely” review

I regularly remind my students and my readers that retrieval is impacted by frequency of use and recency of use. So why would it surprise me that my client had difficulty retrieving the names of common shapes? While completing an oral directions activity, I noticed that she was misnaming square, rectangle, and triangle. Receptively, she was firm in her understanding. A year ago, these words were easy for her to retrieve.

I put together a “cheat sheet” for these 3 shapes. A picture of a “tricycle,” with a triangle drawn among its 3 wheels was the visual cue for “triangle.” a rectangular “wreck” served as a cue for “rectangle,” and a woman with “square hair” was the cue for “square.” I reminded this little girl about the syllables in each word and asked her to clap out syllable by syllable. After making the syllables explicit, I connected cues with the real word. I then had her “think the cue, but say the word” 5 times aloud. Finally, she had to make up a meaningful, grammatical sentence using the word. *

Success! I had forgotten one of my basic tenets: Don’t forget that frequency of use and recency of use strongly affect retrieval speed and accuracy. Those vocab words that were easy a year ago may not be easy to retrieve today.

*For a more detailed explanation of the process, please refer to “An Endorsement from the Word Finding Guru” at this link: https://www.wordfindingforkids.com/an-endorsement-from-the-word-finding-guru/ Reference: Dr. Diane German

The Polar Vortex strikes again!

Reprinted from January, 2019…because February, 2021, is COLD and SNOWY in the Midwest!

It’s time for one of my favorite word finding cues! School is cancelled in most Chicago-area schools for the next two days because of the polar vortex. I wrote in an old post about trying to find a word finding cue for “polar vortex.” I came up with “polar for Tex[as]”. I drew a polar bear reaching down over the globe toward Texas.

I remembered to make each syllable very explicit, and encouraged the kids to repeat the words syllable by syllable.

Not being content to reinforce the cue sitting down, I asked each child in turn to stand on my table and act the part of the polar bear.  My friend Jason was standing on my table, reaching down to touch the back of David, who was kneeling on the floor playing the part of Texas.  Polar vortex, polar vortex, polar vortex.  Say the word, but THINK the cue….

And who appeared at my door?  The superintendent of schools!   How to explain my multi-sensory lesson on retrieving the term “polar vortex”?  Oh, my… children standing on tables…. So of course I had the “polar bear” explain to Dr. Superintendent how he learned to retrieve the term more efficiently.  It was a hit!  (phew….).

Remembering Names

Do your word finders have a difficult times remembering the names of their classmates or their teachers? It happens to all of us (especially as we age). But I have had kids on my caseload who are repeatedly embarrassed because they struggle to retrieve important names.

This morning I listened to a podcast on BottomLineInc featuring Dr. Cynthia Green, PhD. The host described her as “one of American’s foremost memory fitness and brain health experts.” This blog is focused on children with word finding issues. However, I think Dr. Green made some important points that we can apply to our word finders. I have added some editorial comments of my own.

Dr. Green stated that forgetting names is the #1 memory complaint of adults. She reminded her audience about the overall tips that can boost attention and memory: look at your lifestyle. What is challenging to memory? Lack of sleep, anxiety (certainly a possibility with children), alcohol and excessive caffeine (hopefully not an issue with children!), and sugar intake. Regular exercise is also important! We aren’t often in control of the lifestyle of the kids on our caseloads, but we can inform parents of the importance of a good night’s sleep and the role anxiety can play.

But since we usually don’t get the a new name to begin with, what strategies can we use to remember and retrieve names? Dr. Green calls this the “A.M. principle”: wake up your memory and prime it to get ready to remember. Pay attention and give the name meaning. She suggested a number of strategies, all of which can be adapted to help the kids on your caseload. There is nothing new here for SLPs! These are principles we use in our therapy every day. Consider this a reminder that we can take ideas from different disciplines to inform our own practice.

The repetition strategy: Use the name several times as you are introduced. As the conversation proceeds, you can weave the name into your comments and questions. Slow down introductions – “be a politician” and try to connect with each person individually.

The association strategy: Connect the new name with someone you already know. It can be your cousin, the name of the bully that you can’t get out of your mind, or a famous person. You can make the association verbally or visually. Dr. Green gave the example of a person named Robin – make a snapshot in your mind with the red-breasted bird, or even Robin Hood! You can even visualize the name spelled out, but this might be hard for children with language difficulties.

Higher level complex associations: Make up a little story using the name. For Cynthia Green: “Cynthia turned green with envy.” This can also be visual: Remember when we didn’t know how to pronounce our new vice president’s first name? We associated a comma with Kamala. So I visualized a comma in her luxuriant hair. I often tell the kids on my caseload to make a video in their imaginations. Dr. Green gave the example of visualizing frankfurters marching over a hill to remember “Frank Hill.”

Perhaps the most important message was to find the strategy that works for you. And don’t be hard on yourself: We all forget names! It’s OK to say, “I’m sorry, I don’t remember your name.” Chances are, they’ve forgotten your name as well!

Here is the link for the entire podcast: https://bottomlineinc.com/health/brain-health/cant-remember-names-this-is-for-you?utm_campaign=2021-02-05_HL_NL%20%28QZLHWH%29&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Blinc%20Seedlist&_ke=eyJrbF9jb21wYW55X2lkIjogIkhneHk1cyIsICJrbF9lbWFpbCI6ICJiZW5uZXR0OTVAY29tY2FzdC5uZXQifQ%3D%3D. It is also available on Apple Podcasts.

Try mnemonic dictionary.com for word finding cues

Mnemonicdictionary.com may be my new best friend. Have you racked your brain to come up with a phonological association for a vocabulary word, only to hit a brick wall? Head for https://mnemonicdictionary.com/ and type in your target word.

Remember that word finding cues are not necessarily related in meaning to the target word; they need to have a phonological connection. For example, a cue for “thermometer” could be “thirsty mom;” a cue for South Korean president Moon Jae In could be a picture of a jay flying into a moon.

When you discover a phonological cue that is also similar in meaning, so much the better! Use all your senses. Don’t forget to ask your client what associations he or she has with the word. The connections he makes on his own will be the most meaningful.

Mnemonicdictionary.com is one more resource that will help you create meaningful word finding cues for your clients.

Teletherapy word finding resources

There seems to be no end to the educational resources during this trying time. Many websites are offering free trials while we try to cope with the new reality of Coronavirus. You have probably already found some great sites to help you with word finding therapy. I hope you will reply to this site and share some of your favorites.

I’m astounded that I was not aware of Boom Cards before I needed to switch to teletherapy. If you go to https://wow.boomlearning.com/, you will find wonderful interactive task cards on a myriad of subjects. Many are free or you can make your own. You can even sell them on TeachersPayTeachers if you are so inclined! Go to https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/ for thousands of resources made by teachers and SLPs like you. https://www.brainpop.com/ offers short animated movies for all levels and many curriculum areas. EverydaySpeech is known for its social-emotional lessons, but the tasks are certainly appropriate for a variety of word retrieval activities: https://everydayspeech.com/.

Want to adapt reading comprehension articles and stories? Just ask your students to paraphrase or tell you what else they would like to learn about a topic. https://www.readworks.org/ and https://www.commonlit.org/ are full of reading passages for all levels and interests.

Virtual Disney trips, National Park tours, and your favorite museums and zoos are only a click away. Use your imagination to create fun conversational activities with your word finders!

New expressions to learn

The Coronavirus has given us a new lexicon.

We are all using words and expressions we weren’t familiar with a very short time ago. Coronavirus, Covid-19, self-quarantine, vector, shelter-in-place, social distancing: were you using these terms a month ago? Suddenly we have a new reality…and new language to accompany it. Most of our kids are being schooled via e-learning and spring break vacations are no longer being considered.

Have you had difficulty retrieving any of these words? Remember that frequency of use and recency of use are the most important factors that determine ease of retrieval. I would imagine none of us need a word finding cue for “Corona.” (Although some people were mistakenly making an association with the Mexican beer) Sadly enough, that word is now right on the tips of our tongues. But as we discuss prevention, symptoms, and treatment with our socially-distanced friends and family, we sometimes find ourselves having difficulty coming up with some of these expressions.

Quarantine: how about the phonemic cue “foreign”? I don’t mean a xenophobic reference to another country, I mean a foreign body making us ill. If we self-quarantine, that foreign body may pass us by.

Vector: Ah, heck, that population is a vector for the disease.

Covid-19: Take Cover

Unfortunately, there will be new words to come. Please share your word finding cues for the new reality in which we are living.

Word Finding Wednesday

Retrieval of Election Words

November 5 is Election Day. How many of your word finders can easily access such words as election, constitution, amendment, legislature, ratification, Republican, Democrat, and Independent? Dare I add “impeachment?” A lot of schools hold mock elections, so words like ballot box, voting booth, and absentee ballot will be helpful. It’s hard not to let one’s own views affect the discussion this year. I don’t envy the job of social studies and civics teachers who have to teach the concepts basic to our democracy.

Remember that frequency of use and recency of use are the primary determiners of how easily words can be retrieved. Which words are appropriate for the age of the kids you serve? Make it easy…practice these words today!

Carryover for word retrieval

Carryover is one of the hardest tasks we speech-language pathologists encounter. Whether we are working on a lispy s, fluency, expressive syntax, social-pragmatic skills, or even listening comprehension, we need to take the lesson out of our clinical or school setting and help the child use the new skill with his family and friends. Now we have a new, inexpensive therapy tool: Mardi Gras napkins! I kid you not. The Georgia-Pacific company is selling their paper napkins with conversation starters on each napkin. The label says, “These prints get people talking.”

What’s a new trend you’d start tomorrow? A genie gives you 3 wishes, what are they? What are you thankful for today? What’s the most outrageous thing you saw today?  How do you like to make friends?

Each napkin is also illustrated. My plan is to introduce them in therapy, then send a stack home for homework at the dinner table. So put down those cell phones and have a conversation. I can’t wait to see what feedback I receive!