Core vocabulary words are the 200-450 words that make up 80% of what people use in everyday conversation across age, setting, gender, and disability. These are the words that are typically on the first page of an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) software (e.g., “help”, “go”, “stop”, “in/out”, “I”, “you”, etc.) These words are verbs, pronouns, prepositions, adjectives, and adverbs. They typically do not include nouns! Core words are broad and can be used in a variety of settings.
Fringe vocabulary makes up 20% of the words people use in everyday conversation. These words include nouns and proper names (e.g., colors, animals, foods, family names, etc.).
A great place to start when modeling words for AAC users is to model core words on their device. Since these make up most of the words a child would use in everyday conversation, it makes these words more functional to model.
For example, the word “tiger” (fringe vocabulary word) might only be used when looking at a picture of a tiger or seeing one at the zoo. However, the word “open” (core vocabulary word) could be used when opening a food to eat, opening a toy box, or opening the door at home.
Here are some ideas for modeling AAC words in everyday activities:
| Daily Activities | Ideas for Core Words to Model |
| Cooking | “make”, “open” (food containers), “more” (adding more of ingredients), “eat/drink”, “get” (to get a new food item to add), “put + in”, “take + out”, “I + do”, “you + do” |
| Laundry | “on/off” (when stacking folded clothes), “put + in”/”take + out” (when loading the washer or dryer), “here”, “open”, “there”, “my + turn”/”your + turn” (for taking a clothing item out), “help” |
| Playing Music | “turn + on”/”turn + off”, “like”/”don’t like”, “more”, “stop”, “my + turn”/”your + turn”, “yes/no” (approve or disapprove) |
| Reading a Book | “turn” (turn the page), “see” (pointing at pictures you see), “read”, “tell”, “more” “get/want” (for new book choice), “you +do, I +do” (turning the page) |
| Getting Dressed | “on/off”, “want”, “finish/all done”, “need”, “get”, “put”, “no/yes” (put clothing on the wrong body part to have the child tell you “no” or “yes”!) |
| Mealtime | “eat/drink” (have your child tell you to eat/drink too!), “more”, “help + open”, “get + more”, “like/don’t like”, “please”, “eat + that”, “more + that” |
When providing models on an AAC device, a communication partner may still verbally say a sentence and then select the buttons they say. For example, a partner may say “put in more milk”, while pointing to or selecting the buttons “put”, “in”, and “more”.
Above all else, make communication fun and simple for everyday routines! If you are having fun modeling AAC with a child, chances are they will be having fun too! Communication should be enjoyable, engaging, and motivating. And by implementing a few new strategies into your daily routines, you’ll give your AAC users opportunities to participate and engage in these same daily activities.
Citations:
What are Core Words Anyway, PRC Saltillo What_Are_Core_Words_Anyway_Handout_Part_1.pdf
