Hello and welcome back to my Core Word Programme! 

If you're new to the programme, it was designed (by me!) to teach speech and language in a way that suits how Gestalt Language Processors and neurodiverse children learn. Through 36 sessions, it covers the first 40 core words that a neurotypical child would learn.

The sessions are delivered in 9 fun, interactive sections, which can be covered all at once or separately, whatever works for your schedule and your learners. Each weekly session includes play planning, sensory story suggestions, phrase examples, interactive games and more.

The sessions are completely flexible and adaptable to any communication method or classroom needs, so your learners can get the most from the content. The programme includes three different symbol languages, so whether you use Boardmaker, Symbolstix or Widgit, it is suitable for all.

In my sensory classrooms this week, we will be learning Core Word week 32, 'here'. Whether it’s pointing to a favourite toy, calling someone over, or helping to find something, 'here' lets our learners express presence, placement, and needs with confidence.

Click the image above to watch my core word 'here' session in video format and see how I would lead it.

When starting on a new core word, the activities are split into saying, finding, hearing, watching, playing, reading, learning, practising and writing that word.

My learners start by saying it. Depending on their preferred methods of communication, this could be finding it on an AAC device (high-tech or low-tech), learning Makaton, using sound buttons or any other method of communication.

Next, we find the new core word on our AAC core board. This can be either on the printable core boards provided or on your own high-tech AAC apps. This supports the child to navigate their AAC, as well as the adults supporting them. By building up navigation each week, it doesn’t become overwhelming.

After saying and finding it, we move on to a favourite activity in my classroom - hearing and watching the core word through links to film, TV and music clips. My pupils love coming up to my whiteboard and selecting which song they wish to listen to, or which clip they wish to watch. It gives them ownership of their learning, and they are far more engaged and interested this way.

This is a really beautiful and errorless way of absorbing the core word and learning its meaning through different contexts. As Gestalt Language Processors learn through whole phrases, watching and listening to media is a great way for them to develop language. 

These clips can be played on iPads or interactive whiteboards. The songs provide a great opportunity for a movement break. As each one plays, the adults in the room model the word by saying, signing, showing the symbol or finding it on an AAC device. This is a fab way of embedding the core word whilst the children are doing an activity that they enjoy. 

The sensory story that I will be reading this week is a classic, the infamous "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr Suess. Colourful, repetitive and rhyming, this book is always a hit with my learners. 

Each weekly core word session includes sensory story suggestions. These stories tend to be better for autistic and Gestalt Language Processor learners as they can hold onto the meaning of the whole phrases and use them in other contexts. Compared to traditional stories, which focus on abstract language and can be overwhelming, sensory stories provide concrete sensory experiences which may be better suited to our sensory-led children. Through stories, we can support learners to build understanding and context to put with the language they are hearing.

The core word programme includes weekly play ideas that reinforce our core word. These allow me to model our core word, 'here,' in a fun and interactive way. 

The first item will be a wiggly worm! As I take it out, I will say 'come here', and 'what have we got here', reinforcing our word of the week.

As the worm wiggles all around, I will also say 'Come here!', 'here's a wiggly worm....wiggling here and there!'

Next, saying 'I wonder what we've got here!', I'll get the next item. It's a big balloon! After pumping it up, I'll let it go. As it deflates and falls back to the floor, I'll grab it and say, 'Here it is!'. 

Last up out will be this musical Jack in the box. As I am winding it up, I will say, 'Where are you?'. After the Jack in the Box has jumped out, I'll say, 'Here you are!'

Here is the house

I will begin by showing my learners; paper, yellow paint, pink paint and green paint. Taking the paper, I will grab the yellow paint, and say 'Here are the bricks that make my house' as I draw the outline of a house with the paint.  Then, with the pink paint, 'Here are the door and windows that make my house', as I add those in. Lastly, I'll take the green paint and add the roof and grass that make my house, describing them as I go. I will then show the class my finished house. 

Here are my toes 

In this activity, I will sing 'Here are my toes, are my toes, when my toes want to hide, I hide them up inside, when my toes want to hide, want to hide'. As I am singing this, I will cover my toes up in a sleeping bag. I will then repeat this for my tummy, and my head, each time covering up more of my body with the sleeping bag. I will then say 'Your turn', and my learners can have a go if they would like to. 

 Teaching Table

At teaching table, I will first say 'my turn', then show my class a piece of paper in the shape of some bread. I will then add ham, cheese, and salad to my bread, and every time I place the paper I will say 'here'. I will finish with another piece of bread, and say 'here is my sandwich!'

Separate from the Core Word Programme, you can also get four years' worth of fun play planning ideas linked to twelve popular topics here. 

Next, I've got some teaching table task planning and activity ideas. There are differentiated table tasks, so that wherever your learners are working at from 0- 4 years (cognitively), there will be something for them. This is a more 1:1 intervention teaching opportunity for the teaching staff to continue to work on the core word understanding in a more individualised way. This is also a great opportunity to assess individual understanding. 

Interactive games are included in each weeks sessions. This week, it will ask our learners to move items 'here'. These games are super interactive, allow our children to learn without even realising it, and give us supporting adults a useful chance to assess their learning.

Lastly, writing tasks are included, which can be completed on iPads, on whiteboards, or printed out for mark-making. Again, there are differentiated options depending on the stage that your learners are working at, and these can be completed as a group, modelling turn-taking, or individually. If you think your learners would benefit from learning language this way, we would love to have you join! You can start at any time and work through the sessions at your own pace, and there is a thriving private Facebook group where you can find support, tips, ideas, and community.

Check out my blog posts here to see what I've done during previous weeks of the programme, or my TikTok, YouTube, Facebook or Instagram for lots more Core Word content. You can buy the Core Word Programme or access a free Week 1 trial by tapping the image below.