It is a new week in my sensory classrooms, which means a new core word for my learners.

If you're new to my Core Word 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 Attention Autism 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 that 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.

We are going into week 27 in my sensory classrooms, and will be looking at the word 'go'. A powerful and motivating word for our learners, It’s used in movement, play, and routines. Whether "Go outside," "Go again," or "Let’s go!", it’s a word that sparks action, excitement, and engagement.

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 the Makaton, using sound buttons or any other methods of communication.

Once we have practised communicating it, we move on to an activity that's always a favourite in my classrooms - hearing and watching it with the included film, TV and music clips that feature 'go'.My learners will then take it in turn to pick one to watch or listen to, and as it 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. This, alongside the other pre-planned tasks in the Core Word programme, suits how a Gestalt Language Processor learns literacy through whole sentences.

The wonderful sensory story I'll be sharing with my learners this week is 'We All Go Travelling By' by Sheena Roberts. Colourful, rhythmical and repetitive, this I-spy book features our important word on every page. 

Next, I have some activities to help my class learn the core word - Attention Autism ideas and play ideas. For play, we will be saying "Ready, steady, go!" before rolling balls and putting soft toys onto a parachute to throw up into the air. 

For my teaching table activities, we will be using musical instruments or spinning toys and demonstrating the cause and effect of saying "go" and activating the toys or making a noise with the instruments. We will also play some turn-taking games, making sure to model "my go" and "your go" and some physical activities such as obstacle courses or races, where we again will use "ready, steady, go!" 

This week's interactive game asks our learners to "go up" or "go down". These games are great as they allow our children to learn through play, which reduces the demand on them and can often allow their best work. Additionally, it gives a chance for the supporting adults in the room to assess the child's learning and understanding of the concepts. With this game, we are introducing them to the words 'up' and 'down', which are core words that will be a focus later on in the programme. 

As always, there will be differentiated writing tasks which can be printed or completed online depending on the needs and wants of your learners and on the restrictions of your environment. In one of my classrooms, we complete the game on my whiteboard as a group, and in another, we complete this 1:1 on iPads. 

If you think your learners would benefit from learning language this way, we would love to have you join! It is always a great time to join. You can start at any time and work through the sessions, 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 full programme here or access a free demo here.

Attention Autism for Core Word Week 27 - "go"

My core word programme's weekly sessions include Attention Autism ideas for stages 1 - 4. This week in my classrooms, I'll be using the activities: bucket time, alien poppers, car pump and teaching table. These allow me to model our core word, "go" in a fun and interactive way. 

Stage 1 - Bucket Time 

I love to start with the bucket time song - it encourages attention and provides familiarity and routine for my learners. Out of the bucket this week are a light up spinner and a voice activated spider. With the spinner, I will say "ready, GO!" before setting it off. It plays music as well as lighting up and spinning round, so is very fun to watch!

With the spider, I will shout "GO!" and that will make it move. Both of these toys are again helping to model that useful cause and effect, and give context to the core word. 

Stage 2 - Alien Poppers 

I will show my learners the space ship, and aliens, and put them into place. I'll say "go!" as they begin popping out and surprising me!

Stage 3 - Car Pump

I'll begin by showing my learners the car, balloon, and car pump. 

Pumping up the balloon, I'll say "Go!" when I release the car and it rolls away, and also "go again!" when I start the process again.

Stage 4 - Teaching table 

In this last stage, I will take a sensory tray with some paint in, and a toy car, and begin to play with the car in the tray, making marks. I will then say "your go!"

In each stage of my Attention Autism sessions, there are multiple opportunities for modelling the core word. As we go through the activities, the other adults in the room and I will be signing, finding the word on AAC devices, pointing to symbols and saying the word. This provides a great opportunity for the children to learn whilst playing and also gives concrete, practical examples of the word in context. 

To see this week's session and previous Attention Autism sessions, head to my Instagram, Youtube, Facebook or TikTok. 

There is a year's worth of core word based Attention Autism ideas included in my Core Word Programme here. Separate from the core words, you can also get four years' worth of fun Attention Autism ideas for Stages 1-4 here.  

Check out Attention Autism here.