Core Vocabulary and Use of Core Boards
Did you know that 70-90% of the words that we use daily come from the vocabulary words we built as children? These words are called core vocabulary words and are important for children’s language development.
What are core vocabulary words?
A selection of terms that have been found to be helpful for communicating in social and academic contexts is known as core vocabulary. Core vocabulary normally consists of 200 words that are composed of pronouns, verbs, descriptors, and prepositions. There are normally very few nouns in our core vocabulary lists. Examples of core vocabulary words include: I, help, more, go, what, here, there, why, stop, yes, no, etc. Core vocabulary words are used to express one's basic wants and needs.
Core Boards
Core boards can be helpful for building vocabulary. A core board is normally a board of words and pictures that are set to help people explain what they are wanting to communicate. They consist of core vocabulary words and are normally color coded to show different parts of speech. When being introduced to core boards, showing how to use them can be modeled by pointing to words or symbols when speaking to the child. After repetition and practice the child will be able to express what they want to communicate through the core board. Core boards can be used in speech therapy, in the classroom or at home. Core boards are typically known for being used by people with autism or those that are nonverbal, but have expanded into being used by toddlers or children that may need a little extra help with language development. Core boards can improve language development by helping the child put a symbol or picture to the word or idea they are trying to communicate. An example of a core board can be found below.
At KLC Pediatric Therapy, we use core vocabulary all day long and frequently grab core boards to assist in building language in children with expressive language delays. All of the therapists at KLC Pediatric Therapy are passionate about building language and the importance of early intervention! Contact us today to get a free consult with one of our therapists!
Written by Brooke Barclay, Contributing Writer
Altogether Autism. (2021, July 12). Spotlight on core boards. https://www.altogetherautism.org.nz/spotlight-on-core-boards/
Core vocabulary. (n.d.). http://corevocabulary.weebly.com/
Twehues, K. (2022, December 7). Teaching your child core vocabulary. KTL Therapy. https://www.ktltherapy.com/blog/teaching-your-child-core-vocabulary#:~:text=Did%20you%20know%20that%2070,words%20at%202%20years%20old.