Scaffolding syntax and semantics for non-readers and redefining life skills

De Facto Leaders

Syntactic use is considered an “academic” skill that’s useful for reading comprehension and writing, but the impact of sentence comprehension goes way beyond school.

Our ability to comprehend messages at the word and sentence level in oral and written language has a huge impact on our ability to function.

So when clinicians ask me, “Should I focus on syntax, or should I focus on life skills?”, my response is that syntax IS a life skill.

The same is true about semantic knowledge because of the significant impact background knowledge has in our ability to navigate in functional situations.

Yet scaffolding for students who are not yet able to read and write can be challenging; which is why I wanted to share two questions on this topic from a session done with my Language Therapy Advance Foundation’s members’ group.

In this session, I share:

✅Examples of complex syntax that may occur during functional tasks, like signing up for medical appointments, applying for a job, or grocery shopping.

✅Why effective vocabulary instruction in content areas, such as science and social studies, is essential for positive life outcomes.

✅Scaffolding syntactic study for nonreaders or emergent readers.

✅Does it make sense to do semantic feature analysis with a student who has an intellectual disability?

✅Following directions, topic maintenance, and self-advocacy: What language skills do we need to meet these type of goals, and should even we be writing IEP goals for these skills?

In this episode, I mentioned the following episodes of De Facto Leaders:

EP 102: The science of reading: A team approach (with Brett Stevens) Link here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-102-the-science-of-reading-a-team-approach-with-brett-stevens/

EP 180: The relationship of language and literacy and involvement with the justice system (with Dr. Shameka Stewart) Link here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-180-the-relationship-of-literacy-and-language-skills-and-involvement-with-the-justice-system-with-dr-shameka-stewart/

EP 181: Developmental language disorder: Impacts on literacy and life outcomes beyond school (with Dr. Karla McGregor) Link here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-181-developmental-language-disorder-impacts-on-literacy-and-life-beyond-school-with-dr-karla-mcgregor/

In this episode I mention Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that helps SLPs create a system for language therapy. You can learn more about Language Therapy Advance Foundations here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapy/

If you’re already a member of either program and you refer a friend, tell them to email me at [e-mail] if they join and let me know you referred them and

I’ll send you a $100 referral bonus.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

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