The Vocabularies of Beginning Writers: Implications for Students who use AAC
Sally A. Clendon, Janet M. Sturm, & Kathleen S. Cali
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC
Abstract
In order to participate in meaningful, authentic writing activities, children who use AAC need access to developmentally appropriate vocabulary that can support their word choice and writing rate. This study documented the vocabulary (content/function words, word frames) used by 114 typically developing kindergarten and first-grade children in 482 writing samples. The children self-selected writing topics. The results of the study were used to create topic- and genre-specific word and phrase banks that may serve as a useful resource in the vocabulary selection process.
