Page 119 - Literacy Based Speech Language Therapy Activities Digital Version

Literacy Based Intervention Templates

what is found in the following research. Here are two snapshots concerning the difficulties some
children with language disorders have with asking and answering ‘Wh’ questions.

In comparison with normal children within the same chronological age range, the children with
language impairment were not only less successful in producing answers which adhered to the
informational category constraints of the particular wh‐form but also provided fewer responses
characterized by fact, logic, and credibility (Parnell, Amerman, and Harting, 1986).

Deficits in the ability to ask and answer questions have a serious impact on students’
development of communication, classroom performance, and on the development of reading
comprehension (Wilson, Fox, and Pascoe, 2012).

Introduce “WH” Questions
Introduce the questions by telling them that there you will focus on four different types, by naming
them, by writing them, or even by choosing them from a list of words. Successful students can tell
you what the most important questions are that they have to answer and can name them by memory.

Usually SLPs start with answering questions. This makes sense if we are developing receptive language
abilities in isolation. But we are here to develop receptive and expressive abilities simultaneously.

Answer “WH” Questions
Whew!!! Take a deep breath, we are back in familiar territory. Now
that we know what to answer, we are going to answer the four

main questions. However, we are going to answer them in the
most robust of ways.

The following three templates are a great place to start. Remember

the section on Brain-Based Learning? We want to engage our
students with activity such as drawing, writing words, and even
creating games. If you are using a storybook that you use
frequently, you would benefit from creating your own “WH” question cards for your favorite story.

Instructions:

 Print out the eight-box template. We print it off on four different colored pages. To keep it

consistent (and so I don’t forget!), I use the first four colors of the rainbow for WHO (red),
WHAT (orange), WHEN (yellow), WHERE (green).
 Type or write the questions on one side of the page (e.g. eight WHO questions on the red

page) and put the answers on the back.
 BONUS IDEA! Have your 4 and 5 graders make the cards in their therapy sessions for
th
th
you to use in your younger sessions and keep forever!

108
www.bilinguistics.com