ILO 3 - Lesson 18: Management of

Semantics, Syntax and Grammar

Lesson Objectives
1. To be able to write expressive and receptive session goals that target
semantics and grammar elements for preschool aged children
2. To be able to write a rationale which provides good reasons for including
this aim
3. To be able to identify activities which will allow the child to practice and
get feedback about their performance
Decision-making tree for intervention targets
Semantics
 Semantic deficits are an early sign for language impairment, children with LI
delayed in their rate (speed) and quantity (number) of word learning
In order to learn new words, children with language impairments need more
frequent exposure than typically developing children
Typically a clinician will:
a) provide repeated exposure to a word and its meaning
B) prompt the child to produce the word (elicit it)
C) provide feedback on the accuracy of the word use in context
Common semantic areas to target in preschool children

Sample Targets for Semantics

Sample target items
Uses three prepositions, such as on, in, or under
Vocabulary * May also be linked to specific concepts being taught in
knowledge school – at a preschool level this could include
vocabulary around themes such as transport, my family,
pets etc.
Semantic Uses the semantic association possessor possession
associations e.g. “mommy’s shoe”
Word relationships Synonym for “sad”
Some Examples: Goals

Goals

Activities and Games

Simple activities like lotto games or posting and sorting activities (with verbal
labels)
Pointing to/circling correct picture cards/photo’s/drawings
(word/phrase/sentence level)
Games like: Snap, Go fish, adapted board games (like lotto, snakes and
ladders)
Physical activities like treasure hunts, hopscotch, pass the parcel
Story telling (or re-telling)
Acting out scenes from books/stories/movies/pretend play
Your response must match your aim: What are you expecting from the child?
Activity Expression/production Comprehension/understanding
goal goal
Tell, say, describe, name, Match a card with its
Lotto game label a card when it is corresponding picture on a board
turned face up and then (in response to a spoken label)
match it
Treasure Tell me what you find: I Go find a “small” car.
found a ____ car
hunt (small/big) Go find a “big” car.
 Help puppet by sorting
Sorting the clothes.. If it belongs
(categorizin toPuppet:
big teddy tell Mr
This is a big
g) shirt . It belongs to Big
Teddy.”
Help puppet by sorting the clothes.
Mr Puppet is going to ask you find
something… when he does will you
give it to him: “Bring me Big Teddy’s
shirt”

Intervention Goals: Homework Task

Jacqueline is 5 years old and has a limited vocabulary (lexicon). She loves
princess Sophia the first (Disney channel) and Elsa (from Frozen) , as well as
playing with her Barbie dolls. Everyday she helps her father to take the
family’s two dogs, Ben and Jerry for a walk.
Look at the list of concepts (arranged according to ages typically acquired)
and choose one concept in the ages 3-4:
Write one aim and
Write a rationale for this aim
Describe one activity you can use to teach Jacqueline this concept
Use the attached checklist to make your aims and activities
Management of Syntax and Grammar
* Lesson Objectives *
To be able to write expressive and receptive session goals that target syntax
and grammar
To be able to write a rationale which provides good reasons for including this
aim
To be able to identify activities which will allow the child to practice and get
feedback about their performance
SYNTAX and GRAMMAR
1. Morphology (word level)
2. Sentence form development (phrase and sentence level)
Phrase development (Noun phrase development, Verb-phrase
development etc)
Sentence type development (Declarative, negative, interrogative etc)
 3. Embedding and conjoining of sentences (“paragraph/discourse” level)
Subordinate clause embedding and clausal conjoining
Syntax and grammar deficits are an early sign for language impairment
and includes
Syntax and Morphology
Children with morphology and syntactic deficits have difficulty learning and
using the rules that govern how words (morphemes) and phrases/sentences
(syntactic structures) are built/formed
At the word level, these children may not correctly use plural forms or verb
tenses
At the phrase or sentence level, children with syntactic deficits might use
incorrect word order, leave out “little” words (like a/the) or use a limited
number of complex sentences
This affects their ability to understand instructions, talk about things in the
past and the future and retell stories… just to name a few difficulties
Common semantic areas to target in preschool children

Sample targets for Syntax and Grammar

Sample target items
Morphology Johnny will be able to correctly identify the subjective
pronouns [he and she]
Sentence Johnny will be able to construct ”wh” questions in
development sentence format using “what” and “who”
Conjoining or Johnny will be correctly able to construct the complex
embedding sentences using an “if…..then” clause
Some Examples: Goals

Goals

Some common books which you can use to target English syntax and morphology
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see (pronouns (objective);
prepositions; wh questions))
The very hungry caterpillar (pronouns (subjective))
Where’s spot (prepositions)
The owl and the pussycat (past tense)
Green eggs and ham (modal auxiliaries; negatives)
Little red hen (wh questions)
Ending off
Be specific with your session plans. If you are ill, can your colleague
implement the session on your behalf, and would they know exactly what to
do?
Start collecting a bank of resources and activities to use over time. Once you
do this, planning activities will get easier and easier as time goes by.
Have a file with your normative data that you can use in future session plans.
You don’t have to constantly search for rationales if you have a file that lists
them under different headings.
Make sure that you make activities fun. The worst thing is seeing a bored
therapist and a bored child. Very little progress is made! Make sure you keep
them motivated and engaged throughout. Adapt the activity if it is not
working, but still target the same goal.
Keep them focused and attentive. Don’t allow them to go off track (as a
therapist this is important for you too!)
Write progress notes as you go along. It makes future planning much easier
for you.