Learning the meaning of words from context

[Staceyshoe]

Ds2 has issues with language, and I strongly suspect a CAPD component.  He's made *huge* strides in the past 1 1/2 years.  His vocabulary is very limited--even everyday conversational words.  He's beginning to ask what words mean, and his vocabulary is slowly expanding.  But he does *not* pick up meaning from context--not when reading and not in conversation.

Quick examples:
* He asked what "need" meant, and I explained the meaning of the verb "need."  He said that he already knew that but heard someone say something about a pet's "needs" and didn't know what that meant.  After a couple more sentences with examples of "need" a noun, he still had no clue. 

* I said, "Don't fight, just relax your body, don't tense up."  He didn't know what "tense" meant, even when I repeated the sentence.  I told him that it meant "stiff," but he didn't know what that meant either.

*He knows what a lawnmower is, what a mower is, what it means to mow, what it means to mow the lawn, but didn't know what "lawn" meant when it wasn't used near the word "mower" (and it was pretty obvious that we were talking about the grass in the yard).

There are dozens more examples like this.  I've noticed that every day he encounters a word he doesn't know, but the meaning is in the context if he could learn the meaning that way.

Is there a workbook or a set of worksheets you would recommend for learning the meaning of words from the context of a sentence?  His reading level is O on the A-Z system (which I think may be 2nd grade-ish??).  I think he would enjoy a worksheet activity like this---kind of like solving a mystery.  After he does some worksheets, we can start using the same skills in conversation.  If he could learn from context, it would really help his vocabulary.  Resources you recommend?  Different approach you recommend?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.  TIA!

[OneStepAtATime]

Have you had evaluations?

[Staceyshoe]

No, my understanding is that here CAPD evaluations are done at the audiology dept of Children's Hospital.  They don't evaluate until age 7, which is still a couple of months away.  We're undecided about whether to do the evaluation.  It would be about $1500 out-of-pocket and may or may not give us the answers we need.  A year ago, I was ready to do it because ds just didn't understand/remember words (but, of course, he was still too young to be evaluated).  He's come sooo far.  We may do the evaluation, and we may not, just depending on how things go.

[OneStepAtATime]

I realize money could be a huge issue.  I totally sympathize.  But other than the cost, is there any reason that you are reluctant to get answers?  

 

 I ask because there are tons and tons of posters on these boards that discuss quite often all of their regrets over waiting for evaluations (I certainly do).  Those evaluations usually gave parents solid answers and a more productive path to follow but because many of us waited, our children suffered needlessly and fell further behind.  

 

I realize that cost can be a huge factor, though.  I wish you and your child all the best.  I just don't hold out a ton of hope that a workbook is going to effectively address the issues you are describing with your son.

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

[LaughingCat]

My DD doesn't make logical jumps such as 'lawn' from 'lawnmower' but over time she still picks up the meaning of words from context.

By which I mean - if we were talking about mowing the grass and lawnmowers, she would not be able to deduce the idea that lawn must have something to do with grass because lawnmowers mow grass.  However, if you used the word lawn (vs. lawnmower) in conversation over time she would know what a lawn was without you ever defining it.

 

ETA: I would say she doesn't pick up meaning from one use either - it needs to be used multiple times

[Staceyshoe]

I realize money could be a huge issue.  I totally sympathize.  But other than the cost, is there any reason that you are reluctant to get answers?  

 

 I ask because there are tons and tons of posters on these boards that discuss quite often all of their regrets over waiting for evaluations (I certainly do).  Those evaluations usually gave parents solid answers and a more productive path to follow but because many of us waited, our children suffered needlessly and fell further behind.  

 

I realize that cost can be a huge factor, though.  I wish you and your child all the best.  I just don't hold out a ton of hope that a workbook is going to effectively address the issues you are describing with your son.

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

 

He has improved dramatically since we first realized there is a problem.  He's still improving, so we're waiting to see how things go.  He's still younger than the minimum age for an evaluation.  A year ago, that frustrated me to no end.  Now, I can see why they won't do the eval so young.  Some kids do develop later and outgrow issues.  I suspect that ds will continue to have issues in this area, and we will do an evaluation if that continues to be the case.  I've started doing what I can with him at home, and that and/or development has brought huge changes.  Since we can't evaluate yet anyway, I'd like to try working on this area of context/vocabulary with him to see what happens.  It can't hurt, but as you say, it may not help either.  If it doesn't, that will be one more factor we will consider in deciding whether to evaluate.

 

[FairProspects]

My kids really don't pick up vocab from context either. Ds 2 does better than ds 1 but in our case it is not due to CAPD but dyslexia. They just don't process language neurotypically. I don't even try anymore; we just do vocab explicitly. I constantly stop when reading aloud, ask them the definitions of words, and define them if they are wrong. They both do Wordly Wise online at grade level to learn age appropriate vocab. We also pull vocab from every book or subject and they work on it in Quizlet on their laptops. Basically, we spend a lot of time working on vocabulary. But just giving them the words with more context wouldn't work. The implicit language connections aren't there in their brains. We actually have to work on it differently and I can't assume anything. It is not a very "classical" way to approach language. But it absolutely is how my kids need to be taught.

[Sneezyone]

My kids really don't pick up vocab from context either. Ds 2 does better than ds 1 but in our case it is not due to CAPD but dyslexia. They just don't process language neurotypically. I don't even try anymore; we just do vocab explicitly. I constantly stop when reading aloud, ask them the definitions of words, and define them if they are wrong. They both do Wordly Wise online at grade level to learn age appropriate vocab. We also pull vocab from every book or subject and they work on it in Quizlet on their laptops. Basically, we spend a lot of time working on vocabulary. But just giving them the words with more context wouldn't work. The implicit language connections aren't there in their brains. We actually have to work on it differently and I can't assume anything. It is not a very "classical" way to approach language. But it absolutely is how my kids need to be taught.

 

This is EXACTLY what I have to do with my DD whose language challenges mirror that of the OP. We are adding Latin too next year to do more explicit root study.

[JDoe]

Don't know if this may be helpful, or not

 

 

This is how I see the formation of concepts in out minds, there is a need for multiple references in order to figure out the commonalities which provides us with an abstract concept. On a practical level, show him a couple of examples of physical lawns (or photos of same) to illustrate the concept lawn.

 

 

From the concept is then linked with the word, even if the similarities between dogs, and differences wrt cats may not be entirely clear

[merry gardens]

There are a couple of books we've used that might help address your son's situation.

http://www.ganderpublishing.com/Visualizing-Verbalizing-Vanilla-Vocabulary-Level-1.html I just recommended this one yesterday on another thread. It covers basic words. It uses them in sentences with the goal that the child will develop a mental image of what the words mean. The first book is thick and covers about 1200 words.

 

A simpler series is the workbooks from Seeing Stars. http://www.ganderpublishing.com/Seeing-Stars-Catch-a-Star-Workbooks.html  They use the words in sentences, but the print is bigger and they don't cover nearly as many words. These 6 books work with the 300 most common words in the English language, (50 words per book). 

 

I like the Seeing Stars workbooks as workbooks for grammar school children. Vanilla Vocabulary needed required more help from me, but it was very helpful.  We never got all the way through Vanilla Vocabulary. It's thick and there's another volume. These are supplemental books to Seeing Stars and Visualizing and Verbalizing.  Both are reading programs, but there's a language comprehension involved in reading beyond just de-coding words that these particular books address. I think you'd probably find the Vanilla Vocabulary very helpful with the problems you described, but the simplicity of the Seeing Stars workbooks might be a good place to start.

[Staceyshoe]

Wow!  Gander Publishing is *amazing*!  Exactly what I need for ds---visual learner (to an extreme) and needs help with language issues.  We'll definitely give their products a try!  So encouraged just to see that this is available!

Recently, ds has been asking what various words mean all day long.  It is shocking to realize he's never known the meaning of a common word, but it's encouraging because I think it's a sign that this part of his brain is developing more.  As pp have mentioned, we just started asking *him* what words mean as we encounter them which provides a nice opportunity to explain.  I'm starting to keep a list of words that require a definition.  I think we'll make a family game out of the "word of the day" (from that list) and try to use that word in sentences throughout the day.  If I notice that ds is struggling to use a word correctly, I'll make index cards for the word and a known synonym to be used in a Word Memory matching game.  (Perfect since ds can beat me at a game of memory any day when it's based on pictures.  He has incredible visual memory.) 

Still coming up with ideas to gradually make this a part of our routine, just bit by bit---and trying to make it fun in the process.  I use Rummy Roots with ds1.  Ds2 isn't ready for it yet, but I can see the benefits of the Latin and Greek roots in the future.  Please keep the ideas coming!  It's hard to see a struggle and just do nothing.  Developing a plan to do *something*---whether it is effective or not is still to be seen---helps me feel more grounded.  I very much appreciate each and every comment that's been made!

[Jenn in CA]

My 7yo has auditory issues too, and similar vocab issues. I would love some systematic worksheets or something too.

 

I've been thinking of finding a standard workbook of stuff like synonyms, antonyms, etc... really basic "vocabulary" exercises like you see in Language Arts workbooks.

 

For now, we just talk a lot about what words mean. 

 

She also recently picked up an old "1000 first words" book and asked me to read it to her. She really enjoyed the couple pages we read. I was surprised.  I would have thought it was too babyish, but I think I'll go thru it again with her.

 

 

 

 

[Jenn in CA]

There are a couple of books we've used that might help address your son's situation.

http://www.ganderpublishing.com/Visualizing-Verbalizing-Vanilla-Vocabulary-Level-1.html I just recommended this one yesterday on another thread. It covers basic words. It uses them in sentences with the goal that the child will develop a mental image of what the words mean. The first book is thick and covers about 1200 words.

 

A simpler series is the workbooks from Seeing Stars. http://www.ganderpublishing.com/Seeing-Stars-Catch-a-Star-Workbooks.html  They use the words in sentences, but the print is bigger and they don't cover nearly as many words. These 6 books work with the 300 most common words in the English language, (50 words per book). 

 

 

These workbooks look great!! Will they be as effective without doing Seeing Stars or VV?

 

I actually have VV, but am rather overwhelmed at actually using it. 

[Daria]

Can I ask why you think CAPD and not receptive language issues?  If he hasn't had a comprehensive speech language eval, I'd start there.  There's no minimum age, and your public schools should do it for free. 

[Staceyshoe]

Can I ask why you think CAPD and not receptive language issues?  If he hasn't had a comprehensive speech language eval, I'd start there.  There's no minimum age, and your public schools should do it for free. 

I'll try to give you the history as briefly as possible. ;)

Now I'm seeing more issues with language.  His speech development was delayed, but a couple of years ago we realized that his comprehension was terrible.  He also didn't remember what he heard.  I sang a little song about the days of week with him daily for 9 months.  He *finally* got it.  Two days without singing it, and he had no clue about the days of the week or the song.  I would get down on his level, look him in the eye, and say, "The dog is brown.  What did I say?"  After him responding 3 times with "I don't know" and me repeating, he would say, "dog," I would repeat again, and he would say, "brown."  It took *at least* 5 repetitions for him to be able to repeat a single sentence.  I would have him repeat it a couple of times.  After 15 seconds, he couldn't remember what he said.  (Yet he could remember a picture prompt for days even without seeing it again.)  To learn the name of our street, I had to repeat it and have him repeat it more than 100 times (over the course of more than a month) before he could say the first sound of the word without prompting.  Meanwhile, he could pretty much see something and have it memorized.  He memorized our phone number in an hour when I posted it on the frig--and he never forgot it.  If he saw it, he got it.  I also tested out some verbal exercises like "cat the played" to have him unscramble.  He couldn't unscramble 3-word sentences that were spoken.  But he happened across an old unused workbook of his brother's and unscrambled long written sentences including prepositional phrases.  The difference between learning what he heard and learning what he saw was very striking.

 

I've been doing the exercises in the auditory memory workbook linked in my siggy.  He struggles with remembering both words and numbers that are spoken to him.  If he repeats them back to me and don't hear him clearly so immediately ask him to repeat it, it's gone.  He has no clue what he said. 

 

He saw a speech therapist at public school last year (for assertiveness, usage of pronouns, etc).  I spoke with her about my concerns with his comprehension, and she responded that "he has advanced language skills."  I requested that she test whether he could follow 2-step instructions when he's not in a group, and she stated that she would assess following instructions when he was in the group since she saw him with a group.  Talking to her was like talking to a brick wall.  Ds is a *master* at non-verbal cues, so he masks his comprehension issues very well.  I talked with his classroom teacher, she did some little informal assessment by giving him an instruction that she didn't give the other kids.  She said that he was very "hit or miss" and expressed concerns about him going on to a classroom where instruction would be mostly auditory.  His teacher this year stated that he gives her a blank stare often after verbal instructions.  If she demonstrates, he's off and running with it.

 

He's never had issues with phonemic awareness and other common symptoms of CAPD.  But with the symptoms he has, it's obvious that he's functioning below average/normal.  A year or two ago, I really thought it was CAPD.  I think it still could be, but I definitely see more issues with language than I used to (e.g., him not picking up the meaning of words when reading not just when spoken).  Honestly, I could contact the school, but the therapist we worked with there previously was both unhelpful and, frankly, did not seem very knowledgeable either.  I'd love to hear impressions of those of you on this forum.  You are all very knowledgeable, and I'm not sure whether CAPD testing would be the appropriate next step or not.

[merry gardens]

These workbooks look great!! Will they be as effective without doing Seeing Stars or VV?

 

I actually have VV, but am rather overwhelmed at actually using it. 

 

"As effective"? Maybe, probably not? I don't know. I used them apart from the entire programs and found them helpful. I'd read both manuals first so I had an idea of what the programs were about, plus we were using other very high quality special education materials.

 

With Vanilla Vocabulary, I just read one page a day with my children, which was about three words/day. I read the sentences and then they created their own sentence for each word. I had the book on my lap and my children couldn't see the words. I wasn't working on reading the words at that point--just understanding them. I bought the book used and it some writing in it from a previous owner, so it could be used to write in if the child had enough reading and writing skills. Mine didn't, so we did it together orally, which I happen to think was a better way to do it so that I could correct any confusion about any words right away.   When any of them had troubles using the word in a sentence, we spent more time on that word until the meaning was clear to him. It was usually my youngest son that had the trouble.  The further we got through the book, the easier it was for him and I eventually set the book aside.

 

As my son made progress with reading and writing, we moved to the Seeing Stars workbooks. In isolation as workbooks without that program or another strong phonics program, the workbooks seem more like teaching words by sight. They are words good readers know by sight, and many of them are true sight words. Many of the words have meanings (and sometimes multiple meanings) which can confuse some children. They were fewer and often simpler words than found in Vanilla Vocabulary, but once we'd finished all the workbooks (which took him two school years, during which time we also worked on Barton and various other materials) it seemed that he made significant progress so that I no longer worried about his language comprehension .

 

I learned about Lindamood Bell materials after my son was referred to LiPS when he couldn't pass the Barton screen.  After doing the necessary portion of LiPS, we used Barton as our primary reading and spelling program, but I liked what I'd seen of the LMB materials, so I incorporated pieces from some of their programs into our homeschooling.

[Lecka]

Just commenting about the school speech therapist -- I have had a not-so-good one with my older son, and a fine/average one with him (and now my daughter). 

 

My younger son with much higher needs, has an awesome school speech therapist.  So -- it seems the best one goes to the kids who are recognized as needing the most help. 

 

My older son had awesome speech therapists in private speech, also.  The private speech he went to had a sliding scale, but my husband's insurance covered it for us. 

 

I do not know if trying for another speech evaluation is your best next step, but I think it is possible, that there are better SLPs where you are, maybe within your school district, maybe private.  I would not cross it out from consideration just b/c this one therapist. 

 

She does not sound very good to me, either. 

 

I also wonder -- if you ask in writing, if they might do more testing, than they will do if you ask verbally and get blown off.  I know it can go that way here, sometimes.  I think sometimes people can just not want to do the extra work, or think they know better ----- but if you can have concerns from yourself and a teacher, then you can put that in your letter.  I would consider this.  Maybe you would even go through a different person.  I would not hold out huge hope for this, but it is more of a "maybe."  If you could get a private consult, and ask around ahead of time to know you are with somebody who will know what they are doing, maybe it is a direction to go in. 

[Staceyshoe]

I hadn't really thought about seeking out a private speech therapist for an evaluation.  I think I'll talk with some local parents and see if there is someone they would recommend.  Thanks!

[LaughingCat]

Since he is so visual have you considered any of the drawing/cartoon vocabulary?   such as Vocabulary Cartoons, Vocabulary Cartoon Of The Day, Picture These SAT Words, Marie's Words etc

 

[Staceyshoe]

Since he is so visual have you considered any of the drawing/cartoon vocabulary?   such as Vocabulary Cartoons, Vocabulary Cartoon Of The Day, Picture These SAT Words, Marie's Words etc

 

I had not heard about these!  I'll go look them up right now.  He's *such* a visual learner, so these sound like they would be a good fit for him!

[LaughingCat]

I had not heard about these!  I'll go look them up right now.  He's *such* a visual learner, so these sound like they would be a good fit for him!

 

FWIW my library system has several of them - so worth looking in yours.

 

Also I have seen it suggested to have the DC be the one to draw a picture to go along with a word.   And the Marie's words is a different kind of drawing that utilizes the word itself within the drawing - I've seen it suggested for the DC to make those too.

 

  (meant to include those comments in my pp and got distracted :squirrel: )

[Daria]

I would definitely do speech/language testing before CAPD testing.  What you describe sounds much more like receptive language issues, especially when you mention that his ability to follow directions gets worse 1:1.  Of course CAPD and receptive language issues can co-exist in the same child, but I'll also say as a special educator, whenever I've gotten a report from an SLP, it gives me ideas for intervention that I might not have otherwise had.  Audiological reports for CAPD are much more likely to give me strategies that I have already figured out before I read the report.

[Staceyshoe]

I would definitely do speech/language testing before CAPD testing.  What you describe sounds much more like receptive language issues, especially when you mention that his ability to follow directions gets worse 1:1.  Of course CAPD and receptive language issues can co-exist in the same child, but I'll also say as a special educator, whenever I've gotten a report from an SLP, it gives me ideas for intervention that I might not have otherwise had.  Audiological reports for CAPD are much more likely to give me strategies that I have already figured out before I read the report.

 

I would need to inquire about a speech pathologist, right?  Would that be the correct credential for receptive language testing?  I know different professionals have different areas of expertise.  I need to ask for someone who is knowledgeable about receptive language skills?  I just want to make sure I know the right words to use to try to get the person who can best assess ds. 

[Daria]

Yes, you want an SLP.  Receptive language issues are common enough that any SLP who works with kids will see them, unless their practice is highly specialized.  Instead of focusing on finding someone with this specialty, I'd look for someone who will form a good rapport with you son, who will love him and value him and "get" him.  

 

I'd also ask what tests they use, and look for someone who uses a comprehensive battery.  The CELF (Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals) is one that gives a really wide range of information.

[KSinNS]

Has his hearing been checked recently? My kid on the spectrum also had hearing problems (which we never saw a sign of). It took a bunch of tests to pick up the severity of the problem.

 

My kid can't predict from context. We do lots of read alouds, so he can ask what a word means (which he does). I'll sometimes model predicting from context, sometimes model the dictionary, and sometimes just tell him. He's different than your kid in that he has autism, so can't guess from non-verbal cues. However, he copes largely through his memory.

 

Also, when he asks about compound words, I'll stop and say "what does lawn mean" and "what does mower mean" and if he knows both parts, I'll encourage him to think it through himself, though I tell him if he gets frustrated.

 

Thanks for all the great suggestions! This is a constant challenge for us. 

[Staceyshoe]

Thank you, Daria!  That helps a lot!  Ds is a tricky one because he really does mask and compensate extremely well.  Even people who interact with him regularly usually don't realize there is an issue.

 

Has his hearing been checked recently?

 

He's just had a routine hearing screening at his pediatric appts (and possibly at public school last year if schools still doing hearing checks).  He doesn't show any signs of a hearing issue, and I really suspect it's something else given the memory issues. For example, he can ask a question and get an immediate response and then has to ask what the questions was *that he just asked* because he's forgotten.  This doesn't happen nearly as much as it used to, but it still does happen.  Since he doesn't remember what he's spoken, it doesn't seem like a hearing issue to me.  Would a typically screening be enough to flag an issue if one is there?
 

[LaughingCat]

Not being able to repeat numbers, follow directions, and the forgetting what he just asked sound like auditory memory to me. 

 

[Daria]

Not being able to repeat numbers, follow directions, and the forgetting what he just asked sound like auditory memory to me. 

 

I agree, but confusingly enough, most difficulties with auditory memory are more in the purview of a speech pathologist looking at receptive language, than an audiologist looking at CAPD.  

[Daria]

Thank you, Daria!  That helps a lot!  Ds is a tricky one because he really does mask and compensate extremely well.  Even people who interact with him regularly usually don't realize there is an issue.

 

 

 

He's just had a routine hearing screening at his pediatric appts (and possibly at public school last year if schools still doing hearing checks).  He doesn't show any signs of a hearing issue, and I really suspect it's something else given the memory issues. For example, he can ask a question and get an immediate response and then has to ask what the questions was *that he just asked* because he's forgotten.  This doesn't happen nearly as much as it used to, but it still does happen.  Since he doesn't remember what he's spoken, it doesn't seem like a hearing issue to me.  Would a typically screening be enough to flag an issue if one is there?

 

 

When you say a "typical screening" do you mean with earphones or without.

[LaughingCat]

ME:  Not being able to repeat numbers, follow directions, and the forgetting what he just asked sound like auditory memory to me.

I agree, but confusingly enough, most difficulties with auditory memory are more in the purview of a speech pathologist looking at receptive language, than an audiologist looking at CAPD.  

I agree that a CAPD evaluation is not the obvious first step for auditory memory issues - sorry if my pp implied otherwise :)

 

However, my own experience with with SLP  for a child with similar less extreme auditory memory issues (still has trouble repeating back more than 3 numbers or any disconnected piece of information such as phone/address, far less issue with 'connected' info like directions and repeating back sentences then described by OP though -- CLEF scores receptive was 75% and working memory was 9%) was that a SLP was not the correct choice to address memory issues.   A SLP evaluation is much easier and cheaper than many other choices however and if it is a receptive language issue then it would be an excellent choice  (and no doubt there are SLP's out there that work on memory too - but my well-recommended one did not).

 

For some other potentially relevant bits of info I have seen on this board--- sometimes the audiologist requires a neuropsyc eval before a CAPD evaluation and after a neuropsych eval sometimes the recommendation is to get a SLP eval.

 

Also, my ped's and school's 'typical' hearing evaluations are worthless (but if your ped did a full test with earphones as Daria asked about that might be different).

[Staceyshoe]

When you say a "typical screening" do you mean with earphones or without.

 

Ugh.  We do it every year at the dr's office, so I should know this.  I'm not 100% sure, but I think they have him wear headphones.  Is it a better evaluation with or without them?

[Daria]

Ugh.  We do it every year at the dr's office, so I should know this.  I'm not 100% sure, but I think they have him wear headphones.  Is it a better evaluation with or without them?

 

IMO, a hearing test doesn't mean much without headphones.  What you describe doesn't sound like hearing loss, but most SLP's will want a screening anyway, just to be sure.