See and Learn Language and
Reading program
See and Learn Language and Reading - Introduction
See and Learn Language and Reading is a
program of activities designed to help children who have Down syndrome learn
to talk and read. It is based on research into the visual learning strengths
of young children who have Down syndrome, and may also be useful for other
children who may benefit from a visually-based approach to learning to talk.
About the program
The See and Learn Language and Reading program
provides a step-by-step structure to promote two key
areas of language development:
- vocabulary development - the number of words a
child knows
- grammar development - a child's knowledge and
skills in combining these words into sentences.
The program aims to build on and complement the
language learning that occurs through a child's
everyday interactions and play. Find
out more about language development for children
with Down syndrome...
See and Learn Language and Reading is one of four
See and Learn programs planned or under
development (subject to funding). The other planned
programs will cover Memory,
Numbers,
and Speech.
About the steps
The See and Learn Language and Reading program
consists of five steps grouped into the three stages. Each stage contains a step with a
focus on vocabulary development. The two later
stages also contain a step with a focus on teaching
reading to develop grammar (how words fit together
into sentences).
Stage 1
- Step 1
- See and Learn First Word Pictures
This first step is designed for children who are at the first stage of
learning language. It contains activities to help
children learn 60 common first words using pictures.
This step also prepares children for learning to
read by developing their visual skills through
matching activities that they will use during later
stages.
Stage 2
- Step 2 -
See and Learn First Written Words
This step teaches children to read 16 written words, taken from
See and
Learn First Word Pictures. When children have
a vocabulary of more than 50 words, they begin
to combine words together, so this step also
uses reading to support children in
understanding and using combinations of two
key words. This step is designed to be
used at the same time as See and Learn More
Word Pictures.
- Step 3 -
See and Learn More Word Pictures
This step uses pictures to introduce a further 55 words that are common
in children's early vocabularies. This step is
designed to be used at the same time as See and
Learn First Written Words.
Stage 3
- Step 4 -
See
and Learn First Sentences
This step teaches reading of a further 15 written words, taken from
See
and Learn More Word Pictures, and uses reading to
support children in understanding and using simple
sentences containing three key words.
- Step 5 - See
and Learn More Sentences
This step introduces approximately 100 more written words within simple
sentences. This step continues to use reading as a
visual support for language development, to help
children in understanding and using a wider range of
sentences with three key words.