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  • USING BOOKS TO ENHANCE A CHILD'S UNDERSTANDING AND INCREASE HIS/HER EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE You can use a book to expand a child's • Vocabulary (basket, trowel, snail, finding, bench, sack, core) • Understanding of concepts (under, hungry, angry, behind, crunchy, finished, broken) • Ability to understand questions Wise Words Scripts - offer clinicians, teachers and parents readily available questions designed specifically for each book.  A script provides a variety of questions at each level of understanding for each page of the book.  A teacher or clinician working with a group of children can tailor questions to each child's language ability. This script and other available scripts have been based on Marion Blank's Model of Classroom Language. Marion Blank recognised the importance of keeping questions and statements within a child’s level of understanding. The more concrete the statement or question, the easier it will be for the child to understand. As questions become more abstract, they become harder for children to answer. The Blank Model is divided into 4 levels of questioning, moving from the concrete (easiest) at Level 1 to the abstract (most difficult) at Level 4.
  • USING BOOKS TO ENHANCE A CHILD'S UNDERSTANDING AND INCREASE HIS/HER EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE You can use a book to expand a child's • Vocabulary (calendar, trolley, bowl, apron, shopping, mixing, drawing) • Understanding of concepts (messy, sticky, many, hot, delicious) • Ability to understand questions Wise Words Scripts - offer clinicians, teachers and parents readily available questions designed specifically for each book.  A script provides a variety of questions at each level of understanding for each page of the book.  A teacher or clinician working with a group of children can tailor questions to each child's language ability. This script and other available scripts have been based on Marion Blank's Model of Classroom Language. Marion Blank recognised the importance of keeping questions and statements within a child’s level of understanding. The more concrete the statement or question, the easier it will be for the child to understand. As questions become more abstract, they become harder for children to answer. The Blank Model is divided into 4 levels of questioning, moving from the concrete (easiest) at Level 1 to the abstract (most difficult) at Level 4.
  • USING BOOKS TO ENHANCE A CHILD'S UNDERSTANDING AND INCREASE HIS/HER EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE You can use a book to expand a child's • vocabulary (pond, fox, goat, windmill, jumped, stinging) • understanding of concepts (e.g. wet, heavy, light, white, many, through) • ability to understand questions Wise Words Scripts - offer clinicians, teachers and parents readily available questions designed specifically for each book.  A script provides a variety of questions at each level of understanding for each page of the book.  A teacher or clinician working with a group of children can tailor questions to each child's language ability. This script and other available scripts have been based on Marion Blank's Model of Classroom Language. Marion Blank recognised the importance of keeping questions and statements within a child’s level of understanding. The more concrete the statement or question, the easier it will be for the child to understand. As questions become more abstract, they become harder for children to answer. The Blank Model is divided into 4 levels of questioning, moving from the concrete (easiest) at Level 1 to the abstract (most difficult) at Level 4.
  • USING BOOKS TO ENHANCE A CHILD'S UNDERSTANDING AND INCREASE HIS/HER EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE You can use a book to expand a child's • vocabulary (beetroot, paddock, trotting, rope, apron, disguise) • understanding of concepts (e.g. carefully, fattest, pretty, firmly) • ability to understand questions Wise Words Scripts - offer clinicians, teachers and parents readily available questions designed specifically for each book.  A script provides a variety of questions at each level of understanding for each page of the book.  A teacher or clinician working with a group of children can tailor questions to each child's language ability. This script and other available scripts have been based on Marion Blank's Model of Classroom Language. Marion Blank recognised the importance of keeping questions and statements within a child’s level of understanding. The more concrete the statement or question, the easier it will be for the child to understand. As questions become more abstract, they become harder for children to answer. The Blank Model is divided into 4 levels of questioning, moving from the concrete (easiest) at Level 1 to the abstract (most difficult) at Level 4.
  • Sale!
    THE PIP & POSY TOTAL PACKAGE  includes 9 books ... • Pip & Posy - The New Friend • Pip & Posy - The Snowy Day • Pip & Posy - The Little Puddle • Pip & Posy - The Bedtime Frog • Pip & Posy - The Big Balloon • Pip & Posy - The Scary Monster • Pip & Posy - The Super Scooter • Pip & Posy - The The Friendly Snail • Pip & Posy - The Christmas Tree These scripts have been based on Marion Blank's Model of Classroom Language. Marion Blank recognised the importance of keeping questions and statements within a child’s level of understanding. The more concrete the statement or question, the easier it will be for the child to understand. As questions become more abstract, they become harder for children to answer. The Blank Model is divided into 4 levels of questioning, moving from the concrete (easiest) at Level 1 to the abstract (most difficult) at Level 4.
  • USING BOOKS TO ENHANCE A CHILD'S UNDERSTANDING AND INCREASE HIS/HER EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE You can use a book to expand a child's • vocabulary (plait, beast, fluttered, cloak, cauldron, bog) • understanding of concepts (storm, tall, scary, clean, politely) • ability to understand questions Wise Words Scripts - offer clinicians, teachers and parents readily available questions designed specifically for each book.  A script provides a variety of questions at each level of understanding for each page of the book.  A teacher or clinician working with a group of children can tailor questions to each child's language ability. This script and other available scripts have been based on Marion Blank's Model of Classroom Language. Marion Blank recognised the importance of keeping questions and statements within a child’s level of understanding. The more concrete the statement or question, the easier it will be for the child to understand. As questions become more abstract, they become harder for children to answer. The Blank Model is divided into 4 levels of questioning, moving from the concrete (easiest) at Level 1 to the abstract (most difficult) at Level 4.
  • USING BOOKS TO ENHANCE A CHILD'S UNDERSTANDING AND INCREASE HIS/HER EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE You can use a book to expand your child's • Vocabulary (magnificent, sail, squelchy, sniffing) • Understanding of concepts (cold, round, white, cosy, kind) • Ability to understand questions Wise Words Scripts - offer clinicians, teachers and parents readily available questions designed specifically for each book.  A script provides a variety of questions at each level of understanding for each page of the book.  A teacher or clinician working with a group of children can tailor questions to each child's language ability. This script and other available scripts have been based on Marion Blank's Model of Classroom Language. Marion Blank recognised the importance of keeping questions and statements within a child’s level of understanding. The more concrete the statement or question, the easier it will be for the child to understand. As questions become more abstract, they become harder for children to answer. The Blank Model is divided into 4 levels of questioning, moving from the concrete (easiest) at Level 1 to the abstract (most difficult) at Level 4.
  • USING BOOKS TO ENHANCE A CHILD'S UNDERSTANDING AND INCREASE HIS/HER EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE You can use a book to expand your child's • Vocabulary (boulder, trunk, basket, gleamed, log pile) • Understanding of concepts (bored, brave, wild) • Ability to understand questions Wise Words Scripts - offer clinicians, teachers and parents readily available questions designed specifically for each book.  A script provides a variety of questions at each level of understanding for each page of the book.  A teacher or clinician working with a group of children can tailor questions to each child's language ability. This script and other available scripts have been based on Marion Blank's Model of Classroom Language. Marion Blank recognised the importance of keeping questions and statements within a child’s level of understanding. The more concrete the statement or question, the easier it will be for the child to understand. As questions become more abstract, they become harder for children to answer. The Blank Model is divided into 4 levels of questioning, moving from the concrete (easiest) at Level 1 to the abstract (most difficult) at Level 4.
  • USING BOOKS TO ENHANCE A CHILD'S UNDERSTANDING AND INCREASE HIS/HER EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE You can use a book to expand a child's • vocabulary (stream, feast, log pile, poisonous, rumble, scrambled) • understanding of concepts (e.g. quick, favourite, good, dark, scariest) • ability to understand questions Wise Words Scripts - offer clinicians, teachers and parents readily available questions designed specifically for each book.  A script provides a variety of questions at each level of understanding for each page of the book.  A teacher or clinician working with a group of children can tailor questions to each child's language ability. This script and other available scripts have been based on Marion Blank's Model of Classroom Language. Marion Blank recognised the importance of keeping questions and statements within a child’s level of understanding. The more concrete the statement or question, the easier it will be for the child to understand. As questions become more abstract, they become harder for children to answer. The Blank Model is divided into 4 levels of questioning, moving from the concrete (easiest) at Level 1 to the abstract (most difficult) at Level 4.
  • USING BOOKS TO ENHANCE A CHILD'S UNDERSTANDING AND INCREASE HIS/HER EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE You can use a book to expand a child's • Vocabulary (snowman, shivered, smile, melted, winter, wind) • Understanding of concepts (warm, cold, new, hot, freezing) • Ability to understand questions Wise Words Scripts - offer clinicians, teachers and parents readily available questions designed specifically for each book.  A script provides a variety of questions at each level of understanding for each page of the book.  A teacher or clinician working with a group of children can tailor questions to each child's language ability. This script and other available scripts have been based on Marion Blank's Model of Classroom Language. Marion Blank recognised the importance of keeping questions and statements within a child’s level of understanding. The more concrete the statement or question, the easier it will be for the child to understand. As questions become more abstract, they become harder for children to answer. The Blank Model is divided into 4 levels of questioning, moving from the concrete (easiest) at Level 1 to the abstract (most difficult) at Level 4.
  • Level 4

    Explaining the Logic of Compound Words Level 4 “Why is a ... called a ...?” “Why isn’t a ... called a ...?” “Why do we call this a ... ?” A Compound Word is formed when two or more words, which can stand alone, are joined to make a new word. The new word takes on a new meaning (button + hole = buttonhole, foot + ball = football).  This program has been designed to help your child to recognise and explain the reasoning behind compound words. Explaining the logic of compound words is a Blank’s Level 4 level of understanding and makes it necessary for your child to use language to talk about language. At this level, the questions and statements pose more complex verbal problems and will require your child to reason and predict. Asking your child to explain why a ‘waterfall’ is called a ‘waterfall’ requires him/her to analyse the presented word and recognise that it is comprised of two individual words. In addition, he/she needs to understand that the individual words have different meanings when they stand alone. Example of a task/activity “Why is a rainbow called a rainbow?” You should point to the picture of the rainbow and say the following... “This is a rainbow.”  Next, you ask your child the question:  “Why is a rainbow called a rainbow?”  If his/her response is incorrect or inadequate you should point to and talk with your child about the first two smaller pictures below the rainbow.  “This is rain. A rainbow appears when it has been raining."  Next, talk about the second picture:  "Look this is a bow. A rainbow has the shape of a bow.”  Now that you have explained the two components of the word ‘rainbow', you should ask again the question relating to the compound word: “Why is a rainbow called a rainbow?” “Why isn’t a rainbow called a rain tank?” Point to the rainbow and then point to and talk about the picture of the rain tank. Ask: “Why isn’t a rainbow called a rain tank?” You may need to help your child focus on the relevant features in the picture by talking more about the rain tank. In this way you will be simplifying the question further.  
  • Level 4

    Selecting the Means to a Goal Level 4 “What should I use to ...?” “What could I do to ...?” “What could he wear if ...?” Explaining the Means to a Goal Level 4 “Why should she use...?” “Why shouldn’t she use ..?” “Why did you pick that one?” The activities presented in this Level 4 program reflect more complex verbal problems. These activities will require your child to reason about things that may, might, could or would happen. Your will need to go beyond what can be immediately seen or perceived. He/she will need to reflect on previously gained information and use this information to solve the problem. The large circle in the middle of the page contains the “problem” which your child will need to solve. This picture will set the scene for your child but it will not give your child the answer to the question. Possible solutions to each problem are located in the four smaller circles which are placed in each corner of the page. Some solutions have been chosen in order to deliberately challenge your child. For your child to offer the correct solution they will have had to completely understand the statement and understand the question. Example of a problem: This problem is related to cleaning the floor.The following solutions are offered: A washing machine - this is something used for cleaning clothes. Soap - again something for cleaning. A carpet - something that is found on the floor. A mop and bucket - the correct answer for cleaning the floor.
  • Level 3 (& Level 4)

    Selecting an Object or Set of Objects by Exclusion Level 3 “Tell me something else that ...” “Tell me something different that ..." "Show me the things that aren’t ...” “Point to the things that don’t ...” “Find the things that the boy can’t ...” Reasoning Level 4 “Why is a ... made of ...?" "What should he do if ...?" "Why wouldn't ...?" "What could you use to ...?" "What could you ... if ...?" This program targets Level 3 questions and statements. At this level of understanding, your child will need to look beyond the material in front of him/her. He/she will be required to evaluate and reorder the information. A typical skill in this category is the ability to exclude material. Your child will need to follow directions which may use the words ‘not, don’t, can’t, something else, other than’. The activities in this program have been designed specifically to help your child recognise alternatives. A number of Level 4 questions have been included in this program.  These tasks will prove useful for those children who are working towards a more abstract type of question. Questions at this level include Why should ...? Why shouldn’t ...? Why can ...? Why can’t ...? What could ...? How can we tell ...? At this level of understanding, your child will need to look beyond the material in front of him/her and will then be required to evaluate and reorder the information. A typical skill in this category is the ability to exclude material. Your child will need to follow directions which may include the words ‘not, don’t, can’t, something else, other than’. The activities in this program have been designed specifically to help your child recognise alternatives. Example of a Level 3 Activity: 1. “A cow is a farm animal. “Tell me something different that is a farm animal.” Your child is given the following possible answers: A camel - An animal but not a farm animal. A pig - The correct answer. This is an alternative farm animal. A farm - The place where farm animals are found. A lion - An animal but not a farm animal. 2. “Which animals don’t belong on the farm?” - “Camel, lion” Example of a Level 4 Activity 1.“Mum fills the kettle with water. How can we tell that the kettle is boiling?" 2. “Frogs can jump. Why can’t snails jump?
  • Level 4

    Explaining an inference “How can you tell that ...?” “How do you know that ...?” Explaining obstacles to an action “Why can’t the ...?” “Why won’t the ...?" Formulating a solution “What could she do ...?” “What should the ... do ...?” Justifying a prediction “What will happen if ...?” “Why can’t ...?” “Why shouldn’t ...?” Justifying a decision - based on essential and non-essential characteristics “If a ... were ... would it still be ...?” “If a ... were made of ... would it still be ...? Working through this program will improve your child’s verbal organisation. The program will allow your child to attend to and process information, whilst retrieving and comparing this information to past experiences. Your child will need to compare the new verbal information with information which has already been stored. Each scene will offer him/her the opportunity to develop an understanding of more abstract language. It will also improve his/her ability to ignore non-relevant material, yet retain the relevant features or information from each scene. This program will target
    • Inferential Reasoning - the ability to draw a conclusion based on the facts and previous experiences.
    • Problem Solving - the ability to identify obstacles and then formulate a solution to a problem.
    • Justifying a Prediction - the ability to explain why an event may take place and why certain actions or behaviours should be avoided.
    • Justifying a Decision - based on essential and non-essential characteristics of an object.
    Example of a task/activity - The Hairdresser
    • How can you tell that the boy is having a haircut?
    • How do you know that the hairdresser hasn’t finished cutting his hair?
    • How do you know that the boy is at the hairdresser?
    • Why is the boy wearing a cape?
    • Why does the boy need to go to the hairdresser?
    • What should the hairdresser do after the boy leaves?
  • Levels 2 - 4

    Level 2 Attending to Two Characteristics Naming the Parts of Objects Identifying an Object by its Function “Find something that is round and we can eat.” “What is this part of a ... called?” “What do we use this for?” Level 3 Selecting an Object by Exclusion Selecting a Set of Objects by Exclusion “Find all the ones that are not animals." "Tell me something that is not big." “Show me something that can jump but is not a horse." Level 4 Reasoning and Problem Solving “If a bicycle wheel were square would it still be a wheel?” “Why are gumboots made of rubber?” “What will happen if ...?” "Why is a raincoat called a raincoat?" The first part of this program has been designed to help your child recognise and name parts of objects and respond to questions which focus on the object's properties and functions. (eg Selecting an object according to two characteristics – “Find the one that has an engine and wings.”) The second part of this program targets exclusion. This requires your child to overcome the urge to respond to a key word or salient perceptual material. (eg “Point to something that you can eat but isn’t round. Find something that flies in the sky but doesn't have wings.”) The final part of this program - represents complex verbal problems that require a child to reason about what may, might, could or would happen to material/objects under specific circumstances. Your child will need to problem solve and formulate solutions using logic and past knowledge. Although the question may relate to an object pictured on the page, the solution to the question is not present. Example of a task/activity Level 2 Find something round which we can eat. What's this part of a helicopter called? Level 3 Point to something that you can eat but isn't round. Point to something that is a boat but doesn't have sails. Level 4 Why isn't a beach ball made of wood? Would a soccer ball still be a soccer ball if it were an oval shape?
  • Level 4

    Selecting the Means to a Goal Level 4 “What should I use to ...?” “What could I use to ...?” “What might he use when ...?” Explaining the Means to a Goal Level 4 “Why should she use...?” “What made him use ..?” “Why would she use ...?” Explaining obstacles to an action & Formulating a Solution Level 4 “Why can’t he use ... to ...?” “Why shouldn’t we use ...?” “What might happen if he ...?” “What could you use if ...?” “The boy is ... What could he do to ...?” “What would you do if ...?” Contents/product description - This program can be used with both readers and non-readers alike. Questions are used to guide your child through the thinking process so that he/she will reach the appropriate conclusion without being provided with the answer. It is important for the parent, teacher or clinician to lead the child towards the salient features of the presented problem. It may become necessary for the adult to break down the problem scenario into smaller parts to give the child the opportunity to understand. It is then essential to talk more, at a simple level, in language that the child understands. Rephrasing the information will ensure that the child is able to make inferences, understand the problem and then offer a solution. The large picture sets the scene for the child but does not provide answers. Possible solutions (tools) to each problem are located in the three smaller squares below. Example of a task/activity Point to and name the large picture of the loaf of bread. This picture is the feature which the child will need to consider. Now name each of the smaller pictures. The deliberate foil (a slice of bread) may misdirect the child if he/she does not fully understand the question. This topic is concerned with slicing bread. The following solutions are offered: • a knife - the correct answer - something used for slicing • slice of bread - the foil • a spoon - something that is used for eating but not for slicing bread.  
  • Level 3

    Describing an event that might happen Level 3 “What might happen next?” “What will happen next?” “What could happen next?” Describing an event that won't happen Level 3 “What won't happen next?" "What won't the boy do next?" Reasoning, justifying and predicting Level 4 “Would a bowling ball be a bowling ball if it were made of cotton wool?” “How could the boy avoid falling off his skateboard?” “Why shouldn't the boy ride on top of the bus?” Contents - Learning to sequence is an important language component for your child. This program will help your child understand and express ordinal and causal relationships. He/she will require sequencing skills to create narratives as his/her language develops. The ability to sequence an event will help your child to organise information and ideas with greater efficiency. As you help your child to sequence stories, this program will also reinforce a number of concepts (first, last, before, after). Working through the program will serve as an early step in developing your child's ability to produce a story. Example of a task/activity Cover the two smaller pictures on the right and ask your child to describe what is happening in the large picture on the left. If your child is unable to describe the event occurring in the large picture, you should model the complete sentence for him/her.  "The boy is buying a cake." Next, cover the large picture and uncover the two smaller pictures. Point to each small picture as you ask "What's happening?" or "What happened ...?"  Encourage your child to describe what is happening in each picture. Again you should describe the event/s in the picture for your child if he/she is unable to do so. Now uncover all three pictures and ask either "What will happen next?" or "What won't happen next?" To further extend this activity you may wish to ask additional questions such as...  "What happened before ...? What happened after...? What happened first?" As a final task you may wish to cover all the pictures in the sequence and point to the left side of the page asking "Tell me the story. Tell me what happened."   (You may need to prompt your child with "next ..." and "then ...")
  • Level 3

    Explaining Similarities Find the ones that go together best. Find the ones that match. How are these the same? How do these go together? Although a child may be able to recognise differences between objects, often he is not able to explain how similarities can be shared. At Level 3, the child is required to perceive relationships between items which may, or may not, be immediately obvious. He may need to draw on past experiences or knowledge rather than rely on the ‘here and now’ features or the more obvious characteristics. A set of pictures may have more than one similarity. For example: a foot, a face and toes are similar as they are all parts of the body (same semantic class). The child then needs to recognise that a closer relationship exists - that the toes are part of a foot.
  • Level 3

    Defining Words Level 3 “What is a ...?” “Tell me what a ... is.” “Tell me what ... are.” Mind Maps will help your child to
    • Talk about and describe an object
    • Give 'news'
    • Expand his/her vocabulary
    • Find the right word
    • Increase his/her descriptive language
    • Answer questions
    • Ask questions
    Example of an activity Using the specific prompts radiating out from the centre object you can help your child define a word. You may ask your child to place a counter on each prompt as he describes the object or he may prefer to trace along the line which leads to the prompt. "Tell me about an egg." If your child does not respond, you should point to each picture prompt asking the relevant questions:
    • Where do you find it?
    • How does it feel (when touched)?
    • What can you do with it?
    • What shape is it?
    • What colour is it?
    • What group (semantic class) does it belong in?
    What parts does it have? (Labelling the parts of objects greatly increases a child's vocabulary. For example - egg - yolk, white, shell) When your child becomes competent with the object specific prompts you should introduce the generic mind map which is provided at the end of the program Three Sets of Mind Maps are available: Word Definitions Mind Map - Set 1 Word Definitions Mind Map - Set 2 Word Definitions Mind Map - Set 3 These sets are not arranged in order of difficulty. Each set consists of entirely different objects. Some children may need to work through all three sets before they achieve competency in this task. Working through all three sets will greatly help to expand your child’s vocabulary.
  • Level 3

    Defining Words Level 3 “What is a ...?” “Tell me what a ... is.” “Tell me what ... are.” Mind Maps  - will help your child to
    • Talk about and describe an object
    • Give 'news'
    • Expand his/her vocabulary
    • Find the right word
    • Increase his/her descriptive language
    • Answer questions
    • Ask questions
    Example of an activity: Using the specific prompts radiating out from the centre object you can help your child define a word. You may ask your child to place a counter on each prompt as he describes the object or he may prefer to trace along the line which leads to the prompt. "Tell me about a hamburger." If your child does not respond, you should point to each picture prompt asking the relevant questions:
    • Where do you find it?
    • What can you do with it?
    • What shape is it?
    • What colour is it?
    • What group (semantic class) does it belong in?
    • What parts does it have? (Labelling the parts of objects greatly increases a child's vocabulary. For example - yolk, white, shell)
    • How does it feel (when touched)?
    • When your child becomes competent with the specific prompts, a generic mind map is provided.
    Three Sets of Mind Maps are available: Word Definitions Mind Map - Set 1 Word Definitions Mind Map - Set 2 Word Definitions Mind Map - Set 3 These sets are not arranged in order of difficulty. Each set consists of entirely different objects. Some children may need to work through all three sets before they achieve a competency in this task. Working through all three sets will greatly help to expand your child’s vocabulary.
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