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All Wise Words Programs are sent as a download unless otherwise specified. To ship a USB, please add either Australian (A$20) or International (A$55) shipping to shopping cart. Using Contrastive Pairs Although many children may progress quickly through a regular articulation program, some respond better using a phonological approach. This program uses the contrastive phonological approach of Minimal Pairs. The use of Minimal Pairs is supported by evidence-based practice and has been shown to be an effective and efficient treatment for contrasting vowels or consonants. Once the ‘sh’ sound has been established in single, meaningful words, this program can be used. Working through this program will help your child hear and use the sound correctly to affect a change in meaning. Although your child is generally able to identify your ‘sh’ vs ‘s’ productions, he may use the error sound ‘s’ for any ‘sh’ words. e.g. He may say … ‘Sue’ when he means to say ‘shoe’ ‘wassing’ when he means to say ‘washing’ ‘fiss’ when he means to say ‘fish’ As he says the words, he may not recognise that he is using an incorrect sound. These sound errors can affect his intelligibility and will change the meaning in his connected speech. -
Using Contrastive Pairs Although many children may progress quickly through a regular articulation program, some respond better using a phonological approach. This program uses the contrastive phonological approach of Minimal Pairs. The use of Minimal Pairs is supported by evidence-based practice and has been shown to be an effective and efficient treatment for contrasting vowels or consonants. Once the ‘ch’ sound has been established in single, meaningful words, this program can be used. It will help your child hear and use the sound correctly to affect a change in meaning. Although your child is generally able to identify your ‘ch’ productions, he may use the error sounds ‘t’ or 'ts' for any ‘ch’ words. e.g. He may say ... ‘two’ when he means to say ‘chew’ ‘mats’ when he means to say ‘match’ ‘tin’ when he means to say ‘chin’ As he says the words, he may not recognise that he is using an incorrect sound. These sound errors can affect his intelligibility and will change the meaning in his connected speech. -
Level 4
Explaining the Reason for an Action Why is the boy carrying a surfboard? Why is the boy carrying a present? Why is the girl holding a spoon? Why is the lady pushing the trolley? This program targets Level 4 of Marion Blank’s ‘Model of Classroom Language’. Working through the activities provided in this program will increase your child’s understanding of ‘Why?’ questions’. These tasks will help to establish his ability to problem solve and offer explanations for actions. 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 question and then offer an appropriate response. -
This assessment tool is modeled on the Blank’s Model of Classroom Language Blank, Rose & Berlin 1978 The Wise Words Screening Advantage offers an assessment tool which is quick and easy for clinicians and teachers to administer. Ten colour pictures provide the stimulus for the questions and instructions. The questions/instructions have been designed to represent all four levels of Blank’s model and offer two questions/instructions at each level for each picture presented. This screening tool can be used to plan goals for children and will monitor the child’s progress over time. Contents - The questions/instructions have been designed to represent all four levels of Blank’s model and offer two questions/instructions at each level for each picture presented. The test form provides space beneath the prompts/questions for the clinician/teacher to transcribe the child’s response. A comprehensive table is available to allow more detailed analysis of the child's responses. The question types have been arranged into two sets, (either highlighted or non-highlighted) in order to provide the option of retesting the child without compromising the outcome. Each set ensures that the results reflect the child’s functional level of understanding. On completion of the screener, the clinician or teacher enters the raw score of the number of questions asked at each level and the number of correct responses. The number correct at each level is then calculated as a percentage. -
Level 1
Scanning for a Matching Object Level 1 “Find one like this.” “Find one that matches this.” “Find one the same as this.” Naming an Object Touched Level 1 “What is the name of the thing you just touched?” “What’s the thing that you just touched called?” “The thing you touched is under here. (Pointing to the same object but now covered.) What’s it called?” These worksheets are targeted at Level 1 - The questions and statements at this level require a child to understand or respond to information which is “here and now” and always in front of the child. Some early responses may consist of non-verbal gestures (pointing) or single words. This program has been designed to help your child identify and match objects. This is a first step for classifying objects into groups or sets. The other objects present may be related to the word by function (a shoe, boot, and a sock are for wearing on your feet), association (a lion and a tiger are both wild animals) or the word may sound the same (mug-jug). 1. Example of an activity "Point to the object within the square box. Say: “Find one the same as this.” or “Find one that matches this.” or “Find one like this.” 2. Example of an activity "Ask your child to touch the object in the square box. Say: “Touch this.” or “Put your finger on here.” Now ask: ”What’s it called?” or “What’s the name of the thing you just touched?” 3. Example of an activity "Cover the object in the square box with a small piece of card. Say: “The thing you just touched is under here.” Ask: “What’s the name of the thing you just touched?” -
Level 2
Naming the functions of objects Level 2 “What do we do with this?” “What is a ... for?” “What do we use this for?” Citing an example within a category Level 2 “Yesterday I bought something to eat. What could I have bought?” “My naughty dog chewed my clothes. What clothes did he chew?” These worksheets are targeted at Level 2 of Marion Blank’s 'Model of Classroom Language'. The activities will help your child understand the function of objects, what the objects are used for and what we do with them. Function - describes ...- What we do with something (eat cake).
- What we use it for (cut with scissors).
- What it does or what it can do (a helicopter flies, a bee can sting).
- Select objects according to their function.
- Sort objects with similar functions.
- Name the functions of objects.
- Identify the odd one out by recognising the object’s function.
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Level 2
Naming functions of objects Level 2 “What do you do with bubbles?” → “I blow bubbles.” “What do you use a pillow for?” → “I sleep on a pillow.” Completing a sentence Level 2 “I cut with a ...” “I wear a...” "I blow ..." Recognising the function of objects is an early concept for children. These worksheets will be useful for teaching your child how objects are used and what they are used for. Recognising the function of objects is an early concept for children. These worksheets will be useful for teaching your child how objects are used and what they are used for. Four objects are placed on the left of each page and the matching four functions are represented on the right of the page. Your child will learn to match the action with the appropriate object and alternatively match the object with its function. This program will help your child to increase their vocabulary and understanding of verbs (action words). You will encourage your child to ‘make a sentence’ for each object they match to an action. (“I cut with a knife.”) Example of a task/activity Give your child a pencil and ask him/her to find the pictures that match. Point to the object on the left side of the page and ask: “What do you do with a knife?” “I cut with a knife.” Encourage your child to draw a line to match the object with its function. Now point to the next picture on the left side of the page and ask: “What do you do with a pillow?” “I sleep on a pillow.” Again ask your child to draw a line to match the object with its function. Continue in this manner until you have matched each object with its matching action (verb). -
Level 2
Naming and grouping an object within a category “Find something that is a food." "Hamburger - which group does this belong in?” “Is it the furniture group?” “Which group are you collecting?” “What belongs in your group?” Citing an Example within a Category “Name something that is a food." "Tell me something that belongs in the kitchen.” “Find something that is a farm animal.” “Point to something that belongs in the sky.” Contents/product description - Research indicates that we store and retrieve words more easily if the words are arranged into ‘collections’. Two important ways that we can sort and group words are by ...- Function - what we do with something (eat cake), what we use it for (cut with scissors) or what it does (a bird flies).
- Semantic Class - A ‘word family’ which includes groups such as food (cake, eggs, bread, cheese), wild animals (zebra, giraffe, lion, monkey), furniture (chair, bed, table, shelves).
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Level 2
Citing and grouping an object within a category Level 2 “Find something that is a food." "Hamburger - which group does this belong in?" "Is it the furniture group?” “Which group are you collecting?” “What belongs in your group?” Attending to two characteristics Level 2 “Find something that is round and is a food." "Noodles, cheese, bread - which group do these belong in? “Find something that is an animal and has a long neck.” Level 2 questions require your child to direct their attention on the material directly in front of them, but at the same time he/she will need to focus more selectively on this material. Research indicates that we store and retrieve words more easily if they have been organised into 'collections'. Two important ways that we can organise words are according to: Function - what we do with something (eat cake), what we use it for (cut with scissors) or what it does (a bird flies). Semantic Class - A 'word family' which includes groups such as food (cake, eggs, bread, cheese), wild animals (zebra, giraffe, lion, monkey), furniture (chair, bed, table, shelves). The activities in this program will help your child to sort materials into semantic groups and use the collective group name for objects. For example: clothes - jumper, jeans, shirt, socks, dress, singlet fruit - apple, banana, orange, pineapple, grapes, watermelon The lotto boards, individual object cards and group cards can be used in a number of different activities and games. Varying the task will ensure that your child remains engaged and focused on the activities, whilst repeating the task several times. -
Levels 2 - 4
Attending to Two Characteristics Naming the Parts of Objects Identifying an Object by its Function Level 2 “Find something that is round and we can eat.” “What is this part of a ... called?” “What do we use this for?” Selecting an Object by Exclusion Selecting a Set of Objects by Exclusion Level 3 “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." Reasoning and Problem Solving Level 4 “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 tasks/activities 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 2 and Level 3
Identifying Differences Level 2 “Which one is different?" "Which one is not the same?" "Which one doesn’t match?" "How are these different?" Identifying Similarities Level 3 “How are these the same?" The first activity (Level 2) will help your child to identify differences and be able to explain how something is different. This is an important skill as it directs the child’s attention to further aspects or properties of an item. This Level 2 question is simpler than the more complex question “How are these the same?” The second activity (Level 3) will help your child to identify similarities within a group of objects. This is an important skill for children to acquire as they are often able to recognise differences between objects and yet they cannot always explain how objects can share similarities. This Level 3 question is more complex because now your child has to perceive similarities between objects which may, or may not, be obvious or immediately perceived . Example of a Level 2 Activity Ask your child to point to and name the objects: “Dog, duck, pig, sheep, horse” Now ask: “Which one is different?” - "Duck" If your child points to the correct item but does not verbalise, she should be encouraged to name the item. - “duck.” Point to the duck and ask: “How is it different?” - “The duck is white. The other animals are grey.” Point to the duck and ask: “How is it different?” - “The duck is white. The other animals are grey.” Example of a Level 3 Activity Ask your child to point to and name the objects: "Needle, knife, scissors, apron, saw" Now cover the apron with card and whilst pointing to the remaining objects ask: "How are these the same?" - “These are sharp. An apron isn't sharp.” -
Identifying Parts of a Whole and Exclusions Level 2 - 4
Attending to Two Characteristics Naming the Parts of Objects Identifying an Object by its Function Level 2 “Find something that is round that we can eat.” “What is this part of a ... called?” “What do we use this for?” Selecting an Object by Exclusion Selecting a Set of Objects by Exclusion Level 3 “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." Reasoning and Problem Solving Level 4 “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. Examples of tasks/activities 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 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
- Where do you find it?
- What does it do? What can you do with it?
- What shape is it?
- What colour is it?
- What group (semantic class) does it belong in?
- What noise does it make?
- What parts does it have? (Labeling the parts of objects greatly increases a child's vocabulary. For example - fleece, hooves of a sheep)
- How does it feel (when touched)?
- 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.
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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
- 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.
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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
- 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?
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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
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 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. -
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?
