supralinguistic skills (higher order language) - islha.org supralinguistics skills... · simile a...

Margo Kinzer Courter, MBA, MA, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL www.courtercommunications.com [email protected]

Supralinguistic Skills (Higher Order Language)

Students must develop the ability to think about language for auditory and

reading comprehension. The ability to understand complex sentence structure,

the ability to obtain the main idea and details as well as understanding

figurative language, making predictions and inferences play a crucial role in

the skills needed for auditory and reading comprehension.

Comprehension of complex language in which meaning is not directly

available from lexical or grammatical information.

Characteristics:

Having difficulty understanding figurative language (will also impact

pragmatics)

Understanding jokes and riddles (will also impact pragmatics)

Feeling lost when listening to stories with lots of events and characters

Understanding and joining in conversations with peers and adults

Obtaining the main idea and supporting details

Reasoning and inferencing both in conversation and in reading

Difficulty problem solving

Understanding math word problems

Sequencing steps to solve math equations

Strategies:

Building Background Knowledge (Marzano, 2004)

Always base new information on what the student should already know

Preteach/prelearn information. This will increase overall comprehension when the

information is presented in class

http://www.courtercommunications.com/


How students acquire background knowledge:

(1) Their ability to process and store information

(2) The number and frequency of our academically oriented experience

Students' information-processing abilities + access to academically oriented

experiences = academic background knowledge.

Direct Approaches to Enhancing Academic Background Knowledge

1. Provide academically enriching out of class experiences, particularly for

students whose home environments do not do so naturally.

a. Field trips to museums, art galleries, outdoor labs, etc.

b. Petting zoo into the school

c. Plays/performances

d. Establish mentoring relationships with members of the community. A

mentoring relationship is a one-to one relationship between a caring adult

and a youth who can benefit from support. A student is matched with a

mentor in a structured format (Brewster & Fager, 1998).

Indirect Approaches Enhancing Academic Background Knowledge

1. Design field trip/outdoor activities within the school

a. Turn the gym into a camping experience

b. Turn the hall into an ice skating/winter experience

c. Farm: plant “crops”, take care of “animals”, milk a cow



2. Implement elementary, middle, and high school Sustained Silent Reading

that focuses on nonfiction and fiction materials in a variety of forms,

information from the Internet.

20- to 30-minute session,

students read books of appropriate difficulty,

write about their thoughts

participate in structured dialogue with classmates.

Students who participate for more than a year, score in the 81st percentile in

vocabulary achievement, compared to the 50th percentile for students who don't

take part (Marzano, 2004).

3. Implement a program of direct vocabulary instruction that focuses on the

terms and phrases that students will encounter in their academic subjects.

This includes a linguistic and nonlinguistic representation of the word.

Nonlinguistic would include: a picture (mental then drawn) or physical

sensation (see, smell, touch, hear, taste) such as watch a video, act it out,

make it, hear it, etc.

Using Figurative Language

Whenever you describe something by comparing it with something else, you are

using figurative language.



Strategies

Games

o Charades: The students act out the saying

o Jeopardy Game with the different types of figurative language being the

categories

o Family Feud

Websites:

www.wartgames.com

www.ereadingworkshets.com (trashketball)

Pinterest – explore-figurative language

Make Cards Out Of the Different Types of Figurative Language

Have the students take turns pulling out a card.

Describe the saying

Use the saying in a sentence

Add something fun to the activity such as teams, charades, etc.

Types of Figurative Language:

Simile

A simile uses the words “like” or “as” to compare one object or idea with another

As American as apple pie

As big as an elephant

As black as coal

As boring as watching paint dry

As brave as a lion

As busy as a bee

As cheap as dirt

As clean as a whistle

As clear as mud

As clear as crystal

As cold as ice

As dry as a bone

As easy as ABC

As fit as a fiddle

As free as a bird

As gentle as a lamb

As good as gold

As happy as a dog with two tails

As helpless as a baby

As large as life

http://examples.yourdictionary.com/simile-examples-for-kids.html


http://www.wartgames.com/

http://www.ereadingworkshets.com/


Metaphor

The metaphor states a fact or draws a verbal picture by the use of comparison.

Example: The promise between us was a delicate flower

The snow is a white blanket.

The classroom was a zoo.

America is a melting pot.

Her lovely voice was music to his ears.

Life is a rollercoaster.

He is a shining star.

The computers at school are old

dinosaurs.

He is a night owl.

He is a night owl.

The detective’s face was wooden as he

listened to her story.

She feels that life is a fashion show.

The world is a stage.

My kid’s room is a disaster area.

His words were cotton candy.

John’s suggestion was just a Band-

Aid.

The computers at school are old

dinosaurs.


Personification

A figure of speech in which human characteristics are given to an animal or an

object.

Lightning danced across the sky.

The wind howled in the night.

The car complained as the key was

turned.

Rita heard the last piece of pie calling

her name.

My alarm clock yells at me every

morning.

The avalanche devoured anything

standing in its way.

Traffic slowed to a crawl.

The door protested as it opened slowly.

My house is a friend who protects me.

The moon played hide and seek with

the clouds.

The stairs groaned as we walked on

them.

Our vacuum hums a happy tune while

it cleans.

You need to cross over at the mouth of

the river.

My flowers were begging for water.

The ivy wove its fingers around the

fence.

Hail pounded the houses and streets.

The cactus saluted those who drove

past.

The wildfire ran through the forest at

an amazing speed.

My car’s headlights winked at me.




Alliteration

The repetition of the same initial letter, sound, or group of sounds in a series of

words. Alliteration includes tongue twisters.

Come and clean your closet.

The big bad bear attacked all the little

bunnies in the forest.

Shut the shutter before it makes you

shudder.

Go and gather the green leaves in the

lawn.

Please put your pen away and play

the piano.

Garry gathered the garbage.

Garry gathered the garbage.

Lazy lizards lying like lumps!

Paula planted the petunias in the pot.

Kim comes to cut colorful kites.

Boil the butter and bring it by the bank.

Orson’s owl out-performed ostriches.

Larry’s lizard likes leaping leopards.

Out with the only open tin of tuna.

I had to hurry home because grandma

wanted her waffles.

The baron was busy as a bee.


Onomatopoeia

The use of a word to describe or imitate a natural sound or the sound made by an

object or an action.

Arf

Baa

Bark

Bow-wow

Buzz

Cackle

Caw

Chatter

Cheep

Chirp

Cluck

Cock-a-doodle-

doo

Coo

Cuckoo

Eeyore

Gobble

Growl

Hee-haw

Hiss

Hoot

Howl

Maa

Meow

Moo

Neigh

Oink

Peep

Prattle

Purr

Snarl

Tweet

Warble

Whimper

Whine

Whinny

Woof

Yelp

Yip

Yowl




Hyperbole

An exaggeration that is so dramatic that no one would believe the statement is true.

Tall tales are hyperboles

It was so cold I saw polar bears

wearing jackets.

I am so hungry I could eat a horse.

I had a ton of chores to do.

If I can’t get a Smartphone, I will die.

She is as thin as a toothpick.

This car goes faster than the speed of

light.

Our new house cost a bazillion dollars.

We are poor and don’t have two cents

to rub together.

The car is as fast as greased lightning.

He's got tons of video games.

My dad is always working.

If I can’t get a Smartphone, I will die.

She is as thin as a toothpick.

This car goes faster than the speed of

light.

Our new house cost a bazillion dollars.

We are poor and don’t have two cents

to rub together.

The car is as fast as greased lightning.

He's got tons of video games.

You could have knocked me over with

a feather.

Her brain is the size of a pea.

Grandpa is older than dirt.


Idioms

Having a meaning that cannot be derived from the meanings of its elements

Give it a shot - Try

Speak your mind - Say what you really

feel

A piece of cake - Very easy

Slipped my mind - I forgot

Cross your fingers - For good luck

Be in hot water - Be in trouble

It cost an arm and a leg - It was

expensive

It’s in the bag - It’s a certainty

Get cold feet - Be nervous

A rip off - Too expensive

A basket case - A crazy person

Get a kick out of - Enjoy

Read between the lines - Find the

hidden meaning

Have mixed feelings - Unsure how you

feel

Draw a blank - Can’t remember

Have a change of heart - Changed your

mind

Be second to none - Be the best

Get your act together - Behave

properly

Play it by ear - Improvise

Have second thoughts - Have doubts




PUN: deliberate confusion of words based upon similarity of sound (waist/waste).

What do you call an alligator in a vest?

An investigator!

How do turtles talk to each other? By

using shell phones!

Why are teddy bears never hungry?

They are always stuffed!

Why did the spider go to the computer?

To check his web site.

Where do polar bears vote? The North

Poll.

Why are playing cards like wolves?

They come in packs.

What do you get when you cross a

snake and a pie? A pie-thon!

What was the reporter doing at the ice

cream shop? Getting the scoop!

What do baseball players eat on? Home

plates!

Why did the turkey cross the road? To

prove he wasn't chicken!

Why do fish live in salt water? Because

pepper makes them sneeze!

What did the judge say when the skunk

walked into the court room? Odor in

the court!

How do you fix a broken tomato? With

tomato paste.

Why did the lion spit out the clown?

Because he tasted funny!

What do you call a knight who is afraid

to fight? Sir Render.

What do you call a sleeping bull? A

bull-dozer.


Oxymoron: deliberate combination of seemingly contradictory words ("helpful

bureaucrat"; "bittersweet").

Great Depression

Jumbo shrimp

Cruel to be kind

Pain for pleasure

Clearly confused

Act naturally

Beautifully painful

Painfully beautiful

Deafening silence

Pretty ugly

Pretty fierce

Pretty cruel

Definitely maybe

Living dead

Walking dead

Only choice

Amazingly awful

Alone together

Virtual reality

Random order

Original copy

Happy sad

Disgustingly delicious

Run slowly





Sematic Absurdities

My grandpa is the youngest person in

my family.

The mom fed a shoe to her baby.

I couldn’t hear the TV because it was

too loud.

The cup started to ring, so I answered

it.

My mom cut me a glass of milk.

The cold sun was shining.

The boat drove down the street.

The astronaut took the hot air balloon

to the moon.

Firefighters help start fires.

A sheep is a very dangerous animal.

I wrote a letter with a knife.

I talked to my grandma on the gate.

I was hungry, so I went to my

bedroom.

The turtle flew through the air.

I remembered my homework, so I got

in trouble.

I played with the sand on the mountain.

My pet shark can play fetch and roll

over.

He’s too tall, so he couldn’t reach.

Last night, I looked at the sun.

I can’t see without my shoes.

It’s so hot out, I have to wear a jacket.

I cut the paper with my pencil.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9qMRWHW-u8TNzRFMGhwUFBtRFU/edit

Current Expressions

PAP: Post a picture.

Bad: Bad still means good, but now it’s morphed to mean “hot” as in “Ruby

Rose is as bad as they come.”

Ship: Ship is short for “relationship.

IDEK: “I don’t even know,” and of course IDK means “I don’t know.” In the

same “knowledge” vein, there is also IKR, standing for “I know, right?”

Bae: The word is used as a term of endearment, thought to be a shortened form

of “babe” or “baby.” While not generally seen in all uppercase, BAE can stand

for “before anyone else,” when used as an acronym.

Dime: 10 on a rating scale of 1-10. It’s the best something can be.

Netflix and chill: It’s shorthand for hooking up.



TBR: “to be rude,” and is used in the context of “I don’t mean TBR but ....” (a

barrage of harsh feelings follow).

Peep: your friends — as in your “people” — or to look at or listen to

something.

GOAT: “greatest of all time.”

Dope: means seriously great. So if you see this on your kid’s phone

(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/14-teen-slang-terms-decoded-for-

confused-middle-age-parents_us_56c49aaee4b0b40245c88cec)

Fam–Their closest friends

It’s lit–Short for “It’s cool or awesome!”

From https://netsanity.net/teen-slang-parents-guide/

Throw shade: To give someone a nasty look or say something unpleasant about

Jokes/Riddles

1. Rebus Puzzles (Position Puzzlers)

a. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/300193131393337549/


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/14-teen-slang-terms-decoded-for-confused-middle-age-parents_us_56c49aaee4b0b40245c88cec

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/14-teen-slang-terms-decoded-for-confused-middle-age-parents_us_56c49aaee4b0b40245c88cec


b. http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/games/brainteasers/rebus-

puzzles/index.htm

2. Brain Teasers and Puzzles

a. http://www.puzzlesandriddles.com/Brainteaser04.html

b. http://www.everythingmom.com/parenting/45-riddles-and-

brain-teasers-for-kids

Visual Strategies:

HIGHLIGHTING FOR MAIN IDEA AND SUPPORITNG DETAILS

The second highlighting strategy assist the student with finding the main idea and

supporting details of information presented. This may be the main idea and

supporting details for a short story or literature chapter, or it may be the main idea

and supporting details for each paragraph for informational text. The student

should highlight the main idea in one color (typically chosen by teacher/SLP and

the supporting details in another color.

Rosa Parks was born February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama. She spent her

childhood in Alabama. When she was 11, she enrolled in the Montgomery

Industrial School for Girls. Later, she worked as a seamstress in Montgomery.

Rosa Parks has been called the "mother of the civil rights movement" and one of

the most important citizens of the 20th century. In the early 1950s, the bus system

in Montgomery, as in many parts of the United States, was segregated. Blacks

were required to board the bus at the front, buy their tickets, and then re-board the

bus in the back. Sometimes, they weren’t able to get on the bus again before it

drove away. They were not allowed to sit in the front of the bus, which sometimes

made it difficult to get off at the right stop. Even if they were sitting in the “black

section”, they were still required to give their seats up to white passengers if the

“white section” was full. In December of 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her

seat on a city bus to a white passenger. The bus driver had her arrested. She was

tried and convicted of violating a local ordinance.



Difficulty Understanding Fiction

Step 1: Read a passage appropriate for the student’s current ability

(high/low readers)

Step 2: Use Main Idea and Supporting Details highlighting strategy

(main idea in yellow and supporting details in color of student’s choice)

Step 3: Character Analysis

Character’s Name

Examples

Character’s Appearance

Character’s Words

Character’s Thoughts

Character Traits

What Other Characters Say or

Feel About This Character

(Some possible traits: friendly, fun, funny, adventurous, brave, bossy, thoughtful,

dangerous, gentle, generous, happy, annoying, honest, mean, respectful,

trustworthy, sneaky)



Step 4: Use a Plot Diagram to break down the story



Step 5: Use 2/3 1/3 Notetaking for the story elements (characters, plot,

setting, conflict, climax, conflict resolution, ending of story, theme)

2/3 1/3 Notetaking

Name:

Class:

I. Main Idea

A. Detail

B. Detail

C. Detail

II. Main Idea

A. Detail

B. Detail

C. Detail

III. Main Idea

A. Detail

B. Detail

C. Detail

2/3

Comments

Questions

Link to what you know

Vocabulary

What you would like to

learn more about

1/3



Step 6: Use EET or Mind Map to summarize the story



Step 7: Compare and Contrast to other story (fiction or nonfiction),

personal experience, etc.

Difficulty Understanding Nonfiction

Step 1: Read a passage appropriate for the student’s reading level

(www.newsela.com)

Step 2: Use Main Idea and Supporting Details highlighting strategy

(main idea in yellow and supporting details in color of student’s choice)

Step 3: Fact or Opinion (does the student try to pull his/her background

knowledge into the nonfiction?



Step 4: Provide a mind map with important areas outlined.



Written Language

Using Expanding Expressions Tool

(Sarah Smith https://www.expandingexpression.com)

Expanding Expressions Tool (http:www.expanding expressions.com)



Using a Mind Map

Great Resource:

Inspiration Maps App ($9.99)

Kidspiration Maps App ($9.99)

www.inspiration.com

o Kidspiration ($40.00 single license use)

o Inspiration ($40.00 single license use)

o Bundle ($60.00 for Inspiration and Kidspiration)



Resources

http://www.speechlanguage-resources.com/support-files/

vocabularyabsurditiesprogram.pdf

Ms. Lane’s SLP Materials https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzxZN2dBj1s-

OUF4bE9MUWxDYUk/edit

Books:

Eight Ate by Marvin Terbin

Quick as a Cricket by Audrey Woods

Mad as a Wet Hen by Mara Terbin

You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover by Judith Scheinlin

The King Who Reined by Fred Gwynn

How to Lose All of Your Friends by Nancy Carlson

Conclusion:

Comprehension of complex language requires the student to understand the 5

domains of language (morphology, phonology, syntax, and pragmatics) and apply

it to auditory and reading comprehension where the student must synthesize

language for learning.


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