Say a complete idea

Learning goal

Compose and expand a complete spoken sentence.

Before teaching

Can communicate a person, object, or action using speech, sign, or AAC.

Model

Act out a toy cat sitting. Say “The cat sits.” Contrast “The cat” as a fragment that leaves the listener waiting for what happened. Add a useful detail: “The cat sits on a mat.” Model changing the detail while keeping the idea coherent.

Guide, then apply

Children act, draw, or choose a familiar scene, name who or what it is about, and say what happens. A partner repeats the message and asks for a useful detail. Do not demand one rigid word order across languages.

Interpret the response

Accept any complete, sensible idea in the language being used. “The cat sits” is an example, not the required answer. If a child lists nouns, model linking an actor and action, then let the child choose their own content.

Support

Offer actor/action choices and model in the child’s strongest language. Use AAC or an adult recast while preserving the intended meaning.

Extend when ready

Add where, how, or why when it improves meaning. Compare two sentences and explain which helps the listener imagine the event.

Fresh check

Use a new action such as a puppet dropping a cup. Invite a complete idea and then an added detail without giving the child a sentence to copy.

Teacher plans PDF: page 8. Record exact support and revisit the idea later.