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🌟 Spelling to Communicate (S2C): How Our Lessons Work

🧠 Building the Path to Open Communication

Our lessons help spellers develop the motor skills required for authentic, open communication. Through engaging and age-appropriate content, we invite learners to think critically, explore new ideas, and share their own thoughts—free from influence.

🤝 Each session is guided by a Communication Regulation Partner (CRP) who supports motor planning by prompting and coaching the speller to point to letters. With practice, spellers gain accuracy, stamina, and confidence, allowing us to progress through increasingly complex question types.

💡 We teach—we never test.
We always presume competence. Apraxia affects motor execution, not intelligence.

🔤 Letterboard Progression & Colour Coding

🟩 Known Questions - Green

  • We begin with three boards featuring 3 inch letters. Known Questions require short, predictable answers (usually 1–2 words), helping us establish reliable motor patterns.

🎯 Goal:

  • Reach ~90% accuracy without gestural or directional prompting before moving on to the 26 letterboard.  

Once accuracy is established, we introduce the full alphabet board and widen the scope of questions:

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 🟧  Tight Semi-Open Questions - Orange

  • Two or more possible answers but shorter, word-for-word found in the lesson.

 

 🟧  Broad Semi-Open Questions - Orange (Italicized)

  • Answers are still in the lesson, but require full sentences or multiple possible responses.

 

 🔵 Prior Knowledge Questions - Blue 

  • Answers are not in the text but related to the lesson. These questions reveal what the learner already knows—and often they amaze us.

 

 🟣 Math & Number Questions - Purple

  • Used for numerical or problem-solving responses.

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 💗 Open Questions - Pink

  • This is the ultimate goal of S2C.

  • Open Questions invite learners to express their authentic opinions, ideas, feelings, and original thoughts—creating true communication access.​

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​ 💗 Creative Writing - Pink

  • For fluent spellers, we introduce creative writing activities such as poetry, advocacy pieces, reflective writing, or stories to deepen expression and strengthen motor planning.

There is a heirachey of boards from larger letters to the 26 letterboard, then the laminate, and if desired they can work on the keyboard.

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 🔴 VAKT (Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, Tactile) - Red
These activities may include:

  • 🎥 Videos
     

  • 🎶 Music
     

  • 👐 Hands-on tasks
     

  • 🚶 Movement-based activities
     

VAKT supports learning through multiple sensory pathways and helps reinforce lesson concepts.

💛 The CRP–Speller Relationship

Even after reaching open communication, a new CRP must always begin at Step 1 with the three boards.
Each partnership has its own rhythm, timing, and trust-building process.

A strong CRP must understand:

  • 👉 When to prompt
     

  • ✋ When to fade prompts
     

  • 😌 How to stay emotionally regulated
     

  • 💬 How to support without influencing
     

A CRP’s emotional state directly affects the speller’s regulation.
A calm, confident, and supportive relationship creates the foundation for successful communication.

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