ELEMENTARY
LANGUAGE INTERVENTION STRATEGIES
FOR TEACHERS
Developed by the MMSD Elementary Area Speech Clusters
December, 2012
Speech-Language Strategies
Expressive Grammar/Sentence Structure
These strategies are intended for students for whom you have
Expressive Grammar concerns. These strategies are beneficial for all
children in supporting their communication skills.
Grammar/Sentence Structure:
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Model- model the correct form of the target; present clear and explicit information about
the error and how to fix it; use comparative examples; show the target
verbally/writing/building sentences
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Provide many opportunities for the children to explore/learn and practice targeto a.) Receptive tasks such as identifying the target from a choice of two or group,
sorting by the common feature, putting it into format “Today I , Yesterday I,
Tomorrow I”; receptive knowledge comes before being able to generate the
target so give opportunities to practice at this level
o b.) Expressive tasks-after hearing a model example can the child generate one of
his/her own- allow and provide many opportunities to practice using different
game like activities, computer based activities
o
To increase complex/compound language- give students a list of “glue words”, have
“glue words” visual, reinforcement the use of these type of sentences in your class by
sharing great examples of sentences during daily activities and what kids did to generate
those examples.
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Make Juicy words or Powerful words part of your instruction
Ways to embed grammar practice into daily practices
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DOL/ Morning message- have kids complete, correct and hand in weekly/biweekly the
DOL so you can use this measure to inform grammar instruction; then provide direct
teaching and practice around the grammar target
Running Records & small group reading instruction- look at the running record to see
any consistent pattern of grammar error; then target that specific error pattern with direct
teaching
Morning Meeting- add some elements of grammar to your morning meetings; have kids
make up sentences using “glue words”, irregulars, some targeted grammar element
Student writing- look at the student’s writing and determine which areas consistently are
in error; provide direct instruction around target
Speech-Language Strategies
Expressive Grammar
These strategies are intended for students for whom you have
Expressive Grammar concerns. These strategies are beneficial for all
children in supporting their communication skills.
Expressive Grammar:
 Model correct production of grammar errors (e.g., him/he)
o Pick a structure the student is having trouble with for you to target.
o Plan an activity where you would use the grammatical target multiple times.
o For example, do a “picture look” where you look through book and talk about
pictures--use the target multiple times.
o Have kids practice and if they make the error just say it correctly and
emphasize the target word.

Use open ended questions
o Example: Instead of saying, “Who hit the ball?”, say “What happened?” This
will get them to practice grammar.

Restate and expand
o Example: Student says, “He cry”; teacher responds “Yes, the boy is crying.
He is sad.”
Speech-Language Strategies
Oral Expression
These strategies are intended for students for whom you have Oral
Expression concerns. These strategies are beneficial for all children in
supporting their communication skills.
Oral Expression:

Allow students multiple opportunities to say the same thing to different people.
o
For example: In first grade, students might share something they did on the
weekend. In content areas, the students might share the title of a book they liked and
why they liked it, the type of land form they think is most interesting, or a science
vocabulary word and what it means.
o
As students develop skills you can change the task so that the student shares a
different thought with each partner. This can be used at multiple levels.
Some formats for giving kids multiple opportunities to share:
 The Morning Meeting Activity Inside Outside Circle.
The students form two circles, one inside the other, and turn to face each other. Then the circles
move in opposite directions so that each child has a new partner every time.
 Clock Partners
Students fill in partners at each hour of a clock face. Then they can meet with several partners
(eg, today you are going to share with your 3, 6, 9 and 12 o'clock partners.

Share routines with a single partner (who might switch). For example, share with the turn and
talk partners used in literacy.
Switching partners is a good way for students to practice expressing their ideas and it also gives
them ideas to expand their repertoire of ideas and solidify learning.
Speech-Language Strategies
Oral Expression
These strategies are intended for students for whom you have Oral
Expression concerns. These strategies are beneficial for all children in
supporting their communication skills.
Oral Expression:
 Assist student answers to questions in a large or small group setting.
o Give sufficient time for the student to answer by:
- Forewarning the student. For example, “Johnny, I’ll call on you
after Bobby.”
- Allow the student to say “Pass” and come back to them later
o Offer multiple or dual choices in your question. For example, “Johnny do you
think the monster looks scary or friendly?”
o Provide appropriate response patterns before calling on the student. For
example use a round robin or circle approach by going around a circle of
students and have all provide answers. Start so that the targeted student has
plenty of models to listen to first.
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Use modeling and expansion to facilitate oral language development by repeating
what the student says and adding a few more words or an extra idea.
For example, the student says, “ Me go.” You say, “Right! You are going.
You are going to gym.” Another example would be, the student says, “We
went to the store.” You say, “Oh! You went to the store and I bet you bought
lots of things – lots of exciting things!”
 Directly facilitate expansion of the student’s own utterances through verbal or
visual prompts or by scaffolding and probing.
o A verbal prompt could be a directive, such as “Tell me more.” Or “Tell me
more about the store you went to.”
o A visual prompt could be to gesture for a longer sentence.
o A conjunction can be used to prompt a longer response.
For example:
- John: We went to the store.
- Teacher: Yes, you went to the store and ____” (or “and you bought ___”)
o Questions may be used to scaffold.
For example, the student says, “ Me go.” You ask, “Where are we going?”
Or
- John: We went to the store.
- Teacher: Which store did you go to? What did you buy?
- John: Wal-Mart. We bought toys.
- Teacher: So you went to Wal-Mart and bought toys. Try saying the whole
thing?
- John: We went to Wal-Mart and bought toys.
Speech-Language Strategies
Academic Vocabulary
These strategies are intended for students for whom you have Academic
Vocabulary concerns. These strategies are beneficial for all children in
supporting their communication skills.
Academic Vocabulary:
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Make a list of key vocabulary for a particular unit. Narrow that list down to 3-5 words to
focus intervention on.
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Use Inspiration software or Google Images to pair word with visual. Put list of key words
with visual and definition on up on wall in classroom.
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Use graphic organizers to discuss word relationships between target words and other
words (i.e., synonyms, antonyms, etc).
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Have any visuals or graphic organizers put into notebook/thinking log for later
review/support.
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Make modifications to writing activities such as using fill-in-the-blank activities or letting
students type on computer (Idea here is that the point of the activity should be
vocabulary learning, not writing if writing is hindering learning at this point.)
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Take time 1-2 times per week to check-in with student regarding progress. Have
student put vocabulary word into an oral sentence to check for understanding. (This is a
good time for data keeping.)
Speech-Language Strategies
Academic Vocabulary
These strategies are intended for students for whom you have Academic
Vocabulary concerns. These strategies are beneficial for all children in
supporting their communication skills.
Academic Vocabulary:
 Provide a core vocabulary list to all students.
o Create anchor charts listing vocabulary, definitions, and providing pictures (if
possible). Allows kids to see a visual when writing or during discussions.
o Personal dictionaries for students to create themselves: write the word, write
a description, draw a picture
o Send a list home to parents
o Provide list to all people student interacts with (interventionists)
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Decrease the number of required vocabulary
o Meet with regular or CC teacher and determine what the big concepts are and
what we want students to learn
o Choose a handful of most important vocabulary that the students should take
away from the unit
o Student participation in adapted activities within regular environment
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Providing visuals
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Provide visuals or hands-on tools to demonstrate vocabulary
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Create flashcards (written/picture) for key vocabulary
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Keep a word wall in the classroom for important vocabulary (also anchor charts)
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Have students draw pictures for the vocabulary
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Have student fill out a word map or other graphic organizer to integrate
knowledge.