Listening Comprehension
In speech-language class we use a variety of different methods to improve your child's inferencing skills. The programs called Visualizing and Verbalizing and Story Grammar Marker are two programs that we use.
Visualizing and Verbalizing
The Visualizing and Verbalizing for Language Comprehension and Thinking® (V/V®) program, created by Nanci Bell, helps struggling readers develop the sensory-cognitive function of concept imagery. Unlike most reading and comprehension programs, V/V instruction directly applies concept imagery to the comprehension and expression of both oral and written language, as well as the development of critical thinking skills, Students in the V/V program move through a series of steps to learn the process for creating an imaged gestalt, then integrating that imagery with language to strengthen their comprehension and critical thinking.
MindWing Story Grammar
What makes MindWing's methodology so unique and child-friendly are MindWing's visual, kinesthetic, tactile tools which are comprised of a series of patented icons that are colorful and meaningful. MindWing's tools are three dimensional, non-linguistic representations of narrative and expository structures. Children can see, touch and move these icons to cue them for the "Wh" questions about stories and help them to recognize text structures in content area selections. First, these icons represent the essential components of a complete story episode which are: Character, Setting, Initiating Event (Kick-Off), Internal Response (feelings/emotions), Plan, Attempts, Direct Consequence(s) and Resolution. MindWing's Language/Literacy Developmental Checklist assists educators in assessing and providing intervention for children's narrative development. Next, MindWing's icons also serve as visual, kinesthetic cues for expository text structures found in content areas such as science and social studies. These expository structures are: description, listing, sequencing, cause/effect, problem/solution, compare/contrast, persuasion. (See MindWing's patented icons below for narrative developmental sequence, narrative structure and expository text structures.)
Mystery Doug is a weekly video series for teachers based entirely on questions that real students ask. Every week Doug answers a new questions and students have the opportunity to vote on the next video and even submit their own question! The videos are great for listening comprehension skills such as main idea, details, sequencing, wh- questions and inferencing.
