Specialist expertise in communication and assistive technology
Page last updated: 11 July 2008

Boardmaker

Symbol Topic Boards

This is a set of boards, each with 8 symbol locations, and each filled with core vocabulary relating to common themes and topics. You can download each board individually or as a whole set. Print out in colour on A4 paper, landscape. Print two or several copies of each board if you want to have cut-out cards for matching games and other activities. Laminate your boards and cards.

Display or store the boards and cards in the same place as the other objects, toys and materials relating to that topic, so that everything is quickly to hand when you start to work on that topic. For example, mount the colour-choice board on the wall beside the painting table; farm animal cards in a zip bag in beside the farm animals set.

The idea is that children with poor communication can point to picture symbols to participate actively in games, class activities, discussions, and classwork, and use a wider vocabulary, instead of sitting watching passively, or answering only ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ questions.

Ideas for Using Topic Boards

Day and night Topic Board

  • Basic vocabulary
  • Sorting activities
    • Which might you see at night? which might you see during the day?
    • who sleeps at night? etc.

Animals (farm, zoo animals and pets) Topic Boards

  • Children choose the animals to sing about during music or group time, for example choosing the chicken in “Old Mc Donald”
  • Children report back on a visit to the farm, pet shop or zoo. “I saw - “ and “I liked -”
  • Children identify the animals from a verbal description, for example “It’s furry, it purrs“
  • Children describe animals for their classmates to guess, using a colour topic board eg. “I(t’s) white“
  • Children identify the animals through the noise that each makes
  • Children identify animals that are partly hidden by a cloth (progressively inched off so they can see more and more of the toy)
  • Children identify animals in a shoe bag, by feel alone
  • On the Pets topic board, there are a few unusual pets that could lead into discussion of ‘pets that members of my family have’ and what ‘pets I’ve never seen before’.

House/ home

A range of the different parts of the house, so children can use the board to talk about the rooms that are in their house, or what furniture/activity goes on in each room.

  • Basic vocabulary specific to each room, for matching and guessing games
  • Children identify room from a verbal description example ‘where do we eat?’
  • Playing a guessing games ‘What room am I thinking about?’ I sit down, I turn on the TV...”

Weather

  • Children identify the weather for morning circle time, and at playtimes to indicate what clothes need to be worn
  • Using clothes Topic Board and/or cards as well, match particular weather to particular clothes that would be worn
  • Act out a sensation and get children to identify the weather that might cause it (eg panting, wiping face, taking off jumper etc. - “sunny’ or ‘hot’).

Transport

  • Basic vocabulary - matching with toys, pictures, storybook pictures etc. vocabulary board
  • Categorising - things that go in the sky, things that go in the sea, things that go on the road, etc. (eg competitive games with a pair or small group - ‘who can find three things that go in the sea?’.

Our local area

This really is just an example as you would need to personalise a board to suit your own local area. This general board might be useful for “What’s this? Is there a ______?” in our area? or “Did we see a _____ on our walk?”.

Lotto Boards for Games

This is a set of Lotto boards that have 9 symbol locations. Each board contains basic vocabulary relating to a theme, for example, food or weather. Each board prints out in colour and in portrait setting.

To make a Lotto game, print out two copies and cut up one set of pictures. For a ‘pairs’ game, both copies need to be cut up. It’s a good idea to laminate or print the board onto card and then cover it with plastic book covering.

You can store the games in plastic zip bags. Remember to label the bag so you know which one is which. The games can be used for matching activities and to develop vocabulary through saying or signing the word.

Important explanatory notes for users of Windows Boardmaker v5.0.

Full set

Christmas

Clothes

Colours

Drinks

Farm Animals

Food

Fruit

Garden

Houses

Parts of the Body

Places

School

Transport

Vegetables

Weather

Zoo Animals