Use Visuals

When introducing new topics or concepts, use visuals. Sometimes seeing a picture will help the student retrieve the word. Also, if the student can’t retrieve the word, they can point to the picture.

Have a Variety of Alternate Materials Available

When learning materials, it can be helpful to have a wide variety of different of books and other related materials (e.g., YouTube videos) available.  Having information available in different mediums and in different ways can be very beneficial.

Provide Extra Time

Give students extra time to understand the message and some extra time to respond. Extra time will give the student a chance for them to use their strategies to “find” the words they are having troubles retrieving.

Help With Word Retrieval Strategies

After giving the student with an appropriate amount of extra time and if a student needs help using their strategies, you can cue them with the specific strategies that work for them. You can have the student talk with the teacher about which strategies, they would like the teacher to use.

Explicitly Teach New Vocabulary

Include features such as the first sound and how many syllables. If the word contains prefixes, suffixes, or common root words, talk about those too. Word webs are a great tool for teaching new or less familiar vocabulary.

Play Word Games

Play word games with your class. Games like Penguins to Pickles and Scattegories are fun games to play. But games like “What does not belong?,” Name as many [category] as you can, can be fun and effective. You can also try games where you name synonyms, antonyms, etc. for older children.

Word retrieval strategies can be a helpful tool for teachers to help students “find” their words. If you are interested in a handout that explains word-finding difficulties, check out this handout (click here).

Now everyone has incidents of having difficulties finding words when speaking. For some people word retrieval difficulties can cause a significant impact on their lives. Word retrieval plays a vital role in language processing and can predict reading problems. It is estimated that approximately 25% of children diagnosed with language impairments  have word retrieval difficulties. Approximately 50% of children diagnosed with a learning disability had  word-finding difficulties. Children with developmental language disorder (DLD), childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), or children with brain trauma can show word-finding difficulties.

Children with word-finding difficulties give less accurate definitions of object names compared to a control group. When describing objects, these children don’t describe objects in as much detail.  They depend more on what a thing looks like than children without word-finding difficulties. In general, children have problems retrieving words in “sparse neighbourhoods.” Words that children are exposed to, and use often tend to occur in “dense neighbourhoods” and are more easily retrieved.

What does it look like?

The child using definitions to help fill in the word that they can’t find (e.g., “You know that thing you use to lock doors.”). Using an increased amount of non-specific language (e.g. that, this, there, thing, stuff) can be word-finding difficulties.. E.g., “I need that thing over there.” A child using a word that sounds similar to the word they were trying to say, for example, saying blue for glue.
If a child is using more filler words (e.g., um, ah) to “buy time” can indicate word retrieval difficulties. E.g., “Hi, um um ah Jane.” Finally using an increased number of pauses so that they may retrieve the word. E.g., I want … the … red dress.”

What can I do?

Give the student extra time to answer questions. If they are struggling, encourage them to tell you about the word (what does it start with, describe the object or person). Get the child to act it out. Explicitly teach vocabulary related to what they are learning. Re-teach the information more than once. Read/look at books related to topics at school or topics of interest.

If you are interested in a parent/teacher friendly handout click here. Look out for more blog posts on word-finding difficulties.