Let's Talk: Word Finding

"It's on the tip of my tongue!"  "Oh, what's the word...!"  We all know that feeling.  You know there is a perfect word for what you want to say.  It is a word you have used a multitude of times - and appropriately, too.  You might remember what sound it starts with.  But at this precise moment for some reason you cannot dig it out of your brain to send to your mouth to be spoken. So you end up talking around it; describing/defining the word or using a less precise word to continue your conversation.  It happens to all of us.

But for children (and adults) with language disorders, word finding (also referred to as word retrieval) issues are much more than an occasional nuisance.  Word finding problems have a significant impact on their ability to communicate and use language.  They can seem immature for their age or less knowledgeable because they are reduced to using simpler, vague, and even inaccurate words.  In school, it might appear that they don't know the answers to questions when they really do, they just can't find the words to verbalize their answer on the spot.  At times, they may talk in circles trying to convey their message which results in a very confused communication partner.

Word finding abilities can be described in terms of rate and accuracy.  A typical person's word finding is quick and accurate, meaning the words flow easily and instantaneously (with the odd brain freeze here and there).  A child with a word finding impairment can fall into one of three categories:

• slow and accurate = takes them 4 seconds or longer, but they pull out the correct word
• slow and inaccurate = they spend 4 seconds or longer to get the word, but it is the wrong word
• fast and inaccurate = say the word in less than 4 seconds, and it is the wrong word

Additionally, the child might exhibit secondary characteristics, such as facial grimaces, tapping their finger, or using fillers (e.g. uh, um, like).  The key to it being a word finding issue, and not, say, one of vocabulary development, is that these are words that they know.  In another conversation they can use that same word easily.  The words (and their meaning) are locked away in their brain, they just aren't filed well.  And apparently lack cross referencing.

So - what can we do to help?  Playing word games can help make stronger connections in the brain.  And more pathways to find words (more quickly and consistently) when they are needed.

• Picture Naming:  Make up flashcards of pictures (common objects, numbers, letters, and/or colors that your child already knows).  Go through them and have your child name them as quickly as he/she can.  You can make a game out of it by timing them to see how long it takes to name 10 in a row; then challenge them to beat their time.
• Rhyming:  Play rhyming games.  How many words can you think of that rhyme with 'cat'?  Give me a word that rhymes with ___.
• Word Completion tasks:  Give your child phrases or sentences with the last word left out and have him/her fill it in (with a word that makes sense).  "peanut butter and ___"  "I ride to school on the ___."
• Synonyms:  You give your child a word and he/she says a word that means the same thing.  What is another word for big?
• Antonyms:  You give your child a word and he/she must say a word that means the opposite.  The opposite of up is...
• Riddles
• You give the definition (or description) and your child must say the word.  This is a piece of furniture that has four legs and a flat top and we sit at it to eat dinner.
• Categories:  Name 5 musical instruments.  Tell me all the colors you can think of.  What group do these all belong to:  apple, banana, kiwi, cherry?
• Associations:  What things go with a house?  Tell me all the things you need to paint a picture.
• Definitions:  Tell me what the word "lake" means?
• Describe:  Give your child a word and have him/her describe/tell you as many things as they can (type of thing, sound it starts with, looks like, sound it ends with, what it is used for, sounds like, how big, shape, color, tastes like, smells like, how many beats in the word, where you keep/find it, goes with, rhymes with, is made of, who uses it, when do you use it)

Games

Any word-based game can be helpful.  Here are a couple of ideas (affiliate links):

HedBanz Game - Edition may vary

Spot It

Educational Insights Blurt!

Word On The Street Junior - The Wacky Tug Of Words

Apples to Apples Junior - The Game of Crazy Combinations!

Synonyms- The Word Game That Gets Your Mind Racing!

Name That Word

Apps

There are many "flashcard" type apps that you could use for "name that picture".  Here are some apps more specifically targeted to word finding that might be helpful (affiliate links):

Word Retrieval - Virtual Speech Center Inc. (iPad)

Naming TherAppy - Tactus Therapy Solutions Ltd. (iPad)  (Also available for iPhone, Google Play, Amazon Apps)

iName it - Smarty Ears (iPad)

Talk Around It USA Home - Neuro Hero Limited (iPad)  (Also available for iPhone, Google Play, Amazon Apps)

Let's Name Things Fun Deck - Super Duper Publications (iPad)  (Also available for iPhone, Google Play, Amazon Apps)

Name That Category Fun Deck - Super Duper Publications (iPad)  (Also available for iPhone, Google Play, Amazon Apps)

Opposites Fun Deck - Super Duper Publications (iPad)  (Also available for Google Play, Amazon Apps)

 

 

Have you found other games, apps, or activities that help improve word finding skills?  Please share!