Interrupting Chicken:
Developing Pragmatics through Literature
Lindsay Hanna, M.S., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert AVT
Darcy L. Stowe, M.S., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert AVT
Pragmatics is…
• Using language for different purposes:
Do chickens have lips?
Pragmatic Development
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greeting
informing
demanding
promising
requesting
• Changing language according to the needs of a listener or situation
• Following rules for conversations and storytelling
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Taking turns in conversation
Introducing topics
Staying on topic
Rephrasing when misunderstood
How to use verbal and non-verbal cues
Personal space
Facial expressions and eye contact
(ASHA)
Pragmatic Development
1’s
2’s
AG Bell 2014
•Requests objects by pointing and vocalizing or possibly using a word
approximation
•Solicits another’s attention vocally, physically, and possibly with a
word (Mommy)
•Says “bye” and possibly a few other conversational ritual words such
as “hi”, “thank you,” and “please”
•Acknowledges speech of another by giving eye contact, vocally
responding, or repeating a word said
•Teases, scolds, warns using gesture plus a vocalization or word
approximation
•Uses single words or short phrases to express intentions
•Takes multiple turns in a verbal interactions
•Engages in short dialogues
•Verbally introduces and changes topic of discussion
•Expresses emotion
•Begins using language in imaginative ways
•Begins providing descriptive details to facilitate comprehension
•Uses attention-getting words such as “hey”
•Clarifies and requests clarification
Pragmatic Development
3’s
4’s
•Engages in longer dialogues
•Assumes the role of another person in play
•Uses more fillers to acknowledge partner’s message (un-huh, yeah,
OK)
•Begins code switching (using simpler language) when talking to
very young children
•Requests permission
•Begins using language for fantasies, jokes, teasing
•Makes conversational repairs when listener has not understood
•Corrects others
•Uses indirect requests
•Uses twice as many effective utterances as 3-year old to discuss
emotions and feelings
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Interrupting Chicken
Long, long ago when
chickens had teeth…
• Developing a Listening Posture
– Quiet mouth
– Listening ears
– Still body
– Eye contact
(aka Once upon a time)
• Decreasing Interruptions
– Defining vocabulary
– Turn-taking
Story Grammar Components
• Maintaining Topic
Story Grammar Development
Story Grammar Development
1’s
2’s
• Labels familiar pictures such as characters and
setting
• Identifies conflict (i.e. “Boy sad. Ball gone.”)
• Recognizes favorite book by the cover
• Comments on storylines, conflicts, and characters
• Connects stories to his or her life
Characters
Answers the question:
Who?
AG Bell 2014
3’s
4’s
• Understands beginning and ending
• Uses phrases from favorite stories to create their own
stories
• Uses memories of stories to anticipate what they will
hear or experience
• Narratives:
• Personal Experience & Simple Fictional
• Uses setting, initiating event, response, conclusion
• Begins to include problems/goals
• Differs between boys and girls
• Masters book level concepts of print (cover, title, author,
and illustrator)
Setting
Answers the question:
Where?
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Time
Conflict
Answers the question:
When?
Answers the question:
What happened?
Resolution
Emotions
Answers the question:
What solved the problem?
Answers to questions:
How?
Theory of Mind Development
Hatch an Idea
Theory of Mind
AG Bell 2014
2’s
3’s
4’s
• Connects stories to his or her life
• Language: Uses simple mental verbs & words
to indicate time
• Early Theory of Mind: people have thoughts
• Language: adjectives, pronouns, verbs to
express thoughts
• Theory of Mind: understands that people will
hold beliefs other than their own
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Interrupting Chicken
• Perspective: Papa vs. Little Red Chicken
– Dialogue
• Number of speakers
• Gender, age, etc.
• Voices
– Attitudes and feelings
Why did the chicken cross
the road?
• Prediction
• Problem-solving
Not everything it’s
cracked up to be!
Inferencing
Interrupting Chicken
Multiple
Meaning
Words
Idioms
Idioms/Multiple Meaning Words
Chicken
Papa
Dated
Scratching Out a Living
Like Father Like Son
Mother Hen
Don’t Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch
Fussing Like an Old Hen
Hen Cackle
Hen-pecked
Flew the Coop
Conversational Competency
Struttin’ Your Stuff
Conversational Competency
AG Bell 2014
• An important goal of Auditory-Verbal Therapy
is developing conversational competency.
• Conversational competency is highly influenced
by the conversational interactions adults have
with children.
• Through Auditory-Verbal practice, children and
their families learn techniques and strategies to
develop exceptional conversational skills
involving social, cognition and higher order
language, reasoning and thinking skills.
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Strategies to Facilitate Advanced
Language and Higher Order Thinking
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What if…
If I were…
I wonder…
What could happen…
What do you think…
When I grow up…
When I was…
I think…
Have you ever…
How do you…
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One time…
You won’t believe…
This reminds me…
Bet you can’t guess…
Remember…
This is like…
What do you see…
Where could he be…
When you…
Maybe your mommy
knows…
Chicken Scratch
Interrupting Chicken Resources
Feet-n-feathers
• http://happyteacherhappykids.com/wpcontent/uploads/2013/08/InterruptingChicken-Activities-Final-Copy.pdf
• http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Produc
t/Interrupting-Chicken-688210
• http://www.islma.org/pdf/monarch/Interrupti
n%20Chicken.pdf
Children’s Literature Emphasizing
ToM and Pragmatic Development
Additional Children’s Literature
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Miss Nelson is Missing by Allard Jr.
No Jumping on the Bed by Arnold
I Love You Blue Kangaroo by Clark
My Mouth is a Volcano by Cook
Seven Silly Eaters by Hoberman
Frog and Toad by Lobel
Suddenly by McNaughton
AG Bell 2014
Additional Children’s Literature
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Amelia Bedelia by Parish
Good Night Gorilla by Rathmann
If You Hopped Like a Frog by Schwartz
The True Story of 3 Little Pigs by Scieszka
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good,
Very Bad Day by Viorst
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Bibliography
• Eliot, L. 1999, What’s Going On In There? How the Brain and Mind
Develop in the First Five Years of Life, Bantam Books, N.Y., N.Y.
• Foster, E. (2006). Retrieved March 30, 2012, from www.writingworld.com/children/stages.shtml
• McLaughlin, S. 1998, Introduction to Language Development, First
Edition, Singular Press, San Diego, CA
• Owens Jr., R. E. 1996, Language Development: An Introduction,
Fourth Edition, Allyn and Bacon, Needham Heights, MA
• Phillips, L. (2008). A Canadian Language and Literacy Research
Network Handbook. Retrieved March 30, 2012, from
http://www.theroadmap.ualberta.ca/home.
• Social Language Use (Pragmatics). Retrieved May 2014 from
http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/Pragmatics.
• Stein, David Ezra. Interrupting Chicken. Somerville, MA: Candlewick,
2010. Print.
AG Bell 2014
Hearts for Hearing
(405) 548-4300
www.heartsforhearing.org
[email protected]
[email protected]
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