Halloween is a special time of year full of costumes, spooky decorations, and trick-or-treating. It’s also the perfect opportunity to expand the vocabulary of individuals using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). While core words are important for everyday communication, fringe words can help AAC users explore specific themes, like Halloween, and engage with the world around them in a meaningful way.
In this blog, we’ll dive into some essential Halloween-themed fringe words and suggest activities that can help AAC users practice these words while having fun.
What Are Fringe Words?
Fringe words are topic-specific words that add variety and richness to a person’s vocabulary. Unlike core words (which are versatile and frequently used), fringe words are more unique and tied to specific themes or contexts, like Halloween.
For example, words like “pumpkin,” “ghost,” and “costume” are fringe words you might only use around Halloween. Using fringe words during themed activities can make communication more engaging and fun!
Halloween-Themed Fringe Words to Focus On
Here are some important fringe words to introduce during Halloween. These words will help AAC users talk about Halloween-specific activities, objects, and experiences:
Pumpkin
Ghost
Witch
Costume
Sweets
Bat
Spider
Skeleton
Scary
Trick
Treat
Monster
Haunted
Mask
Broom
Vampire
These fringe words offer a great opportunity to expand communication around the sights and sounds of Halloween.
Fun Activities to Target Halloween Fringe Words
Now, let’s look at some fun and engaging Halloween activities that will help target these fringe words in an enjoyable, natural way.
1. Pumpkin Decorating
Whether you’re carving pumpkins or decorating them with stickers, this classic Halloween activity is full of fringe word opportunities.
Fringe Words: "Pumpkin," "scary," "spider," "skeleton,"
Activity Ideas:
Talk about the pumpkin while choosing one or decorating it.
Ask if the face should be scary or funny.
Use spider and skeleton stickers or cutouts to decorate the pumpkin.
2. Trick-or-Treating
Whether trick-or-treating at houses or setting up an indoor activity, this is a great way to use Halloween fringe words.
Fringe Words: "Trick," "treat," "sweets," "ghost," "witch," "vampire," "mask," "scary"
Activity Ideas:
At each house, the AAC user can choose to say “trick” or “treat.”
Talk about the sweets they receive, using words like “yummy” or “favorite.”
Identify costumes like a ghost, witch, or vampire when seeing other trick-or-treaters.
Use the word mask when putting on or taking off a Halloween mask.
Describe decorations or costumes as scary or funny.
3. Halloween Costume Dress-Up
Dressing up is one of the most exciting parts of Halloween. It’s also a great opportunity to learn new fringe words tied to costumes and Halloween characters.
Fringe Words: "Costume," "witch," "bat," "vampire," "monster," "ghost," "mask," "broom"
Activity Ideas:
Talk about the costume they’re wearing and describe what it represents (a witch, vampire, or ghost).
Practice saying "I’m a witch" or "I’m a monster" while role-playing.
Use words like mask when putting on a face covering or a broom for a witch’s prop.
Spot other costumes while trick-or-treating or during a Halloween party.
4. Halloween Sensory Play
Halloween sensory bins or activities are fun, tactile ways to explore fringe words while engaging different senses.
Fringe Words: "Spider," "bat," "skeleton," "monster," "pumpkin," "sweets," "ghost"
Activity Ideas:
Create a sensory bin with plastic spiders, toy bats, and mini skeletons for the AAC user to explore.
Place small pumpkins in the bin for them to feel.
Hide toy ghosts or monsters in the bin for a fun seek-and-find game.
Add fake sweets to represent trick-or-treat items.
5. Halloween Story Time
Reading or telling Halloween-themed stories is a great way to introduce new fringe words in a relaxed setting.
Fringe Words: "Ghost," "witch," "monster," "scary," "haunted," "vampire"
Activity Ideas:
Read a Halloween-themed book and use the AAC device to point out words like ghost, witch, or monster.
Describe the story using words like scary or haunted.
Encourage the AAC user to identify characters like a vampire in the story or pictures.
Make up your own spooky story using Halloween fringe words!
6. Halloween Arts and Crafts
Crafting spooky decorations or Halloween-themed art projects can help AAC users practice fringe words while being creative.
Fringe Words: "Pumpkin," "ghost," "witch," "broom," "bat," "spider,"
Activity Ideas:
Make paper pumpkins, draw a witch riding a broom, or create hanging bats.
Encourage the AAC user to use their device to describe what they’re making.
Create a spider web out of cotton or yarn and place toy spiders in it.
Cut out jack-o’-lanterns from paper and decorate them with stickers or crayons.
7. Halloween Movie Night
Watching a Halloween movie can spark discussions and help AAC users practice their fringe words.
Fringe Words: "Ghost," "witch," "scary," "monster," "skeleton," "bat"
Activity Ideas:
Watch a family-friendly Halloween movie and point out characters like the ghost, witch, or monster.
Discuss if the movie is scary or funny.
Spot bats flying in the background or skeletons dancing in the scenes.
Use AAC to describe favorite parts of the movie.
Why Focus on Fringe Words?
Fringe words help AAC users expand their vocabulary beyond core words, allowing them to communicate about specific activities, events, and interests like Halloween. Introducing these words during fun, hands-on activities makes communication more meaningful and relevant to the user.
Using fringe words also:
Encourages participation: AAC users can more actively join in on Halloween conversations and activities.
Expands knowledge: Learning new words helps users express themselves more precisely in different situations.
Increases engagement: Tying words to enjoyable experiences helps AAC users feel more connected to the activities around them.
Tips for Success
Model frequently: Demonstrate how to use fringe words during the activity by using the AAC device yourself. For example, say “Look at the pumpkin!” and select the word on the AAC device.
Make it interactive: Ask questions like “What’s on the door? A skeleton or a bat?” to encourage the user to interact with the words.
Have fun! Halloween is a time for creativity and fun, so make sure the activities are enjoyable and pressure-free.
Incorporate core words too: Combine fringe words with core words to create more complete sentences. For example, "I like the ghost" or "More sweets, please!"
Read more of our helpful AAC blog posts.
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