About this activity
Eight short conversational turns written for how teenagers actually talk: What's up? Same here. That's rough. I'm good, thanks. Wait — say that again. Hold on, I'm still typing. For real? I'll catch you later. Nothing here is a request. That is the point — most AAC vocabulary is built around getting things, and adolescents mostly need to hang out.
How to use it in a session
Speed is the skill. Run these as fast turns rather than as sentences to be built correctly, and reward a fast Same here over a slow well-formed comment. Hold on, I'm still typing is the most useful card in the set and deserves its own practice: it buys the student the time everything else needs. Pair the board with a real peer conversation if you can — the phrases only prove themselves against someone who talks at full speed.
What to listen for
Watch for the student staying in the conversation rather than answering questions in it. A turn like For real? keeps the other person going, which is what a peer conversation runs on; answering a question and stopping does not. Notice how long the student's turns take and whether the peer waits. Progress is usually measured in the peer's behaviour as much as the student's.
Carrying it home
Siblings and cousins are better practice partners than adults here, because they will not slow down politely. Ask the family to let a group chat happen without editing it, and to take a short reply as a real reply.
Questions
- These are very informal. Is that intentional?
- Yes. A device stocked only with polite complete sentences marks a teenager as different in exactly the setting where they least want to be. Register is part of the vocabulary.
- Do I need an account?
- No, it plays free with no login. Signing in only adds assignment and goal tracking.
- How do I fit this to a goal?
- Most fit under conversational turn-taking or social communication rather than requesting. Count maintained turns, not correct sentences.