How to Start Using Core Vocabulary with Confidence in Everyday Life
AAC core words are a small group of powerful words children can use throughout their entire day to communicate wants, needs, ideas, and feelings. But when you’re first learning about AAC, it can be difficult to know how to actually start using core words with your child.
As an early intervention teacher and the creator of First Words Dance Party®, I’ve worked with many families who are excited to support their child’s communication but feel overwhelmed by where to begin.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through what AAC core words are, why they matter, and how to start modeling core vocabulary during everyday moments like playtime, meals, music, and daily routines.
AAC core words are a small set of high-frequency words that make up the majority of what we say every day. These words help children communicate across many different situations and functions, including requesting, protesting, commenting, and interacting with others.
Words like go, more, help, want, and stop may seem simple, but they are incredibly powerful because they can be used all day long.
For example:
Go → “go outside,” “let's go,” “go to sleep”
More → “more snack,” “more bubbles,” “I want more”
Help → asking for support during play, meals, or routines
Core words give children flexible language they can use throughout everyday routines and interactions. You may also hear AAC core words called:
Core vocabulary
Core vocab
Core language
Because core words are used so frequently, they are often one of the first places parents and therapists begin when introducing AAC.
AAC core words are the kinds of functional, powerful words that help children get their needs met.
These are the words that allow a child to request, protest, ask for help, take turns, and participate more actively with the people around them. Words like go, more, help, want, and stop might seem simple, but they open the door to functional language.
Whether a child is using AAC or not, core words are often the first words that teachers and speech-language pathologists focus on. This is because they can be used across so many different situations and for many different communicative functions.
And for children with speech delays, these words often become the building blocks for combining words together.
When you’re first getting started with AAC, it can feel overwhelming. Suddenly, you’re in charge of teaching your child a whole new language when you’re still trying to find the words on the page yourself.
It’s completely normal to feel unsure about what to model, when to model it, or whether you’re doing it “right.”
The good news is, you don’t need to model every word or use a communication system perfectly to do the job well.
Starting with a small set of AAC core words gives you a simple, manageable place to begin that builds confidence for both you and your child.
Choose a small set of words you can use throughout your day, like stop and go. Starting small will help you to provide more consistent modeling.
Snack time, play, bath time, and getting ready to go outside are all natural opportunities to model language on your child’s device or core board.
Say the word while pointing to it on your child's device or core board. You’re showing your child how to use it without expecting them to copy you.
Make sure your child’s device goes wherever they go. Or, print multiple copies of core boards so you have them around the house, the car, in your child’s backpack, etc. The more your child hears and sees the same words used in different situations, the more meaningful they become.
Songs make it easier to repeat core words in a way that feels fun, predictable, and engaging. You can use your printable AAC symbols from the Top 10 Core Words for AAC Starter Pack to model on big, individual symbols, too!
Songs for core vocab from the very first beat
One of the easiest and most natural ways to start modeling AAC core words is through music.
When you pair music with simple modeling, like pointing to a word in the lyrics on a core board or AAC device, you’re giving your child clear, meaningful examples of how to communicate.
This is exactly why I created First Words Dance Party®. As an early intervention teacher, I write every song with speech and language goals in mind.
Every song is written to model functional core language, so when you’re singing in the car or the living room, you’re naturally targeting the words your child needs most, but isn’t saying yet:
“The Cookie Song” targets the words yes, no, eat, please, and I
“On and Off” (you guessed it!) highlights on, off, all done, turn, put, it
“What I Want” targets I, want, on, go, open, eat, and please
“Open” focuses on I, need, help, open, and please
It will easily be the funnest activity for speech therapy you’ve tried yet!
If you’re ready to try this at home, the AAC Coreboard Starter Set is a simple, low-tech way to begin modeling core words right away. It’s designed with beginners in mind, using a leveled system so you can start with just a few core words and gradually build from there. There’s absolutely no experience needed. Instead, you can begin small, build confidence, and move to the next level when you’re ready.
This coreboard starter set is just the beginning! Grab my FREE Top 10 Core Words for AAC Starter Pack. It includes printable visuals, a must-know song list for core vocab, and extension ideas designed to pair perfectly with these core boards to send you confidently on your way.
If you want to go deeper into how to encourage language with core boards and AAC, these guides will help:
What are Core Words? How Simple but Powerful Words Actually Spark New Growth
Why Fringe Vocab Matters More Than You Think (It May Surprise You)
How to Leverage the Joyful Nature of Music to Easily Teach Core Vocab
How to Feel Good Using an AAC Core Board (No Experience Needed)
How Core Board AAC Transforms Communication into Something Surprisingly Easy
Core Boards AAC for Beginners: How to Use Music for Quick, Powerful Wins
AAC core words are a small set of high-frequency, flexible words that make up a large portion of what we say every day. Core words are also referred to as core vocab or core vocabulary for AAC..
Yes! Core words are often one of the first types of words targeted by speech-language pathologists and early intervention teachers.
Because core words are used so frequently, they help children understand language, participate in interactions, and eventually combine words together into phrases.
Core vocabulary words are flexible, high-frequency words used across many situations, while fringe vocabulary words are more specific. They are tied to particular items or activities.
For example, fringe words are things like birthday cake, presents, and candles. Core words are things like eat, open, and like. Both are very important, but core words provide the foundation to comment, request, greet, protest, and so much more.
Nope! You don’t need an expensive AAC device to start teaching core vocabulary. Many families begin with affordable, low-tech options like a printed core board.
No. Research clearly shows that not only does AAC support spoken language, but it actually can promote it!