Question 9 - Model Answers

Explain two specific areas of syntax and/or semantics one must consider when adapting language for students who read at an 8th, 6th or 3rd grade reading level. You may use specific examples from the speech definition activity.

Model Answers:

1. When adapting language for students at different levels sentence structure (syntax) must be taken into account. Lower level students need a simpler sentence structure while higher level students are capable of writing/reading a more complex sentence structure. Word length/ definition (semantics) must also be taken into account. Lower level studnets cannot comprehend words such as "articulation," "resonation," "pharynx," etc. However higher level readers are capable of comprehending or at least using context clues to figure out the meanting of the owrd or sentence.