Communication without words can be extremely challenging for people who rely heavily on speech. Have students choose phrases and words that are most important to them and create their own communication board. Have students try to communicate with partners/groups using only their completed boards. Supply students with a list of possible questions to ask one another; word some of them as yes/no and some that would be tricky to answer.
A few possible questions might be:
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Student Instructions
Create a communication storyboard with phrases and words that are most important to you.
Encourage students to reflect on the challenges of nonverbal communication. Facilitate a class discussion by asking students to share their experiences using the communication boards and how it felt to rely solely on them. This helps build empathy and a deeper understanding of diverse communication needs.
Demonstrate how to use a communication board by acting out a simple conversation with a student or co-teacher. Show how to select phrases, respond to questions, and express feelings. This gives students a clear example before they try on their own.
Pair students and have them use each other's boards to communicate. Encourage constructive feedback about what was easy or difficult. This activity promotes collaboration and helps improve each board’s effectiveness.
Ask students to write a brief journal entry about their experience using the communication board. Prompt them to consider what they learned about communication and how it might feel to rely on alternative methods. This reinforces self-awareness and empathy.
A communication board activity for middle school students is an exercise where students select important phrases and words, create a personalized board, and use it to communicate with others—helping them experience communication without spoken words.
To create a communication board, have students pick 9 key phrases or words, enter them into a template (one per cell), and add simple illustrations for each. This encourages students to think about what matters most to communicate.
Effective phrases for a student communication board might include: “How are you?”, “I need help”, “I’m tired”, “I have a question”, “Can we work together?”, “Yes”, “No”, “Thank you”, and “What do you want to do today?”
Using a communication board helps students empathize with characters like Melody in Out of My Mind and understand the challenges of non-verbal communication, promoting inclusion and awareness in the classroom.
Make activities engaging by letting students personalize their boards, use creative illustrations, work in groups or pairs, and try answering both simple and tricky questions using only their boards.