Symbols with speech - dictionary

The dictionary was created by speech pathologists Gréta Pálsdóttir and Stella Hermannsdóttir in Garðabær in the years 2010–2013. The idea was that children of foreign origin would receive it when they started kindergarten. The special education directors of the kindergartens in Garðabær assisted in selecting words that were considered most important for a kindergarten child to have at the beginning. There are about 110 words in the first package and each child collects the dictionary at their own pace.

Each page has a word in Icelandic, a picture and a symbol (TMT) and space for the word in the child's native language. The intention is that parents will be involved in choosing a word for the child and write the word in their native language on a loose note that is placed in the plastic pocket of the page. Some parents also use the book for Icelandic learning.

One of the preschool staff is the designated contact person for the child and is responsible for the dictionary. He or she works with the parents to ensure that it is updated regularly, is always accessible to the child, and is used daily with the child in the preschool. Children often take the book home on weekends, some even daily. The best results are achieved when the book is held high as a resource for the child and is used daily.

1. It is recommended to print the entire package from the internet in landscape, on one side of the page, cut into two A5 pages and place in plastic pockets, one page in each pocket. This is done so that the books can be reused when children no longer need them.
2. The preschool stores the packets and inserts pages into the folders in collaboration with parents. Often, they start with 10–15 words and then gradually add to the folder.
3. In each plastic pocket, place (not glued) a note with the word in the child's language, spelled correctly in the respective language and also with pronunciation, if people wish.
4. The family contact person and the parents meet regularly and add words to the folder. The parents are responsible for contributing the words in their own language and the contact person records how the word sounds to the Icelander's ears.
5. The contact person marks on the attached list which words the child receives in the folder each time.
6. Parents are expected to place pictures of themselves, siblings, grandparents, and home on appropriate pages in the folder. Of course, these pages are not returned to the preschool when the folder is returned!
7. The folder goes between home and school and the child always has access to it, can look at it, and show it to their peers at preschool and family members and friends at home.
8. It is expected that the dictionaries will be reusable and that they will be returned to the preschool when the child is well advanced in language development. Experience will determine how long each child needs to use their folder. The family contact at the preschool will ensure that the folder is returned.
9. If you have difficulty seeing the symbols on the pages, you can try going to the website. tmt.isPreschools can purchase the workbook. Hands up on the website of the Icelandic National Agency for Education and Training and you can use the website SignWiki Iceland.