Core vocabulary in written personal narratives of school-age children.

The samples came from a larger twin study and were not collected to answer questions about AAC vocabulary or school writing contexts. All narratives used one prompt, so words such as homework, school, and home may reflect that prompt rather than a general core vocabulary. Only first and fourth grade were analysed, so the list cannot be assumed to fit other grades. The paper reports 211 participants but analyses 217 written samples, and also states only one sample per participant was available, so the sample count is unclear. 5% of participants reportedly had academic delays or difficulty in language, reading, or spelling, and all samples were included regardless of language background, so the findings are not limited to children with typical development or specific AAC needs. This was a descriptive vocabulary analysis, not an intervention study.

Do not assume the 191-word core list will be the best vocabulary set for every child or every writing task. It was derived from one prompt and first and fourth grade samples, and the study did not test whether it improves communication or writing.