{"id":1830,"date":"2026-11-12T20:14:12","date_gmt":"2026-11-13T00:14:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blissymbolics.ca\/w532\/?p=1830"},"modified":"2026-11-12T20:14:12","modified_gmt":"2026-11-13T00:14:12","slug":"reaction-paper-re-symbolization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blissymbolics.ca\/w532\/uncategorized\/reaction-paper-re-symbolization\/","title":{"rendered":"Reaction Paper re “symbolization”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Disassociating my thinking from that attributed to me in Building Wings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It has been brought to my attention recently that my work and writing has been described on the Building Wings website as shown\u00a0 below. I wish to clarify my theory and describe how it has been misinterpreted.<\/strong>\n\n\n\n


FROM BUILDING WINGS WEB SITE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n


How Symbol-Supported Text Developed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n


In the 1940s, Charles Bliss devised a symbol set called Blissymbols<\/a>. He intended to create an easy-to-learn international language<\/a> so that people speaking different languages could quickly and seamlessly communicate in written form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Then, beginning in the 1970s, Shirley McNaughton at the Ontario Crippled Children\u2019s Centre\u2013now named the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital\u2013began to introduce Blissymbols as a learning aid for children with physical disabilities. McNaughton\u2019s theory was that pairing symbols with text would give her learners an important entry point and, later, a path to conventional literacy.<\/strong> Since then, the practice has continued in classrooms and is still incorporated in some literacy instruction curriculums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The use of symbols as a visual support in the classroom, at home, and in the community through the use of a communication board or device continues to be an effective method to support expressive communication <\/a>for those who benefit from augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).\n\n\n\n
However, it\u2019s important to distinguish between using symbols for communication and using symbols for literacy instruction.\n\n\n\n\n\n
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At first glance, McNaughton\u2019s approach for symbol use for reading instruction has appeal. It appears helpful and pairs core words with symbols in the context of communication. However, just because something may feel right, it doesn\u2019t make it right. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


RESPONSE BY SHIRLEY MCNAUGHTON<\/strong>

Please note that there are no Blissymbols<\/strong> in the above example from the Building Wings website. <\/h2>\n\n\n\n



My theory has always been <\/p>\n\n\n\n


1  The primary purpose for the words accompanying Blissymbols is to enable the communication partner to understand the Bliss-user\u2019s message. Secondly, having words accompany Blissymbols provides the opportunity for the Bliss-user to become aware of print so that they can give attention to it when they are developmentally ready. (Vygotsky)<\/p>\n\n\n\n


2 My focus has always been creating an awareness on the part of the instructors on the features and affordances of various types of Graphic Representation Systems (GRS), the developmental capabilities of the growing child, the unique developmental path of AAC users. (von Tetzchner)<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Blissymbolics is unique in providing segmentation and manipulation of semantic elements within Bliss-words. Pictures and line drawings only enable wholistic processing by the child. Blissymbols enable analytic processing of visual elements – an important experience in literacy acquisition (Adams; Berninger; Lindblom; McNaughton; McNaughton & Lindsay; Stanovitch)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n


I hope the above disassociates my thinking from that attributed to me in Building Wings website. I reject any connection with \u201csymbolization\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

References<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Links to Video presentations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presentation at ISAAC Virtual Conference October 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1xnfE6a5InNICyHB3DWKRJ03H__6EY2fi\/view?usp=share_link<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Presentation to Israeli AAC Professionals\u00a0 May 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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