DLM and Universal Core Vocabulary
DLM First Forty and the Universal Core Vocabulary Sort
This project began with a desire to identify the vocabulary words that were most important to support the success of beginning communicators participating in the Dynamic Learning Maps® alternate assessments in English language arts and mathematics. Through the years, the list first led to the development of the and eventually to the Universal Core vocabulary for Project Core. The resulting is a list of words that have been determined to be highly useful for communicating in both social and academic contexts. The words are listed in rank order of utility based on a variety of factors that are fully explained in
Columns on the spreadsheet include the following:
| Column A | Core vocabulary words |
| Column B | Priority score – A score derived through this project to indicate the utility of the word. A larger number indicates greater utility. |
| Column C | AAC Core – A score of 1 indicates that the word appears on one or more AAC core vocabulary lists from the research and/or on a commercially available AAC system that features core vocabulary. |
| Columns D—G | DLM Essential Elements that require the expressive use of the word. The listed Essential Elements come from the lowest grade level where the word is required, and the list is not exhaustive. |
| Columns H | College and Career Readiness Standards that require the expressive use of the word. The listed College and Career Readiness Standards come from the lowest grade level where the word is required, and the list is not exhaustive. |
Links of Interest
Archived DLM Project Publication –
DLM Project Presentation – Â presented by Dr. Penelope Hatch, Allison Dennis, and Marlene Cummings at the 2013 ASHA Conference in Chicago, IL.
Universal Core Vocabulary Open-Source (Project Core: 2015 – Current)
For more information on current core vocabulary research and development efforts, visit