Communicating With Lexigrams

Kanzi Reading Lexigrams

To build on Kanzi's interest in language, Dr. Sue developed a new method for working with him.  She created stations in the dense woods outside the Great Ape Trust.  Kanzi liked exploring the woods and looking for food.
  
As Kanzi searched the woods for his favorite food and treats, he carried a cardboard version of his keyboard.  This enabled him to point to his choices.

Reading Together


This more natural method of learning has worked well with Kanzi, who now has a vocabulary of several thousand words.  Kanzi is able to create his own unique sentences, communicating his needs and wants to the scientists he lives and works with.

To see a video about how Kanzi uses lexigrams, click on this link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRM7vTrIIis.

Savage-Rumbaugh, E. Sue, and Roger Lewin. Kanzi: the Ape at the Brink of the Human Mind. New York: Wiley, 1994. Print.

Savage-Rumbaugh, E. Sue, Stuart Shanker, and Talbot J. Taylor. Apes, Language, and the Human Mind. New York: Oxford UP, 1998. Print.

"The My Hero Project - Dr. Sue Savage-Rumbaugh." The MY HERO Project. Web. 23 Jan. 2011. http://myhero.com/go/hero.asp?hero=sue_savage_rumbaugh.