Know When to Move to a New Level of Gemiini's Language Pyramid
Wondering if your student is ready for the next level of the Language Pyramid? Look for these milestones.
Getting started with Gemiini is quick and simple. Taking the assessment places your student in the appropriate level of the Gemiini Language Pyramid, and videos targeting specific language skills automatically assign to their account. Knowing when your student is ready to move on to the next level can be less clear. This article describes the skills students should have before moving on from each level of the Language Pyramid.
The Language Pyramid is divided into nine levels, each targeting different elements of language development. Before moving up in the Language Pyramid, students should be proficient in the objectives of their current level. Each level builds on skills developed in the levels preceding it, and deficiencies in lower levels can make continued growth in higher levels more challenging.
It's also important to present students with new challenges as soon as a set of skills has been mastered. Staying in the same level long after your student has acquired the objective skill set can lead to boredom and stagnation. Remember, students do not need to complete all assignments before moving to a new level of the Language Pyramid.
As you read these guidelines, keep in mind that every student is unique. Some students complete every assignment in their level and watch dozens of custom videos before they are ready to move on. Other students may be ready for the next level after completing just a few assignments.
When your student demonstrates the skills described in the sections below, or if you'd like to re-evaluate your student's level and retake the Language assessment, click the orange button in the progress display on the Assignments page that says, "Change Level / Retake Assessment".
Level 1
Reassess or move on when you notice your student consistently imitating five to ten actions.
Students who successfully attempt to imitate at least five different actions more than half the time when prompted are ready to move on from Level 1. It doesn't matter which actions your student is imitating, or whether the imitating occurs while you're watching Gemiini or during interactions outside of Gemiini viewing sessions. Precise imitation is not required - if you clap your hands five times and your student only claps once, this counts as a successful imitation attempt. Remember, students working in Level 1 are not required to speak.
Level 2
Reassess or move on when your student can vocalize a combined total of 25 animal sounds and/or words.
In Level 2, students extend imitation skills to respond to "what" questions with non-verbal actions (i.e. pinching fingers like a crab in response to the question, "What does a crab do?"). Vocal responses, such as roaring like a lion or trumpeting like an elephant, are also introduced at this stage. Students who can say a combined total of 25 animal noises and/or words are ready for Level 3.
Level 3
Reassess or move on when your student has a working vocabulary of at least 100 basic word labels.
In Level 3, students expand and generalize their libraries of expressive and receptive word labels. Use the testing feature available for assignments in Level 3 to keep track of your student's receptive and expressive language growth. Students who can speak and understand at least 100 word labels are ready for Level 4.
Level 4
Reassess or move when your student is able to use 10 or more action word labels.
Level 4 targets early action word labels and models how verbs are used to describe actions and events. The assignments in Level 4 pair pronouns with action word usage, and students in this level develop an understanding of how to use pronouns in speech. Students who can use ten or more action word labels correctly in combination with pronouns are ready for Level 5.
Level 5
Reassess or move on when your student can use three to five carrier phrases appropriately outside of Gemiini viewing time.
In this level, students learn carrier phrases that make it easier to put words together into sentences. These include requesting phrases, such as "I want" and "Open", phrases for expressing feelings and observations, like "I feel", "I see", and "I hear", and phrases for describing events, such as "I made" and "I found". Students are ready for Level 6 when they use at least three different carrier phrases in everyday interactions with peers and adults.
Level 6
Reassess or move on when your student can use 20 or more action words, and at least 50% of the time uses the correct tense.
These videos teach more action word labels, and model how verbs change forms when used to describe past actions or predict future events. As students progress through Level 6, they learn the rules that govern conjugation. Students who can use at least twenty verbs, and who use the correct tense at least half of the time, are ready for Level 7.
Level 7
Reassess or move on when your student can use 50 or more adjectives or adverbs (such as big, small, quickly, slowly) and understands at least 10 different comparisons (such as bigger, slower, taller).
Level 7 helps students achieve a greater breadth of self-expression by teaching relative comparisons, adjectives, and adverbs. Before moving to Level 8, a student should be able to understand at least ten different comparison words, and be able to use a combined total of at least 50 different adjectives and adverbs.
Level 8
Reassess or move on when your student can speak in complete, proper sentences, and regularly uses descriptive words.
This level models conversations with Wh- questions to encourage more sophisticated interpersonal communication. Students who have mastered complete, proper sentences, and who frequently incorporate descriptive words into their expressions are ready for Level 9.
Level 9
Contact our Product Specialists when you feel your student has mastered all of the levels of the Language Pyramid.
The assignments in Level 9 model various forms of spontaneous conversation to strengthen skills developed throughout the Language Pyramid. When you feel your student has mastered all of the levels of the Language Pyramid, schedule a call with one of our Gemiini Coaches. The Language Pyramid is just the tip of the iceberg, and our team will help you plan the next stage of your Gemiini journey!
Always remember, you are the expert on your child. Gemiini therapy is endlessly customizable, and everyone takes a different course. Taking the assessment does not remove access to assignments from the other levels of the Language Pyramid. At no point are students required to stop watching videos from levels they have mastered, or blocked from viewing assignments beyond their current level.
No matter which level your student has been assigned, feel free to explore the rest of the Language Pyramid and to assign individual assignments from other levels to your student. Many members return to videos from earlier levels when students need a refresher on a skill, or when they want to use a familiar, preferred video as reinforcement for watching non-preferred assignments.
We also offer a huge selection of pre-made videos in our QuickStart Skills library. These assignments teach skills that aren't strictly related to speech and language, including social skills, behavioral skills, visual/spatial skills, pretend play, and many more. QuickStart Skills videos are an excellent supplement to Language Pyramid assignments.
Videos assigned from outside the Language Pyramid are not replacements for the assignments from your student's level.
If a student has problems with an assignment from their level (for example, if the content triggers disruptive behavior, or if the student does not possess the motor function required to imitate the modeled actions), try watching different assignments from the same level. Assignments do not need to be watched in order. If a student is not engaging with the first assignment, scroll down the assignments page to try another video. Experimentation is encouraged!
If you have questions about these guidelines, if you're not sure how to measure mastery of the above skills, or if you have any other questions about using Gemiini, schedule a free call with our Gemiini Coaches. If you're having technical trouble or need help getting started, check out the articles in our Knowledge Base. If you're looking for clips that don't seem to exist on the site, send a content request to us at videos@gemiini.org.